Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1889-08-21
1e Travels Naked for Seven Days pur-
sued by a Ei0o0y sn3 Iteient-
Ies- Foe and at Last Reaches
"a Place of Safety.

What IL known as Lewis and ClarlSe's
expedition TO explore the Missouri
river took place in the year ls35, II
was manned by Captain Merriwether
Clarke, three eergeants and seven sol
diers of the Uniled States army, ac-
companied by twentv-six other per-
sons, among whom we"e q number of
Freuchmen. Tht{r 3dyen,uces and
discoveries are not OF so much t-1por-
tnnce as the iacG that John Golfer aad
John Potts were members of the expe-
dition. These two men were either
discharged from the command, or
after the expedition had returned to
il; starting place, went back into the
Indian country On thoir Own hook.
This point, as well as tho exact loea-
Jion OF their adventures, appears to De
3lcGded in doubt, although their en-
counter Is fully authenticated. They
were trapping baayer neur the con-
tlucnce OF the Madison rive" with the
Jefferson fork. The Blackfeet indians
were in that regioy and Que OF them
had been killed by Lewis. Aware of
the bitterness OF Indian hostility Col
ter and Potts set their traps at Z light.
drew them in ea'h moymi1g and lay
concealed during the dag.
They vere examining taeir traps
early one morning, in q creek Waice
ohey were ascending In Il canoa, NGan
they suddenly beard q gre@s noise,
resembling the trampling OF animals.
But they could not ascerJ;tia Size fact,
as the high, psrPoa3ic9lar baa.zs an
each side of the river im9oded tAea
view. Colte" immediately proaoaneeG
it to be occssioned 5g Indians. aaa
advised ain instant retreat. bU5 Wds
accused of cowardiaa bs iatas, who
| insisted the noise was oceaAi0a9I BY
butTaloes, ana thtg procaeoea on. n
few minutes slterw arcs tbeiT' doubts
were removed by tha appna.ance OF
about five Or six hundred Indians on
both sides OF the creek, who beci<onod
hem TO co1ae ashcge.. as ratreat wes
now impossible, Coltor tprHad the
| head OF the canoe to the shore. Al
Jhe moment Of rs touching ga Indian
seized the riGe belonging to POTTS.
But Golfer. who was a reraarkably
| strong ran, iiunoGiatciY retoos il
and handed i. to Potts, who remained
n the canoe, and upon receiving Il,
| pa he'd of iato the river. lie had
scarcely Quilted the shore when an
arrow waa shot at him, and he cried
out: 'Colter, laA wounded" toytef
demonstrated with him on the folly o.
attempting to escape and urged him
to come ashore. instand nj comply
ing, he instantly leveled his riie 81
an Indian, and shot him dead og the
| spot.
This conduct, situated as ha WAS.
may appear TO have been an oct o.
| madness; but it was doubtless tha ei-
| feet of sudden but sound enough pesa
soning; for il taken alive he ,nuat haqs
expected 10 have been tortnred Sc
death. according to the Indian custaga-
| And in this respect the jndiaos OF this
region exeelled all others in the inge'
nuity they displayed in torturing thesl
| prisoners.
He WAS Instantly pierced with aP
rows. so numerous that to Use tn
language OF Golfer. "he was made
riddle o."
They now seized Golfer. stripped
l II a.. <.x
suit an the manner in which he shouls
be pub to DEATH They were FIRST ID
c,ined TO set him up as mark to shoe
at; but the chief interfered. and. sei2
] inr him by the shoulder asked him !