Wichita eagle., 1889-10-25
ESCAPED WITH HIS LIFE.
TOM ALIENS ADVENTURE WITH
INDIANS IN MONTANA.

The Red Rascals Make a Raid on the Cabin
and Burn 1t to the Ground, but Tom
Fools Them by Slipping Away in Log
Dusout Covered with Brush.
One of the earliest settlers in Montana wa,
Thomas Allen, who owns ranch about TWEEN
ty-five miles south of Livingston, toward the
National park.
Allen and several other young men migrated
to the west during the gold excitement al
Emigrant gulch about the year 1867, and
after meeting with considerable hard luck
finally took up quarters for the season neal
the foot of the Snowy Range mountains ano
close to the banks of the Yellowstone river.
Here they built small fort and provided
it with loopholes for defense in case of ar
attack by Indians, as the latter frequently
came that way while on their raids up and
down the valley, and might be expected al
any moment
The little log hut of these pioneers ais,
stood close beside swift mountain stream
and in quite secluded spot, and the three
men who occupied it, though very brave and
fearless grew extremely fearful and constant
ly exerted the greatest vigilance to prevent 4
surprise.
ALWAYS on THE LOOKOUT.
Any strange noise was a signal for rusl
to their guns, and the slightest cracking of &
twig near by found them instantly ready fol
action. Numerous times they had observed
war parties of the Sioux or Blackfeet on TIT
opposite shore of the Yellowstone, but as We
only once had the red men made a pretens
of attack, and that was apparently to Fighter
the inmates of the hut SO that the former
could pass by in safety.
The manner in which these three mel
lived, We're il fully written, would present
rather a strange culinary problem. Gener
ally speaking their diet was confined aInos
exclusively TO venison or elk steak, and this
of course, had to be obtained by hunting
When Indians were so plenty in the vale,
as to make it dangerous to venture out til,
trio OF squatters would use extra precautions
Two Of the men would leave the hut at til,
approach o. daylight and repair TO the noun
tains, and there wait until deer or elk cam,
along and shoot and dress it, and after taking
the choicest and best portions cover up th,
balance TO secrete it from the wolves OF
mountain lions, and then return to their hu
in stealfhy manner.
Oftentmes. TO avoid any chance of sur
prise, they would remain away until late a
night, thus entirely escaping observation
Then. of course at such hazardous time
they dare not make much fire, Us it nigh
lead TO surprise and perhaps to their de
struction.
Meat straight" was therefore not an IN
common diet, and they took turns doing sen
tlnel duty for SIX months at one stretch
being ceaseiess in their vigilance
But one night two of the hunters, on re
turning with their accustomed load of provis
IONS were sslonisned 70 discover that thei
hut was missing. 1t had been burned to tn,
ground during the day, leaving nothing onl,
some live emhers. nor could they find an,
trace of their companion
So they concluded that be certainly mus
have persisted, Us traces Of Indians were dis
unctly visible IN many places, showing con
clusively that they were the iacendiaries
After several hours. however, their co,npan
ION put IN an appearance, he having been con
cealed over mile away and among some co,
tonwood bushes
The account which he gave of his escap
was 50 very strange as 10 almost seem incred
IDLE. He had observed the indians when the,
were at quite a distance from the hut, ans
reasoned hat with SO large a force OF say
ages defense would be entirely useless.
SO he abandoned the little log structur
and, with gun in hand, hed down 4 ravin
toward the river, thinking 10 avoid diScov
cry. But the keen, SPACIOUS eyes OF tbs
SIOUX dlsceraed min, and -tnar-nars nursa,i.