The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-08-06

DIV LOA NlAC OtatbN a.
well Us /, and we had hardly reached
our saddles when, as by a common
impulse, we turned our horses heads
on the back trail. The Indians in
our rear, thinking that we were in
trusting our safety to flight. increased
their yells of exultant pleasure. The
race was a short but exceedingly
exciting one. but we reached the butte
some minutes before the Indians came
in range of US. We hobbled the horses
In little hollow, and loosening our
cartridge belts, seated ourselves on
the very top of the butte, our rifles in
our laps and ready for service.
'.The Indians halted about a thou
sand yards away, and seemed to be
discussing the situation. They were
evidently pretty mad. and / began to
fear that they would forget their usual
prudence and charge us. An Indian.
as rule, is brave. but he lacks the
courage that comes of discipline. If a
party of Indians know that there is an
almost certain probability OF one Or
more Of their number losing life in q
certain venture, it is seldom that they
will undertake it, each believing that
he is to be the unfortunate one. When.
therefore, a certain object can be
obtained by either cunning or bravery,
the former course is almost always
adopted.
''Our pursuers recognized the fact
that we were not tenderfeet, and that,
should they charge, at least two of
their number would have to drop, and
so very wisely decided TO besiege us
and trust to strategy to get our scalps.
Several times one or two of the ras-
Gals would try to approach US by
wriggling through the high grass, but
each time Sly Fox's sharp eyes de-
tected them, and bullet in their i'm
mediate vicinity caused a sudden re-
treat upon their part. We waited
very anxiously for darkness TO set in,
and then breathed more easily, for we
knew that we were safe until moon
rise, at least. The Comanche's reli-
gion teaches him that the spirit of all
braves who die in the dark go 10 the
Happy Hunting Grounds, to wander
on in an endless night; in consequence
of which night attacks, except in the
moonlight, are very rare.
'As soon as it grew dark enough for
us to feel comparatively safe, We
1inhfnA nf h,rchnc nn1 buffalo
chips, and tried to think way out Of
our scrape. After discussing every
plan that seemed at all feasible, We
finally decided upon what appeared to
be the best. the moon would rise at
about midnight and until that time
we could consider ourselves free from
attack; but if the first moonbeams
found us on the butte. there was
strong probability of its last beams
falling on our scalpless bodies.
The three sides of the butte not
guarded by our enemies were entirely
too steep to permit of horses descend
ing them, and to attempt to escape on
foot would have been folly, for after
moonrise the Indians would have run
us down before we were half way to
camp. The only safe plan was to
escape mounted, and we were deter
mined to do so if ii was possible. So
piling a fresh supply of fuel on
the fire, we rolled as silently as
possible over the edge of the butte, and
scampered down to the plain beneath.
We then made long detour until we
were in the rear of the Indians camp.
According to our calculations, they
would, about eleven o'clock, begin to
creep up on our supposed position in
order to be ready for the attack when
the moon rose. 1t was possible, how
ever, that they would postpone the at
tack until daylight, trusting to the de-
ceptive moonbeams to cover their ap-
proach. Their ponies they had hobbled
and turned loose. and from them we
proposed, when the proper time should
come, to select the steeds to bear us
back to camp.
when eleven o'clock came, Sly Fox
stripped himself to the skin. and then
crept off to get the horses. This part
of the plan left entirely to the scout,
both because of his superior skill in
slipping unseen through the grass, and
because white mans presence among
the ponies would have at once been
made known by their actions
al had been waiting probably three
quarters of an hour, when heard him
approaching and leading the ponies.
He informed me, in whisper. that he
had cut the lariats of all of the ponies,
selecting for our use what seemed to
be the best two. Just as the moon
rose, We mounted. and, not at ali fear
full OF pursuit, set off at a canter.
'1n hobbling their ponies, the In
dams had used side lines Joining the