The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-09-06

escape from such a crowd was too alb
surd to be entertained. l found the
inhabitants of the village drawn up in
two long lines extending out on the
plains. Even children 5 or 6 years old
were in line, each one armed with
stick or switch. was led to the head
of the line between two warriors, and
i'm four or five minutes the doctor was
brought out Red Moon had arrang-
ed this as a mental torture to both
of us. He signified to us that we
might speak, and / at cnce in
formed the doctor of my crrand and
its failure. He expressed his pleasure
that his friends thought SO well of him,
and his sorrow that had brought mis-
fortune upon myself, and he seemed
to have made up his mind to die like
man. | knew the Indians thoroughly,
and l told him what the programme
would be. After running the gaunt-
let, he would be tied to post and sub
mitted to the powder torture, which
consists in shooting charges OF powder
into the flesh, with the muzzle of the
gun only foot or two away. After
that would come cutting and mutilat-
ing, and he would not be tied to the
fire stake until pretty thoroughly cx-
hausted. | advised him to do as / in
tended to do-leap upon some warrior
as he ran down the lines, grab his
knife or tomahawk, if possible. and
then fight until they would have to
kill him then and there. He calmly re-
piled that he should adopt the plan,
shook me by the hand, and then all
was ready.
AS we talked / had been getting the
lay of the village. 1t was only quar-
ter of mile back to the broken
ground and not over q half mile to
the foothills. l had made up my mind
to make break for liberty, and l had
my plans all laid before the doctor
ltarted. Red Moon commanded me to
tell him that no was to run straight
down the lane and back, and that if
he made good run he would not be
much hurt | gave him the informa-
ton, and advised him to make his
break about two-thirds of the way
down, as he came to the last of the
warriors. When stepped back my
elbows touched a guard on either side
and l saw that they were deeply in
terested in the scene before them.
When dropped my left hand down
it was close to tire hilt of the warriors
knife, and then | was as ready as |
could be. The doctor was powerful
big fellow and was entirely naked
He was to start at the report of q rifle
fired in the air, and when the signal
came he bounded away like q deer.
The lines closed up and every one
tried to strike at him, but the climax
came when he made his bolt. With
u leap to one side he seized toma-
hawk, and at that moment | got hold
of the knife without being detected. A
great cry arose and one of my guards
started forward. bent down and cut
my thongs at single sweep, and
then, by back hand blow, drove the
knife SO far into the body of the other
guard, who had given me no atten-
ton, that it was wrenchcd from my
grasp as he fell. Then | bounded
away down tho river, and | believe l
had start of twenty rods before pur-
suit began.
1t is not braggadocio to assert that in
those days l had the speed and bottom
Of q thoroughbred. hadn't the least
fear of being overtaken after | got that
start by any one on foot, and as at
once made for the broken ground their
ponies had no advantage | looked
back only once, and that was as l got
clear of the village. AT least fifty In
dams were pursuing me on foot, and
few minutes later q score of others
had mounted The pursuers were so
strung out that no one dared shoot,
and when l got settled down to the
pace | ran for my life. In five or six
minutes / was in the foothills, and in
ten / had gained the shelter of the
scrub pine. At that moment twenty
rifles turned loose on me, but none of
the bullets came near enough to make
me dodge, and l contrived to put in
my best ticks They followed me for
about four miles, losing ground all the
| time, and then drew off to return to
the doctor. 1t was five days before 1
got back to the fort, my clothes in tat
tiers, and my strength almost gone,
and it was two years before | learned
the particulars of the doctors fate. He
made q gallant fight when he got pos
session of the tomahawk, killing
warrior and boy and wounding an
other warrior and an old man, but he
was overpowered and disarmed, and
then the devils glutted their vengeance.
Some idea of his sufferings can be inn
agined from the fact that he was under
some sort of torture for three days and
nights, and there was life still left in
him when he was given up to the
fangs of the village dogs. The Co
manche who gave me the particulars
was then "a ward of the government.
drawing his rations, ammunition and
blankets from the very men whose
scalps he had hungered for, and he
could not be punished. He identified
himself as the warrior who was guard
ing me on the right when l made my
break, and for his carelessness on that
occasion the chief stripped him of all
his worldly possessions and gave the
goods to the widow of the warrior /
| had slain.-New York Sun.