Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-01-03
FIGHTING REDSKINS.

Well, sir. I've seed heap O. ups n
downs in my day an time. but l don't
think ever wus so completely upset as ]
wus when we captured the camp on Little
S'wanoochee, said Capt. Jim Storne as
he pulled a cloud of smoke from his old
black pipe, and leaned back in his chair
under the low shed in front of his home.
knew that Capt. Jim had one of his
numerous adventures on his mind, and
prepared for the worst.
Ye see, me n Ginerl Floyd wus alters
great cronies. We used to swap terbacker
an borry each others knives, an Ginerl
'ud cuss right afore me. sames eff nobody
want aroun'. Alter we got though the
Okeefenobee we helt council o'war, an
a'ter it was fnly greed that ther' want
no injuns inside O the swamp. the ques-
tion wus. 'whar aire they2' Some thought
that they'd gone to the everglades. others
helt to the idee that they wer' hidin'
out mongst the ponds and bays an in
the creek swamps like passel O var
mints.
At last. howsombedever Giner1 Floyd
says to me, says e:
"Jim"-allers called me Jim for short
"whar do you think they aire?"
well, ginerl," says l, 'ef I'm not
badly QUIT it, the dod rotted villyuns aire
sneakin aroun' in the big thick on
S'wanoochee.
''Well, | bedurned," says e, ''ef Jim
haint got more sense than the whole drap
shot gang, you may have my years for
heel tap, and God knows they're tough
enough since these dad blasted gallinip-
pers We afoul of EN-. Boys, we'll go over
thar an drive Big Thick. an see if Jim
amt bout half right"
ner in which spoke. fur he saw that ct
came across an Ingin hit'd be katie, bar
the door" with that savage. l had fully
made up nv min to shoot down without
quarter every dinged one Of 'em that
came across.
Giner1 Floyd had an old niger named
Sawnie what he called his body servyant,
but ther' want much servyant bout 1t.
The old rascal had done fo'got everything
but how to steal, an he wus as diff as
post, an SO mortly Internal lazy that no
matter what time day it wus his shad-
der wus alters in front of i'm. Jist SO
burned lazy that he couldn't keep up with
Il.
Eff they wus one thing old Sawnie loved
better'n col Ticker, it wus to set on log
an fish. He didn't keer fur jack an
trout an pike an red bellies. They wus
TOO brisk fur i'm, but mud cats wus his
glory, becase they tuck their time bout
bitin'
We'd broke up camp an we'd marched
up the S'wanoochee to pint bout mile
blow whar the Big Thick begins an Gin
srI Floyd halted us an told us to be very
keerful, as we wus in the Injins' kentry, an
they wer' i'ble to pop up in the most on
expected places. He ordered us to see
v,riy ,ivrs
veil pecked. an wen the time come fur
action to be ready to carry fer and sword
into the camp of the hos tiles He wound
up by akin us, in bold, big words, to
strus' in God an jackson an keep yer
powder dry"
Well, sir, sot on gyard till bout mid
night that night. an then | rousted Big
iawed John Langford an tole him to take
nv place while tuck nap.
reckin slep' mighty SCUM, an /! Ger,
tainly slep' the sleep O the jest, for !
dreampt / kilt seben Injun warriors at
one fer, as they sot on barrikin log, an
I was lest afixin' to load my rifle when
walked up.
"Jim, Jiml' come voice, an opened
NV ewes an seed Bigjawed John astanln'
over me.
"W'ot you want, JohnY'
"'Shl The lnJuns ain qua ter U
mile off. | hearn a turkey gobble down
the creek Jest afore day, a'ter I'd ben
adozin' while" -.
"Y'orter not aben dozin' on picket,
John; hits agin orders, an ye better no'
saw nothin mo- bout that.
"Well, as said. hearn turkey, an
l thought I'd have crack at i'm, but oy
the blue Jehosephatl as | was a-creepI
long down the creek happened to look
down path that led though openin u
the thick, whar the creek bends, an thar
sat Injun with is gun cross is lap, an
I could see a dozen more heads 'mongss
the bushes started to shoot, but a teI
/ saw that the gyard didn't see me :
Thought I'd better come back an rouss
the men an we'd s'roun 'em. | tel! ye
lin. hit made my haire rise an my blooa
r11n cole to think what nairer resk we
wus a-rounin'.'
Hit was mos sun up, but thick fog
hing over the swamp, an ye couidn seq
very far ahead, but wen we toll Gen
Eloyd bout the diskivery he sprung W
an ordered us to git ready to march 'thous
-,al,in' auv noise All the camp was W