The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-11
A CLOSE CALL.
sY ". Z. FRENCH.

400 AVAAO WAuH 6OV0uvuG0 WE k6l8t6U
TO me. by the man who was the chief
actor in it. He was q veteran Of the
Civil War, and also veteran pioneer Of
the early Western days when a man
who lived on the border took his life in
his hands, There was not only the
savage and merciless Indians to he
guarded against, but also the border
outlaws and r~uffians, who were, per-
haps, as dangerous to the lives of
peaceable settlers a. the savages.
In spite of his three-score and five
years he carried himself as straight as
an arrow. He was full six feet tall,
muscular and brawny. aud without an
ounce of superf1uous flesh. In his
youth he must indeed have been Q pow
erful and handsome specimen Of phys
ical manhood. The following is his
story:
In the fall Of the year 1852
I was stopping in Western Iowa
with . friend, who lived in . log cabin
on q government claim, which lie had
taken . year before, about . mile and q
half from the banks Of the Missouri
River.
was not then the old, gray-haired
man you see before you now, but young
and strong and as full of life as q nest
full Of hornets stirred with o stick. I
had come West from Ohio when 1 was
"a, and the time I had spent in rough
ing IL in the West had served to inure
me to all kinds of hardahips.
There was plenty of game then in the
bottoms and hills along the river on the
Iowa side, but I was always DESTROYS Of
something new, and especially of seeing
some part Of the country where I had
not been before. So determined, as
soon ss il grew sufficiently cold, so that
fur would be in prime condition, to 20
over on the Nebraska side and trap
there for . few weeks.
When / communicated my intentions
To my friend and his wife, they both OPP
posed my going quite strongly.
"John,' he said (my name is John
Graham, syou will be undertaking q
dangerous trip. You are likely to en-
counter . band Of prowling Sioux at
any time, and just at present they are
not the people q fellow would care to
meet. II you should happen tn be dis
covered by any Of them your chances
OF returning would be very small"
While I could not deny that every
word he said was true, yet il anythine
il only made me the more determined
to go.
Not long after this the weather
turned very cold and for ten days CON
tinuously the mercury remained down
about and below the freezing point. I
knew thst when il moderated II would
be . good time to trap. So I made q
trip ont to the river to have q look at
the ice and found, as I supposed, that
It would easily bear . mans weight. I
returned home and prepared for my
trip the next day. Ny friend agreed to
help me get what few things / needed
across the river and then I could move
them to where I decided to camp at my
leisure. Accordingly, bright and early.
the next morning we started out, carry.
ing q rifles. . small tent, . hatchet, .
couple Of dozen traps, and some meal.
for Hour in those days was Q luxury. /
also had . small pan and some salt.
This comprised the extent of my camp
ing outfit, and indeed it was more ex-
tenaive than many were able to afford.
About three hours marching and we
were q the west bank of
the Missouri, where we hid the camp
effects. Ny friend returned home,
while I struck out in search Of . favor
able camping place. Twas we'll armed
and had but little fear Of three or four
Indians il . fair, open fight.
In lea than an hour I had found .
suitable place for camping in the tim
Der 8 few hundred yards from . small
lake. whore I could obtain good wxter.
and whore there was plenty Of signs Of
fur.bearfng animals.
Ireturnod ct once to the place where
we had Lift the things, and soon
brought them up to where I had deter
mined 70 camp. and before night I had
everything snugly arranged for Q long
Say. The nsxt day I put ont all my
tseps. and for nearly Q week I had
splendid luck.with them.
had AsIyet seem no traoes Of In.
dians, md had thrown aide the can.
ton which I had used at the begin.
xssr Ihaabssn Asrs about . xesk
Istastt4 outsfp look for . der. Alter
noin9.a shn6tdistancoI forced my way
@soSglA.dnse. thickst and emerged
into'6AiaN opening. Hardly had !
6oee = whA ast6esbot rangout and