Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-07-30

WOMB NOT nave uuW1ed MN Doyue
10 have seen = BODY q thsn dash out.
Twas therefore taken ahack, ct tho end
Of about quarter Of an hour, to see Little
Smoke reappear with . hackload Of stu6
from his cache. He came Straight
toward me. but very slowly, and halted
every few yards to adjust his burden. I
was carefully watching him when my
horse shifted the air uneasily, and all at
once it came to me that l was being
stalked. ! left tho shelter Of the cot
tonwoods for the open ground. and as
rode away two bullets ripped Close to
my head, having been fred from the
opposite hank Of the stream. At the
same moment Little Smoke dropped his
goods and fired IN me with his musket.
While half dozen Indians in my rear
were yelling and shooting ! rode down
to within 200 feet of the smooth tongued
traitor and dropped him dead in his
tracks. There were five Indians in the
ambuscade, and they mounted their
ponies and pursued me for three or four
miles, but got safely away.
The second attempt was made in De-
cember. A half breed Cheyenne-an
old man with avery honest face-came
into the fort and reported that white
man, a trapper. was in camp on the
river above us with broken leg, and he
had volunteered to come in and report
the case. The distance was not over i've
miles, but the snow lay deep on the
ground and it was very sharp weather.
The old man probably reasoned that ]
would be sent ont TO guide the relief
party. He was asked 10 do so, but re-
fused. even under promise of a gallon Of
whisky. This refusal aroused my suspi-
cions, and instead of going out as re-
lief corps q dozen men went armed TO
the teeth. The place designated was a
grove, and we approached it as near as
possible under cover and then made q
sudden dash. Eight mounted Indians
rushed out on the other side. There
were evidences that they had been there
in camp for two or three days.
In the spring, when war had been for
mally declared, most Of my work was
along the Smoky Hill stage route.
When the stages finally ceased running
| carried food and ammunition to the
station employees or guided them safely
to the posts. Lookout station, twenty
miles beyond Fort Hays, was more ex-
posed to attack than any other on the
route The hut for the shelter Of the
men was half wood, half mud Two
stables filled with hay and oats tlanked
it and stood dangerously near. While
at every other station the men had made
dugouts for their protection, this precau-
ton had been neglected at Lookout.
Small bands of Indians had appeared
and been stood off by the well armed
men, and they had come to believe that
they could defeat any force likely to ap.
pear. On the morning of April 10 was
approaching Lookout with 800 Win,
Just as day fairly broke. was discov-
cred and pursued by band Of about
fifty Indians. got into the station after
a lively chase, and within an hour il was
surrounded by over hundred redskins
had been recognized, and they sent a
flag of truce to offer the three men theii
lives if they would hand me over. This
offer was twice repeated, and Their the
Indians settled down to besiege the sta
ton. During the day the firing was kept
up at long range. All the horses in the
stables were killed before noon. but none
Of us was wounded. AS night came
determined to get away. being under or
ders to report at Hays as soon as possible
The men encouraged me to go. saying
they could hold the place until sent
assistance.
At about 0 o'clock | crept out Of tn,
hut, crawled on my hands and knees into
the darkness. and after twice almost
humping against Indians l got beyond
their lines and beaded for the fort.
was only three miles away when saw
the glare of the burning stables, which
the redskins had crept up to and fired
The hut caught from the stables, and a.
the three brave fellows were final,
driven out they were shot down by the
horde in waiting. and thus every vestigt
of the station was wiped ut.-New \ orb
Sun.