The Louisiana Democrat., 1890-07-23

LINZ Ill uSduIl,
and if you are alone when you meet
them, it is very apt to be death, too
Why do you see that scar running
across my cheek? That marks night
when fought dozen of the gray de.
mons for my life, and very nearly lost
it"
Thus spoke "Uncle" Lem Dickinson
to the writer. Uncle Lem, though a
man of education, is an ideal specimen
of Western frontiersman-gaunt, eagle.
eyed and, though nearly seventy now,
still as active as panther, and carrying
his huge frame, all muscle and sinew,
with the erect and swinging carriage
that life On the plains alone can give.
He was the first white man to settle in
this tNilbarger} county, and was quite
anoted Indian hunter forty years ago,
besides having still Statewide repu-
tation as a nimrod. His home Is log
1aSn on the banks Of the Big Wichita,
ABOUT fifteen miles from town, and in
which he has dwelt since the Mexican
war. 1t bears the marks Of innumera-
able bullets, which were made by the
Indians when they besieged Uncle Lem
and eleven other whites for three DAYS
in 1854, and the skins of grizzly bears,
pumas, panthers, buffalo, deer and
other animals decorate the walls of the
cabin as trophies Of the owners skill.
On being urged to relate the history of
his battle with the timber wolves
Snoie Lem readily complied. He said:
lit was in '72, and the middle of the
hardest winter l ever knew in these
parts. The ground stayed frozen for
weeks, and the cattle died Of cold and
starvation, or were killed by the wild
beasts, that were hard put to 1t, too.
sometimes when l would be frying a
piece OF bacon could hear the panthers
and coyotes snarling and swapping at
the door and windows, and every night
would have to fasten up colt had,
and the pigs, to keep them from being
stolen One day my bacon and meal
gave out, and | hitched up my wagon
and horses to go to town after some.
"As luck would have it, just as | was
starting home, l ran across a man | had
not seen for twenty years, and nothing
would do but must sit down and have
talk with him; SO it wasn't far from
dark when put out for my cabin with
tle provisions. | had made little
over quarter of the distance when Just
ahead of me, not more than fifty yards,
and on the edge of little wood, saw
group of deer. The sun had set, but
their graceful forms were outlined
against the still warm sky, so aiming
carefully and selecting fine, half
grown male a little removed from the
rest, | raised my gun and fired The
deer fell and lay kicking and rolling,
wounded unto death; so drawing nv |
pistol, | ran toward it, and, watching
my opportunity, placed the weapon
close to it's head, and, with one
shot, ended the poor creatures |
aSonies. With agreat deal of difficulty
succeeded in getting the deer on to
the wagon. 1t bled a good deal, and, as
drove in, ! noticed a long trail of blood
behind me on the frozen ground. / had
|
the way, when, in the dim light, l sud-
denly saw something like shadow
moving along close beside my horses
heads' 1t did not make any noise, and
1t kept up an even pace, so l had no
chance to see it any better, and at first
could not imagine what it was.
Presently there sprung-it seemed
lrom the earth itself-another long.
I'M. shape just out of reach of my whip,
ane then another and another, until the
wagon and horses were surrounded by a r
crowd OF phantom figures with gleam-
ing eyes and wide open. painting mouths.
i Knew them then and my heart Jumped c
lhIo my mouth, for many time have l d
'ome across the bare white bones that G
were all these silent, gaunt devils had t
tei' Oh some faithful horse, or even of a T
human being. | thought it best not to s
.e' on that | noticed them until thew u
1t on me; so drove quietly on. t.