The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-02-05

captured, but let il 20 and turned their
attention TO me.
When my horse vent down | took his
body for a breastwork and opened a
rapid fire on The advancing lndians.
while the stage driver whipped ~ his
horses and Was soon out Of sight No
one man, no matter how brLve and well
armed, could be expectec 20 stand of
such band Of indians very long. /
killed one and woundei another, and
then they scattered and circled me-
This deprived me Of the protection Of
my breastwork, and. knowing that ] had
no show whatever Of recus, / stood up
and signaled the fact Of my surrender.
II was taking chance, but it was the
only thing left had reason to believe
that they would hold me prisoner for
few days before disposing of me. and
it was between suicide or hoping for an
opportunity to escape.
The band came erowaIng up as l sur
rendered, and my first reception was
better than had hoped for. They did
not, as a rule, feel as bitter against the
stage people and guards as they did
against the soldiers / handed out my
weapons, submitted 10 be bound without
word, and was then mounted on
pony and stationed in the center Of the
band as it rode off TO the northwest.
This was about two hours before sun
down. After riding for an hour, during
which several Indians questioned me in
regard to the soldiers, We united with
another band of eighteen, who we're hid
den away in dry run about three miles
off the stage route. We had scarcely
come up when recognized in one of the
warriors the young buck whom | had
cared for at the water hole the year
previous. Hegave me sign OF recog-
nition, and with it signal that We were
to be strangers He was one of the first
TO declare my identity as government
scout, and to argue that ought 10 be
put to the torture at once.
Several other yonng men agreed with
him, but the older heads would not listen
to anything of the kind. / was greatly
shocked to find that this second band
held as prisoners white man named
Cooper and boy named Peters They
had been captured together thirty miles
away while hunting for lost horse.
The man seemed dull-witted, and did
not apparently realize what was in store
for him. The boy, on the contrary,
keenly appreciated his danger and was
all unnerved. He was only Is years old,
pale and sickly, and when ] saw him in
tears | conld not reproach him, although
l warned him that he would subject him
seIfto the contempt ofthe Indians and
provoke them to administer greater pun
ishmenf.
At dusk we all got off together in a
northwesterly direction, and after riding
a distance of eighteen or twenty miles
We reached an Indian camp on creek
running into the Solomons river, This
creek is called Wolf." Bear" Grow
and several other names, but military
records speak of it as Snake creek. Ii
was Black Eagles village, and numbered
about fifty lodges, but only the old men
and boys were at home, All the warriors
were off on the warpath. About half
dozen, two of whom were wounded.
came in, however, two hours after our
arrival, and next morning | saw one
band Of fourteen come in from the east.
Each prisoner was placed in different
quarter Of the village. A family near
the cente- of the village vacated lodge
for my benefit, and when left alone
found myself so securely tied that lcould |
neither move hand nor foot. A warrior
was placed on guard at the door, and
after an hour or two of rejoicing the viii
Iage settled down 10 sleep, could take
no other position except lie on my |
right side, and the thongs panied me so
hat l could not sleep was facing the |
door Of the lodge, and it was within half
IN hour Of daybreak when voice whis- |
pered in my ear
''Let my brother keep up stout heart /
| will seek to release him when night |
comes again"
1t was the voice Of the warrior I had |
succored many months ago, and he had /
entered the lodge from the back side. / !
had not detected the slightest sound, nor
n his Withdrawing could / follow him.
the guard at the door appeare TO be
,sleep, but if had been able to work out 1
of my bonds should not have made /
move toward escape.
Morning daxned soon after my visitor
eft. and the whole village had eaten
breakfast before : O'Clock. About that /
hour warrior came in, united me, gave /
ne big dish OF soup and large piece
If meat, and when | had finished the 4
neal my hands were tied behind my 1
pack and was led out and tied to stake I
md made to witness the torture inflicted /
IN Cooper and the boy. This began at
,'elock and lasted until noon. / was
satisfied from the first that they would
ct the boy of lightly, rs fear and anxiety /
had wrecked his mind Had he been
,oluble and full Of gestures. as insane
people usually are, Think they would
rave turned him loose. but unfortunately |
se was as one stricA g dumb. They got /
10 enjoyment out of his sufTerings, and |
'oon dispatched him.
Cooper was strong. healthy man, and /
le was under some sort of torture for
hree hours before they finished him. 1
was to be saved until the morrow, when
,ther warriors were expected in, and |
he village was 10 he broken up. At 1
,oon / was taken back to the tepee, tied |
Is before, and no one came near me I'M
il sandown. Then was given the same /
food as in The morning, guard placed |
,utside the door, and By 10 o'clock the
TiIIage was asleep. It was an hour later,
md was lying in the same position as
he night before, when knife carefully |
.ut the thongs. Then hand chafed my |
wrist and ankles TO restore the circula- |
ion, and after six or seven minutes
roice whispered