The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1890-07-11
A 0 CALL.
BY w. L. FRENCH.

W me ny Ilo man VINO was me CnleI
actor in it. He was q veteran of the
Civil War, and also veteran pioneer of
the early Western days when q man
who lived on the border took his life in
his hands There was not only the
savage and merciless Indians to be
guarded against, but also the border
outlaws and rufians, who were, per-
haps, as dangerous to. the lives of
peaceable settlers as the savages.
In spite of his three-score and five
years he carried himself as straight as
an He was full six feet tall,
muscular and brawny, and without an
ounce of superhuous 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 a friend, who lived in a log cabin
on a government claim, which he had
taken a year before, about a mile and a
half from the banks Of the Missouri
River.
I was not then the old, gray-haired
man you see before you now, but young
and strong and as full of life as a nest
full of hornets stirred with q stick. I
had come West from Ohio when 1 was
"a, and the time I had spent in rough
ing it in the West had served to inure
me to all kinds of hardships.
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 I determined, as
soon as it grew sufficiently cold, SO that
fur would be in prime condition, to 60
wei on the Nebraska side and trap
there for a few weeks.
When I 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), "you will be undertaking q
dangerous trip. You are likely to en-
counter a band of prowling Sioux at
any time, and just at present they are
not the people a fellow would care to
meet. If you should happen to 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 if anything
it 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 that when it moderated it would
be a good time to trap. So I made a
trip out to the river to have a look at
the Ice and found, as I supposed, that
it would easily bear a mans weight. I
returned home and prepared for my
trip the next day. MY friend agreed to
help me get what few things I needed
across the river and then I could move
them to where I decided to camp ct my
leisure. Accordingly, bright and early,
the next morning we started out, carry
ing our rifles, a small tent, a Ratchet, a
couple of dozen traps, and some meal,
for -four in those days was a luxury. ]
also had q small pan and some salt.
This comprised the extent of my camp.
ing outfit, and indeed it was more *.
tensive than many were able to afford.
About three hours marching and we
were at the west bank Of
the Missouri, where we hid the camp
effects. Ny friend returned home,
while 7 struck out in search of a favor
able camping place. Twas we'll armed
and had but little fear of three or four
Indians in q fair, open fight.
In less than an hour I had found q
suitable place for camping in the tim
her q few hundred yards from a small
lake, where I could obtain good water,
and where there was plenty of signs o.
fur-bearing animals.
returned at once to the place where
We had left the things, and soo1
brought them up to where I had deter
mined to camp, and before night I had
everything snugly arranged for a long
stay. The next day I put out all my
traps, and for nearly q week I had
splendid luck with them.
I had as yet seen no traces of In
dams. and had thrown aside the eau.
ton which I had used at the begin
ming.
Alter I had been there about q weel
I started ont to look for q deer. Aftel
going q short distance ! forced my wa.
through q dense thicket and emerged
into q small opening. Hardly had
done 30 when . rife shot rang out ant
3 ball cauas whining by my head ant
buried itself in . small sapling close OF
my left.
Realizing my danger, 7 dropped aa
on the ground, and the next second
dusky form bounded out Of the brusl
onthe opposite-side of the glade AM
came straight toward me. He evidentl.
thought that I was done for, but I 500
cured him Of that idea, for my riff
hsrked: sharply and Mr.. Indian, with
yell Of agony, doubled up in death.
I heasd . dozen answering yells
apparently not fifty yards away, and
!. realizing that musthe Hyingif Wante
is ave my scalp, I byoke ont of ther
- laat ~ IQoud g toward the rive