The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-29
0UTLAWED BIZ INDIANS.
A Government Dispatch Rider Re-
lates His Narrow Escapes from
the Sayages.

In the fall Of 1868, while / was at
tached to Fort Hays as a government
scout and dispatch rider, the Sioux and
Cheyennes were consolidating for the
war which opened in the spring. Bands
of stragglcrs were riding about the
country, stealing and numbering when
ever opportunity offered, and one day in
October, while returning to the fort
from a long ride to the north after some
missing horses, / encountered one Of
these predatory bands. It numbered
twelve men, and a son of the Cheyenne
chief known as Pawnee Killer was in
command. While war had not been de-
clared, and while the Indians did not
hesitate to appear at the forts and trad
ing posts, some me was being butchered
every day. had been ON the watch for
providers and was as well prepared as a
lone man could be. I had a Winchester
and two revolvers, and the only draw
back was that / had found two Of the
horses and had them with noe.
I was skirting o long, narrow ridge,
badly broken by outcroppings of rock,
and the time was 2 o'clock in the after
noon. All Of a sudden / caught sight of
Indians about half a mile away coming
up the same side Of the ridge. Indeed I
heard them yelling before I saw them,
and / turned sharp to the left and forced
the horses up the ridge among a mass of
powders and ~outcropping. The red
skins caught sight of me as I went up.
but did not Immediately approach. /
could see that they were confused, and a
dozen or more shots were fired, and /
was puzzling over the matter when I
heard some one Gathering over the
stony ground, and next moment a white
man jumped down beside me and ex-
claimed:
Stranger, for Gods sake stand 'em
off until I can get my wind. They arc
Cheyennes, and have killedmy brotherl'
Three young bucks, on foot, had been
In chase of the fugitive, and they were
within 200 feet Of me as / rose up. The
leyeled rifle brought them toa sudden
halt, and after gazing at me for a mo-
ment they turned and descended the
ridge to join the rest of the band. My
visitor lay down, and 1t was five minutes
before he could get breath to explain.
"We were outlooking for cattle which
stampeded from our emigrant camp on
the Saline Fork. These brutes killed
my brother and took me prisoner. That
was yesterday, and about o mile below
here they had gone into camp and built
a fire to torture me when / made a
break. Give me your revolver, for
they'll be sure to charge u.s."
Igave him one Of the weapons, and
o after an Indian appeared on the
foot of the ridge, made signs of peace
and asked for a talk. Those on the lev
ell below me drew away about forty rods
to convince me that they meant fair,
andI left my shelter and advanced e
few PAGES to ask the errand of the young
warrior. While I was thus engaged the
man behind me was rolling the loose
rocks together to strengthen the position.
The redslin said he came to demand a
prisoner. They had no quarrel with
me, but the prisoner had shot one Of
their number in cold blood and mus
die. They only asked for justice. haG
their word that l might ride away il
safety, but the prisoner they We Id have
at any sacrifice. did not wait an in.
slant before replying that the man would
not be given up, and that I was ready
for any move on their part to take him
The buck had left his rifle behind him,
and ] stood there also apparently un'
armed. AS a matter Of fact each of us
had a revolver. We were about half
pistol shot apart, and as I gave him my
ultimatum he half turned, whipped Out
a revolver and fired a bullet which
passed within an inch of my head. Their
he uttered a yell and started to run, but
he was too late. My bullet struck him
under the right arm and went cleal
through him, and he fell and curled NJ
by a bowlder to die.
The situation was understood by this
Indians below me almost instantly, and
the entire crowd dismounted and charged
up the ridge. 1t was a very foolish move
on their part and proved the excitability
Of young bucks. We had them dead un
OCA OuI lAC. dlld VIC hAllOO tAISO VI bI01
with as many bullets. l got a bead OF
Pawnee Killers son with my revolvel
as he urged his h~esitating band to push
up the ridge, and when he went down
thought I had killed him. With his fall
the fighting ceased. The survivors made
o rush for their horses and then disap
peared to the east, leaving the four dead
ones where they fell. I was puzzled al
their conduct, and at first regarded it a.
a ruse, but when l came to stand up ani
look around / saw a party of thirteen
white men-hunters, trappers, stockme1
and notwithstanding up from the
north on their way to the fort.
The name of the young mar who Sc
cleverly escaped was Austin Brice, and
for the next year he was in government
employ at the fort. He had not shot al
Indian, as stated by the flag of truce
bearer, but the murder of his brother
was entirely unprovoked and cold blood
ed, and the Indians meant to torture hin
to death.
The bullet which struck the youns
chief did not kill him. as I at first sup
posed. 1t struck him alongside the nose
ran down to the corner Of his mouth, fol
lowed the line Of the lips down to tn,
left hand corner, and passed over thu
chin. The result was to give him a mos