, 1890-11-02
Two Cheyenne Warriors Fight
Three Troops of Cavalry.
Picturesque Features of the
Strangely Unequal Contest.
Running the Gauntlet of a
Blazing Line of Rifles.

than that Whlcn happened n the past
week upon the reservation of the north.
ern Cheyennes. Upon this reservation,
which lies south OF the Yellowstone
river, Montana, and along the banks of
the Rosebud and the Tongue, are gath
cred the mnan OF the fierce band of
warriors who in the seventies. under Ro-
man Nose, Lame Deer and Dull Knife,
wrote some of the bloodiest e in the
history Of the Indian warfare and gave
some OF their stubborncst fights to
Miles, Mckenzie and Crook. They have
been. IN the main, peaceab'e since their
occupation OF this country. but there
have been signs of turbulence and dis
content among them Tor the past four
years, which have rendered necessary
annual camps Of regular Troops in their
vicinity. Last spring the murder of u
settler by three of their number threat
ened q crisis. The murderers were sur
rendered and it did not take place; but as
a consequence of the trouble, for five
long months the white tents of one bat
talon of the LIST United States cavalry
have stood as silent peacemakers among
the smoky lodges of the Cheyennes along
the Lame Deer. Everything promised a
continuance Of peace aud a speedy with
drawal of the troops, when, on Sept. G..
the murder by the Indians OF a man
named Boyle within three miles of the
cavalry camp put another face on the
situation. BOyle's body had been found
alter a three days arduOus search by the
troops and friendly Indians in a deep
ravine on a steep and lonely mountain
side, a long distance away from the scene
Of the murder. That night it was dis.
covered by the Indian police that the
murderers were two Young Cheyennes,
who, upon the finding of the body, had
taken to the hills.
WANTED TO DIE IN FAIR FIGHT.
Their crime had beer particularly afro
cious and devoid Of motive, but the de-
Monument forms one of the most remark
able scenes in the history of Indian fan
atheism. The pursuit OF the murderers
had continued without success for some
days, when suddenly a message was con
veyed from the fugitives to the Indian
agent through the father of one of them,
to the effect that they were tired of hiding,
and realized that they had forfeited their
lives and that they wanted to die in fair
fight. They said if the agent would
cause the troops to be assembled they
would come forward and fight them to
the death, and that if they should not be
drawn up to receive them they would raid
the agency and camp and kill every
white soul they might see..
| Ida NJ. s,oh , lo,.tG,1
sound in the mouth OF a Shoshone or
Grow, 1t had a different ring when utter
ed by two Young Cheyenne braves. Mai.
Carroll the commanding officer of camp.
was quickly notified and in a momen the
sound of Boots and Saddles hurried in
the herds and summoned the camp to
horse. Being among the first to report,
the rider wus ordered TO take his troop
and dispose it around the agency as
quickly as possible, so as to intercept the
approach of the Indians from that di-
rectlon. As we galloped over the mile OF
road between the camp and agency we
could not help feeling that our trip was a
fool errand, for the idea of a pre-
arranged duel between two young Indians
and three troops of cavalry seemed too
grotes1ue to be entertained. On express
ing this fear. however, to Brave Wolf, a
Cheyenne chief who rode beside US, he
treasured us by fayinR that the young
bucks would surely appear, and that it
would be a fight to a finish when they
did.
W L PTTTED AGAINST HUNDREDS.
Hurrying on we left a guard at the
agency, and her under Brave VOLTS
guidance, turned up the road east of that
point. Along this, the old Indian said
our braves would appear; and here, about
half a mile away, we halted and posted
our men, some mounted and others dis.
mounted. The road here run through a
narrow valley, closed apparently on both
sides by steep rork-crowned hills. No
better amphitheaire could have been of.
fered by nature for the enactment of the
performance in store for us. As we looked
about us after dlsposIng the men, the
scene VT beheld was worth remembering
The whole Cheyenne tribe had, during
the previous several days excitement, been
gathered by the agent from all parts Of
the reservation and placed in camp about
tue agency. r. Y had poured ont OF
their t,ri'rs NJ I .u approach OF the troop,
and they nov esuUd upon the ridges above
the valley in dense groups of brilliant bar
barrie color. Still further beyond, on the
taller heights and across the LAME Deer,
were gathered for safety the squaws and
children and the large pony herds. The
two young murderers had, before our ar
rival, sent a herald to their people. invit
ing them to come out and see now SPLEEN
didly they would die, and the quiet delb-
Grafton with which the preliminaries OF
the coming contest were nov being ar
ranged suggested thoughts of the ancient
arena, strangely out of keeping with tho
How of nineteenth century methods and
ideas.
II UNEQUAL BATTLE BEGINS.
Fguratively the audience was barely
seated when the curtain went up, and the
two main actors, for whose coming every
eye was eagerly Watching, stepped upon
the stage. They we're first seen riding
from a clump OF timber across the valley
and about 800 yards away. Our glasses
told US they we're well armed and mounted
and in full war rig, one of them wearing
a splendid war bonnet hat swept low
toward the ground. Directing their pom
les up one Of the steepest parts of the
opposite ridge they gained the summit,
there, sweeping their steeds in quick
circles against the sky, their eagle head
feathers dancing in the breeze, they sang
the Cheyenne death song. No plaudits
of pit or box were needed 10 inspire them.
They were Cheyenne braves, the sons OF
Cheyenne warriors whose mast heroic