Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-07-11

FROM the instant realized my situation
1 Knew that was i'll for it, Goodness
and ncrvcare what count in such emcr-
gcncies to throw the Indian oil his bal
ancc. / sat up, rubbed my eyes, reached
Tor my havcrsack and got some meat aud
bread, and us toasted the meat at the
fire said, addressing myself to the
! leader:
clad l known you were Comanches
should not have run away. thought
! you were Chckasaws on stolen horses.
shall be ready to 90 as soon as have
eaten. ! want to see the Conancie
coI'ntry-thc great plans-thc Canadian
lhvcr-thc mountains full of caves and
waterialis-your Chief, Thunder Cloud. !"
lie asked mc if | belonged 20 the
party ahead, and | told him no. lie
/ asked me how dared start out alone for
the ComanclIc country, and | told him
that had trapped the mountain lion and
cut out and eaten his liver while still
alive, and therefore feared nothing living.
could see tina; thcy were badly puzzled,
and that they had no idea OF Offering me
violence, and increased their wonder Nv
saying, as finished my breakfast:
"Comc. 1t is time to 20. We have
II long ride and am anxious to see YOUR
country"
whisilcd up my horse, and had him
nearly ready before they moved. They
had taken my rifle and revolver, and /
dit not seem to have noticed the fact.
but strapped my blanket to the saddle.
lighted my pipe, and waited for them.
They came together out of carslot and
iad II coniab, but apparently did no; ar
rive at any satisfactory conclusion.
When we were ready to 90 said:
'Fwo of you must ride ahead and
three behind. 1t is an honor due me,
and you cannot show me too much 70.
spect.
They looked ut me in wonder and
amazcinert, and continucl
And if we should encounter any
white men, avoid them, as I do not wish
to be seem
mat last observation drove the peg
home When we set out two rode in
front and three behind and no Indians
were ever more puzzled. In later wears
met one Of them, and he told me that
tneir plan WA, to torture me rs soon ms
awoiic. Even the one vino was to have
the honor of seal ing me had been dcsir
mated, and the plumber had been an
poFii"ncd And after they had con
Guided to take me prisoner toa VILLAGE
one hundred miles away they meant to
TIC inc to my horse. They wee beat ont
OF this by my Ii"cr rcmnrks, intended
Just for that purpose. We moved TO the
west about five miles, then held to the
north until noon. After noon We turned
to the east, and | figured that thcv were
Hawking the camp of the white party by
thcir mnnwuvre. We rode to the east
until nightiall, and then went into camp
III some timber alongside II creek. Sew
crai Zines during the day had expressed
my ihpaticncc nj our slow pace and
asked them to yet on faster. and when
we went into camp I Saw that | HAD
them oil their guard. They looiicI
upon me more as curiosity than
Il prisoner, and this very fact bred
a new Hanger, After catingsI sat,aparts
from them to smoke and mediate, rfnda to
give them opportunity 10 compare notes. Il
1t dii nor take tlp.".iong TO satisfy each
.zEnSSr tl-.t was ''bad medicine, e and
that IL they carried me to their VILLAGE
my presence would bring disaster. They
urged that be killed, but then came
the question OF who should do il. Eacl,
w''s afraid that the deed would brine
wrath upon his head, and so far as [
could make out each one refused the
task While they were talking moved
carefully backward Oh the earth, and BIZ
and by had twenty feet between me and
the ncarsct man. All the horses were
loose III the timber to browse. The runs
were on the other side of tine fire. where
| could not hope IL reach them. Just
when the five got their heads together to
discuss something they did not wish me
10 hear, arose and stepped backward
ont OF the light of the fire, and I believe
vas hundred feet away when thcy
missed me. Every man sprang to his
feet with yell and rushed for the point
where | was last seen.
| had meanwhile dropped to my hands
and knees and WAS crawling to the left
toward the guns. As the rush came
dropped beside II log, and one Of the red
SKINS ieapcd square over me us nc cleared
the log, heard them scatter and beat
about, and while they were hunting for
me crawlcd along and got my gun. 1t
was Winchester. aud u new thing to
them, and it had been left behind when
they snatchcd up their rifles. Icrept away
out OF the circle of the fire and then got
the shelter OF the tree. The Indians beat
around for IL good half hour, and then
came all in, chagrinch and disguised. A
quarrel took place at once, one blaming
the other for my escape, but something
like peace was restored by the leader saw
ing that | could not go lar on foot. and
that they would rccapture me next dav.
In such event was to be put to the tor
turc mt once.
Something now took place which the
reader may harshly criticisc. While I
could have crcpt away I would not.
could not have secured my horse, and to
be alone and afoot in that country meant
suffering and peril. had been a scout
Tor several years. | had been ambushcd.
shot Mt, pursued, and wounded. Two of
my comrades had been hacked to pieces
by this Same ttihc Tr,yoI nc e. 49, r