Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-05-28
ONE GENT

/ saw rnat had them of their guard.
They looked upon me more as q curios-
ity than prisoner. and this very fact
bred a new danger. After eating sat
apart from them to smoke and mediate,
and TO give them opportunity to compare
notes. Ii did not take them long to sat
isfy each other that was "bad medi-
cine, and that if they carried me to
their village my presence would bring
some serious disaster. They urged that
be killed, but then came the question
of who should do IL Each was afraid
that the decd would bring wrath upon
his head, and SO far as could make out
each one refused the task. While they
were talking moved carefully back
ward on the earth, and by and by had
twenty feet between me and the nearest
man. All the horses were loose In the
timber to browse. The guns were on tho
other side of the fire, where could not
hope TO reach them. just when the Ave
got their heads together to discuss some
thing they did not wish me to hear,
arose and stepped backward out OF the
| light of the fire, and / believe I was q
hundred feet away when they 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 70 the left,
toward the guns. AS the rush came I
dropped beside log, and one Of tho red,
skins leaped square over me as he cleaned
the log heard them scatter and beat
about, and while they were hunting foE
me crawled along and got my gun II
was Winchester. and new thing -
them, ahd Il had been left behind when
they snatched up their rifles. / crept
away out of the circle Of the fire and
| then got the shelter of . tree. The In
dians beat around for good half hour,
and then all came in, chagrined and dis
| gusted. A quarrel took place at once,
one blaming the other for my escape, but
something like peace was restored by the
leader saying that could not go for on
foot, and that they would recapture me
next day. In such event was to be put
to the torture at once.
Something now took place which tho
reader may harshly criticise. While
could have crept away, would not
could not have secured my horse, and to
be alone and afoot in that country meant
suffering and peril. had been scoub
for several years Ihad been ambushed,
shot at, pursued, and wounded Two ot
my comrades had been hacked to pieces
by this same tribe Travel as far as I
could that night they would be likely 10
overhaul me next day, and II again re-
captured they would burn and torture
me. / had all these arguments In my
defence as / lifted my gun and took fair
aim at the leader. He went down as my
rife cracked, and was followed by SEQ
ond and third before the surviving two
could comprehend what was going on.
Neither stopped for his gun, but both
sprang away in the darkness. / fired
after them, and, strangely enough, shot
one through the hip He travelled with
his companion for twenty miles before
he lay down to die. The fifth warrior
headed to the east until he got among the
mountains, and, after having time to re-
fleet, he decided not to go back to his
tribe. The loss of his four comrades and
of the entire outfit was something he
could not explain satisfactorily, and he
was fearful of being made the victim OF
his chiefs anger. He therefore rene
gaded to to the Chickasaws, and was with
them when he gave me his story.
stood guard all night, and when
morning came was satisfied that the two
who escaped had no idea of returning.
After scanty breakfast caught up tho
six animals, packed up everything Of
value, and then searched the dead. The
three had about $40 in gold and silver
among them, and one had white mans
scalp, which had been taken within two
days When ready to start headed 70
the southeast for the river, and at8 o'clock
rode right into the camp Of the party,
which had settled down for sport and had
given me no thought. Next day aparty
Of us rode over to give the bodies more
careful inspection, and we found on each
one silver Government medal, given
them during Lincoln's first term, as
"good Indians. New York Sun.