Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1890-08-23

ne might be II his story was true, and
about II o'clock we approached the spot
where he claimed to have hidden his
property. had kept him in the lead all
the time, and we had had more or less
shelter along the bank of the stream.
Half mile from the grove l drew rein
and said:
u will wait here while my brother
goes forward after his property"
''Is the Swift Rider tired with his
rider he sarcasticaliy answered.
Zone must keep watch for danger. /
will do that, for you will be busy
"If my white brother is afraid he need
not go,'
''If my red brother has cache in the
grove let him look for it. If not, we
will return to the fort
t He hesitated moment, and then, sat
listed that WAS on my guard, he walked
away and soon disappeared in the grove.
I had every confidence that the trees
sheltered band of redskins, and it would
not have surprised me in the least to have
! seen body of them dash out was
therefore taken aback,z at the end of
/ about quarter of an hour, to see Little
Smoke reappear with a backload Of stuff
from his cache. He came straight toward
me, but very slowly, and halted every
few yards to adjust his burden. was
carefully watching him when my horse
shifted the air uneasily, and all at once it
came to me that was being stalked. |
left the shelter Of the cottonwoods for
the open ground, and as l rode away two
bullets tipped close to my head, having
been fired from the opposite bank of the
stream. At the same moment Little
Smoke dropped his goods and fired on
me with his m,lslet While halt dozen
Indians in my rear were yelling and
shooting, rode down to within 200 feet
of the smooth-tongue traitor and dropped
him dead IN his tracks. There were five
Indians in the ambuscade, and they
mounted their ponies and pursued me for
three or four miles, but I got safely
away.
The second attempt was made in De-
cember. A half-breed Cheyenne-an old
man with very honest faee-came into
the fort and reported that a white man,
a trapper, was in camp on the river
above us with broken leg, and he vol
unteered to come in and report the case.
The distance was not over five miles,
but the snow lay deep on the ground
and it was very sharp weather. The old
man probably reasoned that | would be
sent out to guide the relief party. He
was asked to do so, but refused, even
under promise of gallon of whiskey
This refusal aroused my suspicious, and
instead of going out as a relief corps q
dozen men were armed to the teeth. The
place designated was a grove, and we ap-
preached it as near as possible under
cover and then made a sudden dash.
Eight mounted Indians rushed out on the
other side. There were evidences that
they had been there in camp for two
or three days.
In the spripg, when war had been
formally declared, most OF my work wa
along the Smoky Hill stage route. When
the stages finally ceased running | car
ried food and ammunition TO the sta
ton employees, or guided them safely to
the posts. Lookout Station, % miles
beyond Fort Hays, was more exposed to
attack than anv other on the route The
hut for the shelter of the men was halt
wood, half mud. Two stables filed
with nav and oats tianked it. and stood
dangerously near While at every Other
station the men had made dug outs fol
their protection, this precaution had
been neglected at Lookout. Small band
Of Indians had appeared and been stooC
of by the wellarmed men, and they had
come to believe that they could defea
any force likely to appear. On th'
morning Of April Is, was approachin.
Lookout with coo Winchester cartridge
for the men, VIXEN, just as day fairl,
broke, was discovered and pursued b,
band of about fifty Iadians | got int,
the station after lively chase and with
in an hour it was surrounded by over
hundred redskins I had been recog
1ized, and they sen, 8 flag OF truce t.
offer the three men their lives # the
; would hand ne over This offer wa
: twice repeated, and then the Indian
settled down to beslege the station
During the day the firing was kept up a
, long range. All the horses in the stable