Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-11-21

not have surprised me in the least TO have
seen body of them dash out. l was there
fore taken aback. at the end of about
quarter of an hour, to see Little Smoke
reappear with backload of stuff from his
cache. He came straight toward ME, but
very slowly, and haulted every few yards
to adjust his burden. | was carefully
watching MIN when my horse shifted the
air uneasily and all at once it came to me
that | was being stalked. | left the center
OF the cottonwood for the open ground, and
as ] rode away two bullets tipped close to
my head, having been fired from the op-
poslte bank of the stream. At the same
moment Little; Smoke dropped his goods
and fired on me with his muSket While
half dozen Indians in my rear were vel!
ling and shooting, rode down to within
200 feet of the smooth-tongued 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 | got safely
away.
The second attempt was made in De-
cember. A half-breed Cheyenne-an old
man with very honest face-came into
the fort and reported that a white man, a
uapper was IN camp on the river above
US with a broken leg, and he had volun-
teered 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 rhe old man
probably reasoned that | would he sent out
TO guide the relief party. He was asked
tC do so but refused, even under promise
of gallon of whisky. This refusal
aroused my suspicion, and instead of 60
ing out as relief corps q dozen men went
armed to the teeth. The place designated
was grove, and we approached it as near
as possible under cover, and then made
sudden dash. Eight pounted Indians
rushed out on the other side There were
evidences that they had been there in camp
two or three days.
In the spring when war had been for
mally declared, most of my work was
along the Smoky Hill stage route. When
the stages finally ceased running carried
food and ammunition to the station en-
ployes, or guided them safely TO the posts.
Lookout Station, twenty miles beyond
Fort Hays, was more exposed to attack
than any other on tae route. The nut for
The shelter of the men was half wood, half
oats fanked il, and stood dangerously
near.
While at every other station the men
had made dugoutS for their protection. this
prose utiOn has been neglected at Lockout
Small bands of Indians had appeared and
been stood off by the well-armed men, and
they had come TO believe that they could
defeat any force likely to appear. On the
morning of April Is was approaching
Lookout with 600 Winchester cartridges
for tho 81 bn dow f,, IL
broke, | was discovered and pursued by a
band of indians. | got into the station
after a lively chase, and In an hour it was
surrounded by over hundred redskins.
had been recognized. and they sent flag
| of truce to offer the three men their lives
| if they would hand me over. This offer
was twice repeated, and then the Indians
settled down to besege the station. Dur
ing the day the firing was kept up at long
range. All the horses in the stables were
killed before noon, but none of us was
wounded. As night came | determined
to get away, being under orders to report
| at Hays as soon as possible, the men en-
couraged me to go, saying they could hold
the place until sent assistance.
About 8 clock | crept out of the hut,
crawled on my hands and knees into the
! darkness, and, after twice almost bumL-
ing against lndians,,l got beyond the lines
| and headed for the fort. was only three
miles away when saw the glare of burn
| ing stables, which the redskins had crept
| up to and fired The hut caught from
! the stables, when the three brave fellows
were finally driven out they were shot
| down by the horde in waiting, and thus
| every vestige of the station was wi ped out
-Naw York SDn