Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-06-14

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offering me violence, and | increased
their wonder by saying, as l finished my
breakfast:
Some! Il IS time to go. We have a
long ride and ! am anxious to see your
country
whls'lcd up ny horse, and had him
nearly ready before they moved They
had taken my rife and revolver, and
did not seem to notice the fact. but
strapped NY blanket 10 the saddle
lighted my pipe, and waited for them
They came together out Of earshot AMI
had a cUnfab. but apparently did not
arrive at any satisfactory conclusion.
When we we're ready to go said;
Two Of you must ride ahead and
three behind 1t is an honor due me.
and you can not show me too much re-
spoct
They looked at me in wonder and
amazcmcnt, and I continued:
And II we should encounter any
white men, avoid them, as ! do no, wish
to be seen
That last observation drove the peg
home. When 80 set out two rode in
front and three behind, and no Indians
were ever more puzzled. In later years
! met one Of them, and he told me that
their plan Was to torture me as soon as
! avVkr. Even the one who was 70 have
the honor Of scalping me had been des-
ignated, and the plumber had been ap-
porlionel And after they had on
Guided 10 take me prisoner to a village
one hundred miles away they meant -
tie nc on my horse. They were beat
out Of this by my queer remarks, in
tended just for that purpose. We
moved to the west about five miles,
then held to the north until noon. After
noon VIC turned to the east. and figured
that they were fanking the camp Of
the white party by this mancuyor. We
rode to the east until nightiail. and
then went into camp in some timber
alongside a creek. Several times during
the day | had expressed my impotence
at our slow pace and asked them 10 get
on faster, and when We went into camp
| saw that / had them off their guard.
They looked upon me more as a curi-
osity than a prisoner, and this very
fact bred a new danger. After eating /
sat apart from them 10 smoke and mcdi-
tate, and TO give them opportunity to
compare notes. II did not take them
long 10 satisfy each other that | was a
bad medicine" and thatif thoy carried
me to their village my presence would
bring disaster. They urged that | be
killed. but then came the question OF
who should do it. Each was afraid that
the deed would bring wrath upon his
head. and so far as | could make out
each n refused the task. While they
were talking | moycd 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 we're on
the other side Of the fire, where | could
not hope to reach them. Just when the
five got their heads together to dis
cuss something they did not wish me to
hear, ] arose and stepped backward out
Of the light Of the fire, and | believe |
was a hundred feet away when they
missed me. Every man sprang TO his
feet with a yell and rushed for the point
whore | was last seen.
had meanwhile dropped to nv hands
and knees and was crawling to the left,
toward the guns. As the rush came !
/, dropped beside a log, and one Of the red
skins leaped square over me as he
| cleared the log. | heard them scatter
: and beat about, and while they were
hunting for me ! crawled along and rot
my gun. 1t was a Winchester, and a
new thing to them, and it had been left
behind when they snatchcd up their
rifles. crept away out OF the circle oil
/, the fire and then got the shelter of a
, tree. The Indians beat around for a
good half hour, and then all came in,
chagrincd and Disguised. 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 far on foot, and thai
they would ~rccapture me next dag. In
such event ] was 70 be put to the tor
ture at once.
. Something now took place which tn,
reader may harshly criticise. While
i could have crept away ! would not.
e could not have secured my horse, ans
r to be alone and afoot in that ciantr,
@ meant suffering I'D ieril. hal beer
> 4 scout for 60 yatpI Veto. loI 1.,,
a arnhushel shot a., pursued an,
e wounded. Two Of my comrades ha,
been hacked to pieces by this sam
p tribe. Travel as far as ! could tina
II night they would be likely to overhaul
a Inc next day, and il again ~recapture
y they would burn and torture nc
IS ! had all these arguments in m.
defense as lifted my gu
and took fair aim at III
d leader. lie went down as my riH
d cracked, and was followed by a sccont
and n third before the surviving tw
'r could comprehend what was going or
d Neither stopped for his gun, but bot
e sprang away in the darkness. fire
10 after them, and, strangely enough, she
Ie one through the hip. lie Travelled wi,
g his companion for twenty miles bofor
>. he Law down to die. The fifth warrio
headed to the cast until he got anon
1t the mountains, and, after having tim
to reflect, he decided not to 20 back /
Ie his tribe. The loss OF his four comradc
b and Of the entire outfit was somcthin
N he could not explain satisfactorily, an
1t he was fearful OF being made the victir
q OF his chiefs anger. He therefore rem,
gadcd with the Chickasaws, and wa
n with them when he gave me his story.
e stood guard all night, and whe
ir morning Game was satisfied that the tw
e. who csc ped had no idea u return.n,
ID After a scaniy lTrakfast ] c4u.i.t u
the six animals, packed VI ~cyerythin