Omaha daily bee., 1890-01-12

the naked plain and kept the yelling
Bedouins at bay for n time with Their
bows and arrows, They were shortly
completely encircled, however, and the
Cheyennes were advancing from all di-
rections. Some, o~ver-cager to secure the
trophy OF n scalp, had leaped from their
mustangs and we're approaching on foot,
with wild and vengeful gestures and
wilder, more appalling wells.
The two brave Otoes never finched.
They stood firm as statues, determined,
yet hopeless, until they we're discovered
by Big Soldier, one of u hardest
braves, who with n hundred followers
dashed to the rescue and drove the
Cheyennes off. Big Soldier, who was
very brave, followed them IA long WAYS,
in fact he got so far ahead OF his COM
panions that the ~Chcyennes stoppedand
talked to him. They asked him who he
was and he told them an Otoc. Then
they told him to go back to his people
and take them away from the Pawnecs,
because they were going to kill them
all, aud they did not want to kill the
Otoes.
THAT night overheard some OF our
chiefs IN council, among whom was Big
soldier. Arkekor, Little Pipe, Pawnec-
couchcr and Chcyennccushcoine, or
Cheyenne Killer, aud | felt satisfied
That n battle was impending. that it
would take place in fact the next day.
Then | went among my Indians, the
Otoes, and told them that they must not
go into the fight, that it was none of
their funeral, that thcv we're unarmed
comparatively, and would be killed.
squaws, pappooses and all, for you must
remember that the sQuaws and pap
posses are taken on the annual hunt.
lurtner tod thpm tltnt Annnt Ilnlsnp
would be angry at them, and they would
De punished by the great father at
Washington, and finally they concluded
TO take my advice. They we're loyal
fellows and | knew they would do what
the said.
The next morning when we began
to move, my men,, the Otoes, gradually
drew away from the main body. which
numbered a couple of thousand, and
so sklllfIl were our man
aged that we had not gone over a mile
when were in a distinct body by our
selves, away from the Pawnees and
Sacs ana Foxes. We bore off southwest,
they west, and about IL o'clock we rode
up on II commanding hill to watch the
movements Of the other Indians on the
plain.
They were in full view only u trine
over a mile away, and a stirring sight
it was!
Away to the west ward a large body
OF mounted men were approaching.
They were ~Cheycnnes and Arapahoes.
We could see their stellated lancc-heads
%glistening IN the morning sun, their
~feathered crests rising and falling like
the waves of the sea and their long
scalp-locks and gaudy raiment Haunting
in the wind.
"The Pawnees and their allies were
drawn up in battle array awaiting them
sitting their horses like images
from stone, fearless and brave as
1T is possible for human beings to be.
enemy, reaching a convenient dis
tance, also marshaled their forces in
battles stern array, a long line of
wild and fierce Ishmaelites, but ex-
ecuting their movements with n mill
tary precision that might have given u
pointer to Uncle Sans drilled forces.
1t was indeed II thrilling picture.
just before the onslaughtseveral run
ners came to us and solicited our aid,
| advised againstany such move and
all obeyed with the exception of Chey-
enne Killer and four or five other hot
headed young bucks, who had shifted the
afar and could not withstand the
temptation to take a hand in il.
A n given signal the two hostile
bodies were set in motion, and with wild
ana dlscOrdant yclls, they spurred their |
ponies and dashed toward each other, |
emptying their bows and guns as they
but just as it seemed they
must inevitably collide and come to-
In an DISCRIMINATING hand-to-
hand encounter, they would wheel their
horses, fire a parting volley of barbed
shafts and bullets into each others |
then fall back, reforming again
the original line, over and over
again. We watched this interesting |
panorama nearly all the afternoon, and
then not knowing what might be the
result, we packed up again and moved
on twenty miles further toward the set
Element.
THE next morning Cheyenne Killer
into our camp and reported that
a great battle had been fought, and
many had been killed, bringing his
hands together many times in success
sion to show the extent of the loss of
life. How many of the enemy had
been slain he did not know, as they |
OFF their dead, but they began
to retreat just at dusk, and at dark the |
PawDees were left complete masters of
the field.
-hipSi iiioIiibB no ISClbil SItNtHue |
Killer reached in his wammus and drew
forth IA long black, wirey scalp, with
its hawks plume and gaudy ribbons, |
together with the index finger OF an
Indian brave, and handed them to me
as trophies of the battle, remarking |
he had taken them from n Chey-
enne, II great warrior.
Then he told how two warriors, "A
and u Cheyenne, in the first
charge, as they neared each other had
each Others eye, and neither
would finch, nor turn, but kept right
On. 1t wa a challenge for n tight to
death, and under such circumstances
one of those wild warriors of the plains
not what fear was. AS they got
closer each twanged an arrow at the
and then came together. like a
of whirlwinds. They throttled
each other, and rs their fiery steeds
the prairie turf, and reared and
in the desperation of the con-
iict. the Two warriors slashed away ut
each other with their knives, and
wavered, but contin ued on in
ais full intent to kill, until suddenly
hey toppled off between their FESTIVE
locked together in the embrace
Of death. Both were ~victors! Both
we're dead!