The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-24

no passed through the troops he received
several bullets Ia ! IL body and fell from nia
pony, being dead whom b. touched the
ground. IL.
things were hopeless and that he Ind but =
few moment to live. He determined to Die
fighting, and chanting tho death song o.
his tribe, ran down the hill straight toward
the spot where Mr.. Cooper his Indian
polics were standing, shooting - he came,
and juraping from side 70 aide 70 di,con.
cert those shooting at him. When about
200 yards distant from tho efonp IN front q
the agency, Young Mule altered hts mind
and took refuge In a ravins thai was con
~veniently at hand.
At this juncture 4 party Of young Chez
cnne warriors on ponies. who were with tnc
bslancs Of their tribe on nm adjacent hill
Watching the scene, becoming excited, PC
gan buckling their cartridge belts OUTSIDE
their blankets preparatory 10 taxing y Manu-
III tho battle themselves and assisting tno
wounded Indian. Agent Cooper, hnstiIy
summoning his interpreter. went TO tnem
with gun in hand, and through the inser.
prefer threatened to kill the first
Indian that Mt empted to open fre on
the agency or police, or any n connecscu
with the agency. lie then went on TO mas
tily explain to the scowling horde thai the
fight was MS agreed upon by their people
ullu uIH1h6lIt VuHb GIi0y tubtitDeivCS WSs
not be harmed, but must not interfere. lis
brief but determined speech quoting the
Indians, he ordered them to disperse, which
they did. In the meantime the police koptt
firing into the ravine where Young Mule hau
taken refuge, but their builets did not roach
him. but struck eyer his nsaa. nis enaire
body being concealed in the fissure. Agent
Cooper, after q~uieting the Chcyennes start
cd back toward the group who were ex-
changing shots with the wRrrio. in the rh-
vine. While passing opposite mouth OF the
ravine he discovered that ii would be noe.
essary to shoot with the ravine instead OF
sideways with it, in order to kill the Chey-
enne who continued the fire from the place
where he was concealed. Accordingly the
agent called some Of his men to his side
opposite the mouth of the gully, told
them to be- ready when another shot
WAS fired from there, to observe the spot
where the smoke arose and fire at That spot.
In a few moments n puff OF smoke burst
forth from the place where the warrior was
hidden, and it was immediately answered
by the agent and the few men with him,
they aiming directly toward the spot where
the smoke nppeafed. After waiting to sec
the effect OF their volley, and no answering
their bullets had .effectually silenced the
warrior. and goiDgIto the ravine they found
that the Cheyenne had finally been killed.
The mother OF Young Mule afterward
shook hands with Agent Cooper and said
she was very sorry for her son. but did not
blame the agent. When she turned away
she suddenly drew a knife and began slash
ing herself with it, as Ia the Indian custom
they lose a relative or dear friend.
by great exertion the knife was taken
from her, and she was quieted somewhat.
A council of the assembled Chcyennes
was called, and they shook hands with
Agent Cooper, saying he only did his duty,
bat that they could not understand why two
Cheyennes should die for one white man.
The night following the day Of the battle
Mr.. Cooper describes as being the worst one
that he ever experienced. Che bodies Of
the two young braves were carried to within
seventy-fve yards Of the building in which
he slept, and during the entire night the
Indians kept up a walling that would have
walked the dead.
It might be added that MI. Cooper is the
IMAM OF nerve'' who was sent here by the
departments some seven weeks ago
to assist in terminating the present diff
Guilty with the Sioux. In honor of the
bravery of the two young men'their people
have marked with stones their course that
day. and to this day and for many years to
come a visitor to the spot can see the line
Of stones that mark the death trail trav-
eled by Young Mule and Head Chief that
pleasant September day.