Evening journal., 1891-03-26
CAPTURE AND ESCAPE.


named Robinson reached the camp and re-
ported that he with three others had been
hunting to the west Of us, and had been
stampeded by the Sioux Indians. One had
been killed, as be believed, while the others
| had made dash for it and scattered each
| taking his own course. Robinson had blum
dered upon our camp after riding all night
Custer was at this time hopeful Of max
ing peace with the redskins, and the camp
at the forks would be permanent for at
least fortnight. 1t was with this under
standing Of the situation that l set out
with Robinson, after he had had an all
days rest, 10 hunt up his stampeded com
panions and bring them in. We left camp
just after dark, both Of us heavily armed,
and rode straight to the west. As l had
never seen Robinson under fire / was
more anxious than If one of my fellow
scouts had been with me, but in the course
of a couple Of hours / made up my mind
that he had plenty of nerve and could be
depended on. As near as he could judge
his party was thirty miles west of the
forks when stampeded. At midnight
after an easy canter Of five hours, we halt
ed, dismounted, and went into camp for
the remainder of the night, believing we
were close upon the spot where the hunters
were attacked. Both of us slept from that
hour until just before sunrise.
As there is arather Indian war now on,
and as the traits and characteristics of the
red man are under discussion, shall relate
some particulars which might otherwise be
suppressed. We had cold bite for break
fast, and had scarcely mounted our horses
when we caught sight Of the carcass of
horse lying on the plains about quarter
Of a mile away. As soon as we reached it
Robinson identified the animal as having
been the one he saw fall rs the stampede
began. His rider was a man named Nc
Henry, who had previously been employed
/ as n civilian at Fort Larned. The buzzards
and wolves had been at the carcass, but
we made out that the horse had received
three bullets and dropped in his tracks.
| Saddle, bride and all other portable prop
| erty had been removed. Robinson esti-
mated that the attacking party numbered
| ffty. After half an hours search put
| the number at twenty. He believed that
| all who dashed away were pursued.
/ found that none Of them had been followed
(! over half a mile
Had McHenry been killed or seriously
| wounded by the volley which killed his
4 horse, his body would have been found ly-
1 ing beside the carcass. As it was not /
| reasoned that he had been captured un-
| hurt and taken away prisoner. The trail
1 Of the Indians led to the north, as If max
1 ing for the south fork Of the Platte river,
1 and we followed it at a cautious pace. At
1 the end Of five miles we came to the spot
where the band had encamped for the
| night. 1t was on the banks Of q small
| creek, in a scattered grove, and the first
| thing we saw was the dead body of Nc
4 Henry. The Sioux chiefs had declared
their anxiety for peace, and were profess
ing the greatest friendship for the soldiers
| Indeed, Pawnee Killer had visited Custer
to shake hands and sign declaration Of
peace. While the old hypocrite was de-
claring and protesting, his whole tribe was
making ready for war and indulging in
atrocities. While the big chief was chow
howingn in Custer's camp and declaring
his love for the white man, one Of his bands
only thirty miles away was subjecting a
hunter to the most agonizing tortures.
They cut out his tongue, blew powder into
his body, cut of his toes, broke all his
fingers, pricked him with knives, and
finally ended by scalping him. He must have
suffered many hours before death finally
came as a glad relief. The body was not
yet cold when we found it, and there were
evidences that the Indians had not been
gone more than an hour.
OF the two who stampeded and got clear,
one went to the northeast and the other
TO the northwest. Robinson had held due
north and thus reached our camp al.
though he was not aware of its location.
We took up the trail of the one going tC
the northeast believing that lie was in the
greatest danger. He went at q wild pace
for at least ten miles, never seeming L
have looked back, and discovered that pur
suit had been abandoned or to have
turned TO the right or the left, to throw
the redskins Off his route after darkness.
came. 1t took us three hours to cover tn,
distance he rode in one, as we expected K
see Indians at any moment. About twelv,
miles from the spot where we found Nc
Henry's horse we came upon that Of Jack
J son, whom we were following to thl
northeast. The wild ride had exhausted
the animal, and as he fell down jackson
had abandoned him and pushed along oI
foot. The animal was on his feet anC
grazing as we found him, but so lame tina
he could scarcely move. We removed th
saddle and blankets, and found Jackson'
revolvers in the holsters.
From this point we had no trail to guild
us, and the ground was badly cut up witt
ridges and washouts. We rode forwar'
B during the rest Of the day, hoping 20 over
Q take the man. and neglecting no precau
! | ton to insure our own safety. just a
a sundown we followed dry gully up a lonl
4 ridge and debouched from it, seeing a sigh
4 which for the moment appeared to be al
|. optical delusion. There were Indians oi
/ our right, on our left, in front, and
l turned in my saddle to see other Indian
4 closing in behind us. As we halted an,
looked around us many Of the redskin
expressed their humor by grunts. The
had probably been riding to the right an
left of us for hours, and had finally forme
this cul de sac for us TO ride into. It wa
taking great deal Of pains for nothing
# but the Indian sometimes exhibits quee
& vein of humor. They were not disappoini
= ed in thinking we would be surprised.
10 1t was fully two minutes before a chic
J. rode forward and said "How-how," an
10 extended his hand to me, and as he did $
the whole body closed in. / am so unfori
innate as TO be marked on the left tempt
y with that birthmark known as a win
y stain, the spot being as large as a silve
is dollar. My hat was well up aud my hal
3 back as the chief rode up, and the instau
Is he noticed the mark he let go my han
l. and said something 10 those cr0wding ui
Pretty soon he pushed in and touched pa
face, perhaps thinking the marx TO be
l. wound or sore. Others did the same, ssl
II when they found That it was pare OF Il