The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-03
CAPTURE AND ESCAPE.

Indian war had fairly begun, l was doing
duty with several others, as scout. On
the morning of the 10Th a young man
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 he 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, to 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 | had
never seen Robinson under fire l was
more anxious than if one of my fellow
scouts had been with me- but in the course
of couple of hours l 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 another Indian war now on,
and as the traits and characteristics of the
red man are under discussion, shall relate
suppressed. We had cold bite for break
fast, and had scarcely mounted our horses
when we caught sight of the carcass of a
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 as the stampede
began. His rider was a man named Nc
Henry, who had previously been employed
as a 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
fifty. 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 mile.
Had McHenry been killed or seriously
wounded by the volley which killed his
horse his body would have been found ly-
ing beside the carcass. AS it was not l
reasoned that he had been captured I'M
hurt and taken away prisoner. The trail
of the Indians led to the north, as if max
f,r ba forb Of Tho Dloffa ~
and we followed it at cautious pace. At
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
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
howing" in Clusters 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 fortunes.
They cut out his tongue, blew powder into
his body, cut off 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 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 to
the northeast, believing that he was in the
greatest danger. He went at a wild pace
for at least ten miles, never seeming to
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 the
distance he rode in one, as we expected to
see Indians at any moment. About twelve
miles from the spot where we found Nc
Henry's horse we came upon that of Jack
son, whom we were following to the
northeast The wild ride had exhausted
the animal, and as he fell down Jackson
had abandoned him and pushed along on
foot. The animal was on his feet and
grazing as we found him, but so lame that
he could scarcely move. We removed the
saddle and blankets, and found Jackson's
revolvers in the holsters.
From this point we had no trail to guide
us. and the ground was badly cut up with
ridges and washouts. We rode forward
during the rest of the day, hoping to over
take the man, and neglecting no precau-
iron 10 insure our own safety. Just at
shutdown we followed dry gully up long
ridge and debouched from il, seeing a sight
which for the moment appeared TO be an
optical delusion. There were Indians on
our right, on our left, in front, and
turned in my saddle to see other Indians
closing IN behind US. As We halted and
looked around US many of the redskins
expressed their humor by grunts- They
had probably been riding TO the right and
left of us for hours, and had finally formed
this cul de sac for US to ride into. ii was
taking great deal of pains for nothing,
but the Indian sometimes exhibits queer
vein of humor. They were not disappoint-
cd in thinking we would be surprised.
1t was fully two minutes before a chief
rode forward and said "How-hOw," and
extended his hand 10 me, and as he did so
the whole body closed in. am so unfort-
innate as to he marked on the left temple
with that birthmark known as a wine
stain, the spot being as large as a silver
dollar. Ny hat was well up and my hsiv
back as the chief rode up, and the instant
lie noticed the mark Re ls: e MY hand