The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-11-13

rs we rode was anything but pleasant 10
me. II was agreed that i would DE put
to the torture, and that 1t woulo DC ihaoe
to last us long as possible.
When we reached the village l was
placed in t,pee aud my arms unoouna'
'rhey refused to cast the lashings OIL my
legs, though three of the bucks STOOD
guard outside. l was so still and sore
with the ride that | could not have taken
| five steps had they turned melQose ana
told me to go. Pgot not wink stseP
| that night, and it was not until about q
o'clock next morning that my legs were
l-frccd. 1t was a village of eighty lodges,
and the one 1 occupied was almost in the
centre o. the collection. 1 couldn't have
escaped had they left the tent unguarded,
but they took no risks. There were al
ways two and sometimes four OF the bucks
| squatted outside Of the lodge, and out
side of these a circle of squaws and chill
dren.
1t was the third day after my capture
before | was disturbed. Then most Of
the warriors having returned to the viii
lagc on purpose to witness my death,
was led out Mt three o'clock in the after
noon to undergo the preliminary to
actual torture This is running the
| gauntlet. There was as near rs | could
Judge sixty men and boys i'll each line,
and the liucs We're four feet apart. Had
each one been armed with switch to
strike me il would have been punish
mcnt enough, but they were allowed to
use clubs aud sticks and tomahawk
handles. When looked down the line
Ifelt that there was no show for me to
make the run, and yet L must make the
attempt. You may ask why did not
absolutely refuse, and let them do their
worst then and there. Because, l was
hoping for them to show me a little
mercy. They would torture me, but
not so cruelty us if | refused to run
got rs good Il ready as could and
when the signal came | spraug away at
the top of my speed. Blow after blow
fell upon ME while the savuges shouted
their pleasure, aud to my great surprise
Mt length reached the eud Of the lines.
There fell in IA heap and they gave me
about ten minutes in which to brace up
for the run back. ] made only half the
distance this time, being struck over the
head with Il club that ! sank down uu-
conscious. When l had recovered my
senses they returned ne to the lodge,
where lay for many hours expecting to
he taken out any moment for torture.
They would have finished mu but for the
fact that the wife of Little Feather, who
| was IN another village fifty mIes ayvay
had not yet arrived. She wanted to be
In at the death and SO further proceed
lngs were declared off for the day.
| The squaw arrived soon after md.
night. My ankles were tightly lashed
.nd could not sleep. She was for hay-
ihg me out mt once, aud came aud looked
INTO the loiIc to see il ] was slfe; but
she was told that would be put to the
torture alter breakfast in the morninr.
ana long after she hal turned away I
hcari my guards gloatiny over the pros
poets. 1t was agreed among them that
WAS game man and would hold out
Tor several hours aud give them lots of
amusement.
Half an hour after daylight the VILLAGE
was astlr, and ut sunrise suuaw BROUGHT
me some breakfast aud the lashinps
around my ankles were cast off
learned several years after that it was
intended to oblIgc me to run the gaunt-
! 'et again. was eating the meal the
citemehe" ""%roIght when a sudden ex-
great shooting, follower .,yhere was a
| the report of firearms, and the next D''.s-z7
ute the 200 frontiersmen who had been
Jcnendent force charged into the village.
II was comple.-surprls TO the Indians,
~ ""S "a-"ror :" long. 1t wasn't five minutes
before the tleeing warriors rallied
for defense, but before that time was
safe. At the first alarm lcaped up and
out OF the lodge full against one of the
guards, and rs | ran / was fired ut two
or three times. | was among the horse
men in minute or two, and after a bit
got rifle aud took IN active part in
the hot fight going on. We were driven
OF after Il couple Of hours, but we GOT
every pony i'll the herd and burned all
the lodges, and they had many dead
warrior to mourn over
lt was singular thing that in after
years | should meet tue su,law of Little
Feather on the reservation and have q
long talk with her. So it happened and
che calmly told me that she had been
promised my scalp as 4 keepsake aud that
1T would have been her hand which
would have ended my agones after had
amused the warriors to their fill as
prisoner ut the stake----N~-~ -ts>>'t NuToe.
n