Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-02-07
AN INDIAN STORY.
An Interesting Tale Of Adventure ~ Told
by an Old Trader.

An Interesting Tale Of Adventure NJ Told
by an Old Trader.
The old Indian hunter laid down his
paper saying: 'I've been amused might
ity to hear some folks discussing the
threatened outlook among the redskins,
the GOODNESS with which they talk Ofsuch
and the sneaking sympathy they've got
with the devils. I'd just like to take
such and give them a months residence
on the plains, when the Indians are
holding councils and breathing out fire
and murder and worse, / tell you I'd
hear mighty little talk Of sympathy then
and see precious little GOODNESS. But 1t
takes us, who have gone through such.
10 know the horrors Of an Indian war,
the terrors threatening not only men
alone, but women and children, ay, the
very baby in the cradle. | don't believe
in peoples hair turning white with trou-
BILE or anxiety, for mine would be as
white as cotton II such would do II.
Especially once did have fearful ex-
perience with redskins. Want to hear
about it?
well, it was in '4S, and I'd been out
trading with the Flatheads and - Nez
Perces for nearly two years of "a on,
when one day / got on to scheme the
Flatheads had gotten up to raida little
settlement near to where Canton, New,
now stands. There were three families
living there, and the plan was to wait
until the men went to Carson Guy for
provisions, when the women anu child
rem were to be killed and the cattle run
of by one party, while another waylaid
the men on the way back and murder
cd them. was up about Winnemucca
when got hold Of this, and Iset out for
Canton as hard as ! could 60, but the
men were gone when / reached the set
Element, which was called Ridleys
Camp. I had reason to fear the Indians
were only few hours behind me, and
We had to move quickly. Our only
chance was to hide out in the mountains
till they left the neighborhood or to
work our way as best we could by night
to Carson City.
1T was useless to think Of saving the
men, 80 l just kept that part Of the bus
mess to myself. There were in all thir'
teen of us, two women and their seven
children, and three little chaps, whose
mother had died the week before, and
me. The first thing I did while the
women were getting ready was to STAN
pede the cattle and horses to keep the
Indians from getting them; then as we
started shut up the houses, to keep
the redskins as long as possible there
before they found out that the people
bad run away.
I'VE made the little creek called Snake
river by daylight, and after recOnnoit-
ering l made the whole party wade out
to an island in the middle, which was
about 20 by 30 feet and covered with flags
and rushes and some stunted willows.
Here we lay all day, the most part down
on our stomachs under the brush. o.
course we could build no fire nor move
about, SO we ate the cold vituals the
women had brought along, and / dipped
up water in my cap. Twice parties o.
Indians stopped not o hundred yards
below where we were to water theil
horses, but judging from their actions
knew they did not suspect any one was
near them, but were probably on their
way to Ridley's. They did not linger
but rode on at once, much to my relief,
for all the time they were within hear
ing / am sure / did not draw breath Q
minute.for fear the children would cry
out, when we would have been massa-
cred; but the poor little things, with the
exceptions of one child q few weeks old,
was too badly scared to stir or speak
unless hidden; and as for the women,
they put any man l ever saw to shame
with their calmness and courage.
when night came we struck out for
u line Of hills lying about five miles
away, and where counted on finding 9
cave, or at least q hiding place. o.
course I and the women and the larger
children could have made it without
difficulty, but being obliged to wait for
the little ones and to carry them every
half mile or so we were nearly all night
getting to the nearest hill. We'd gone
about mile when low down on the hor.
lion saw a dull glow, and knew the
Indians were burning the camp, and
that they'd be on our trail in little
while. When we got to the hill could
see nothing like cave, and while II
was pretty heavily wooded there was no
place to hide where the Indians would
not spy US directly. Twas looking about
me when l caught glimpse Of black
bear running around rocky spur about
half way up the hill. / followed her
just in time to seq her 60 tumbling or
climbing down cash in the earth, and
which / knew must be her den. With
out stopping jumped after her and
found myself in q little cave about 10 by
10 feet, but with another larger one
leading away toward the center Of the
hill.
1.-THE bear began to growl when she
saw nae, and saw, when my ewes got
accustomed to the dim light, that she
had two cubs in the den with her, which
she was going to defend. So, aiming
as carefully as Icould, fired ct her,
breaking her skull, after which I killed
thestwo cubs and transferred my party
to the cave. The last Of the cold meat
and bread was then eaten, and the wo-
men and children, creeping into the
n