The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1891-01-15
He had the smartness of the coyote, in

do nad the SmartneSS OF the coyote, ID
avoiding a superior force, and the cum
ming of a serpent in approaching a foe.
I knew he could hold q conversation in
English, but as he did not know that
was aware of the fact he called up q
half-breed to act as interpreter. I was
pretty we'll up in the Cheyenne tongue,
but Roman nose did not know it. He
began the conversation as follows:
How many soldiers are there in the
fort?"
about a hundred" I answered, Civ
ing him the correct humble.
"Why didn't they come out and fght
u.s."
nearer"
"You are called Night Shadow
"Yes."
"You have killed some of my peo'
ple%
"After they had sor kill me-"
"Hu! The Indian l. light to de-
fend his own lands. The white man
wants everything, over the dry rivers
and the bare rocks. In an hourI shall
burn you at the stake"
hadn't the slightest reason to hope
he wouldn't. The Cheyennes had an
old score to settle with me, personally,
and their loss of men at the station
that day must be avenged. I was
turned over to a guard OF three war
riors, and they gave MT something to
drink and to eat. I was hungry and
thirsty, and made rs good q meal as if
I expected to live fifty years, instead of
an hour longer. A stake was driven
while I was eating, and before I had
finished the warriors had begun col
lecting brush.
1t was written of me by a correspond
ent OF Fort Wallace that Providence
saved by life. Soon after the stake had
the Indian is half animal, he breads the
; rain, and the storm took all the en-
l thusiasn out of my captors. AT til.
T same time almost a scout came in will
I some news, and I was soon told by tn
half-breed that I had been respited
; This scout, as afterwurd appeared, hat
u discovered that the fort had neithe
= cannon nor Notifications, and it was be
lieved hat the soldiers were democrat
lied and would surrender if al
tackled. At about midnight, whe
the rain began to hold up, all but tv
men set out in the direction of the fort
The five were left to guard me. The
did not hesitate to tell me that the fol
was to be attacked, and that they wer
sure of victory.
slept from midnight to daylight
being staked out at the ankles having
warrior on each side of me. Soon afte
daylight my guards were astir, an
when breakfast had been prepared m
feet were tied together, and I was a.
lowed to sit up and help myself. W
were fully twenty miles from the for
and no news was expected until late i
the afternoon. When they asked m
what I tho.ght of the CHARGES I al
swered that Roman Nose would b
beaten off, and we argued the matte
pro and con without the slightest i
IS feeling.
What happened at the fort I did nc
- learn for some days afterwards. Ha
Roman Nose made a secret approach t
- within striking distance and the
T charged in he would have won a speed
- victory. The presence of his force we
OCVA yCo ~ OIL CdliJ udVO, duO UAG IA
. rison threw up a breastwork from wha
- ever could be had, caught up the:
y horses, and the first charge took all th
y ~conceit out Of the 300, several bein
20 % killed or wounded, and the chief hin
self sustaining q severe wound from
bullet. One charge en- masse woul
have swept every cavalryman off til
~ earth, but it was not made. After q
= hour of long range firing the redskir
withdrew, excusing their cowardice b
y saying that the Evil One had sent me
10 with black faces to blind their eye
- This referred to o few negro soldier
q who took a gallant part in the defence
~ About 4 o'clock in the afternoon
y courier reached us. I knew, as did a
= : the others, long before he reached u
q that be had no good news. He to]
- big stories of the prowess of the Che,
g ennes. but had to admit they wei
ie driven off with loss. My guards wei
- directed to report with me to q certai
y spot On Red Deer Greek, about 81!
teen miles away, to which the maj
he party had resorted after being drive
le of. When I learned that Roman Nos
I'd had been wounded 1 knew what was
q store for me. He would get some SIMS
n satisfaction for his humiliation by pu
g. ting me to the torture. The courit
1t did not wait to 60 with us, but rode Q
to notify a small party which had bee
~ sent off in another direction.
During the entire day I had bee
passive, and betrayed no anxiety, tel
er ing the guards that I had friends at I'll
fort who would pay the chief a big ranso
for me. This lulled their vigilance, or
" they treated me more as a guest than
prisoner. Another friend had bee
~ working in my interest during the da
but I did not discover it until an ho1
before the courier arrived. A bolt
of whisky had in some ann con
l into possession of the guards, The be
y. tie was kept out of sight, and it W
10 only when their demeanor betrayt
them that I knew what they had be-
is up to. None of them was drunk, b
all were happy and quite good nature
n It was after 5 o'clock before WI we
is. ready to set out. The five ponies al
Sc the station horse were brought up OIL
th bridled and saddled. This work W
ry done by three Of the warriors, viii
ed the other two were gambling tor
blanket. I sat about ten feet avn
ne from them. There had been no tin
y since noon when 1 could rot have cast
ey my bonds at will. There had been
on opening for escape, but one was ma