St. Landry democrat., 1891-07-25
A PERILOUS RIDE,

There was a certain man name
, Paul Revere. who took a famous rid
y In days gone by He went skurrvin
past Mddlesex villages and farm
h and faced the deadly dangers of bark
1e ing dogs and Growing cocks. Longfel
low has sung him IN rhyme tina,
" school children are given to recite.
Perhaps it was a brave and note
"a worthy thing. But out in the whisk.
cred West men rata heroism bv q diff.
ferent standard.
!. Some day or another a Western
a poet shall sing the song of Jim Bell.
= tor he is a hero, a fine, grizzled hero.
4 There was q Western, matterof-f
sort OF tnge to his daring act, but if
one goes deep enough one shall find a
touch OF the old knightly heroism of
other days.
In one of the ante-rooms of Gen.
: Miles offices in the Pullman building
sits grim, young-old man with griz
zled, close-cut hair. brown. luxuri-
ant mustache, like Sam Steele's. and
hard braced military shoulders.
Messenger James Bell, if YOU please
A little chap in a blue sailor suit-reef-
er and cap. complete is perched on
his knee, said youth OF seven beingthe
son and her OF Gen. Miles and wear
ing worthily the patriotic name OF
Sherman Miles.
There the little chap sat securely
and tugged at the old soldiers mus
taches, while a Tribune reporter put
questions and got answers.
''Ihe other day" said Jim Bell
"the papers stated that medal and
certificates OF merit had been granted
me by President Harrison This is q
mistake. Every mark OF honor
have ever received was granted bv |
PRESIDENT Hayes. Hest gnod my certi-
1lcates otmerlt; he bestowed the medal
upon me.
You want to hear the story of nv
rlde?' continued the old scout. Then
he told the story of his epic ride,
bearing dispatches from Gen. Terry
to Gen. Crook. This was in 1876.
Custer had Just been slain; it was
absolutely necessary to get the two
generals in touch. Terry was on the
Big Horn; Crook was at the head
waters of Great Goose Creek. In the
tangled lnterland the Indians swarm
ed. Bands Of red devils lurking here
and there curled about Gen. Terry's
camp.
Scouts had been sent out. One
after another drifted back to camn:
they had met Indians; they had lost
their horses in swimming the Yellow
stone River.
June Col. Gibbons of the Seventh !,
Infantry, L. S. A-now, by the way,
ne is retired as brigadier-ceneral. and :
lives in New York-posted a call for :
volunteers to run the desperate race
from the Big Horn to the camp on
the Great Goose There was a mo-
holding back. Then three
men stepped forward and answered n
the CALL ;,
James Bell, private. !,
Benjamin e. Stewart, private.
--- Evans, private. "
Evans is still in the service and has h
won his stripes: he is stationed some y
where in the West.
They expected to have Indian DO =
lies, but this proved an impossibility. a
50 at five o'clock in the afternoon d
hey set etotfmounted on cavalry horses. h
Each was in full uniforn each of
he three carried an infantry ri1e-no Sc
'ther arms were worn. Capt. Hami- a
on of the Second Cavalry, who is now t.
the recruiting service in New York, -,
commanded an escort that led the ad- '"
enturous three to The lines. o,
BY this time it had gone dark. so w
he three chaps turned their horses m
ea'is uphill and iourneyed on like We
'ur.a's' Three Guardsmen. tn
1t was the meanest country ever dl
h1te man put foot on explained Tn
I'M Bel; "a mountainous, quilted, az
Ill country, with shrubby bushes and ca
mixing bogs. We had a watch-horse so
head all the time to try the ground, II
nd far ahead of him we sent one of IT.
le gang to keep q weather eye out est
r Indians. The red dogs were cring- ha
g in the bushes to right and left and on
rking in the gulches and the broken ac
ound. There was no chance for a TN
mt; It was simply case of dodge aa q
I'd hedge all night aft
So this night wore away-a scout dir
lead piercing from the high peaks. an
e other two following with the blum Wo
ring, jaded cavalry horses. The al
5ht drifted by and the next day Me-
ere was nothing of Importance. No
was lighted. In those days and
those places the raising of tiresmoke r.
ght have meant the raising OF o
Zip. the
80 the second night darkened down. hus
e three thought OF camping for the oil
mt at the Rosebud. 1t was after
dnight, the horses were 'staked out" scr'
, three men fell asleep under the peo
line feet. OF a sudden there was a doc
impede and the horses were out in citv
} brush, mad with terror.
fere the infantile Gen. Sherman cliI u
es broke in, as he tugged at the old .iie
diers' mustaches: IL P@o
But didn't you sleep?" Ahe
Not just then," Jim Bell laughed: US nlsi'
) chased the horses Iila'
Indians" suggested young Gen. anu anu
rnan Miles. sooI
No, bear-a bear had stampeded gnu gnu
horses and after we caught them ion !
decided that sleep was q luxury. VI :
We rode ON again uuri
title Master Miles was griev ously eye,
appointed that it was not Indians loses p.
finally agreed to accept bear, nh;s en,s