Griggs courier., 1891-03-06

A PERiLous SITUATION.
fAs Act Of Brave Woman who raced
DAnger-A Reminlecence Of Wild Bill.
Away back in the ''sixties,' before
the buffalo, deer and antelope were
killed and driven from Kansas, in the
middle and western portions Of that
State, the settlers made ssdugouts'' for
their habitations. The settler would
dig into a hillside one or more excava-
tions, twelve or fifteen feet square.
In front and around the sides he stood
cottonwood logs, which would be kept
firmly in place by stamping earth in the
trenches. The roof would be made of
poles covered with branches, earth and
sod.
One Of these dugouts was constructed
In hill which sloped to one Of the
streams tributary to the Arkansas river.
1twas of better class than was usually
found in that new region. 1t had q
panel door and two windows of upper
and lower sashes.
In this house lived an Eastern gentle
man named Wentworth, with his wife.
He had invested in sheep, and was
obliged to go to store q few miles
from his home to look at some blooded
stock which an importer had for sale.
He left his home without fear of i'm
pending danger, as the Indians in Kan
sas had been quiet for some time.
The day was passed by Mrs. Went
worth in woman's usual home pur-
suits. Toward evening she stepped to
the door to see if her husband was re-
turning. Her large Newt oundland dog,
which was standing near her, growled
and looked toward the thicket bordering
the stream at the foot of the hill. Upon
looking that way she saw an Indians
face peering through the bushes She
called her dog to her and shutting and
fastening the door and barring the solid
inside shutters to tho windows, she
lighted lamp and prepared for the at
tack she knew must come. Her rhusband
always kept q gun loaded with buck
shot to defend his sheep from the large
grey wolves, which in that day were SO
destructive to the hoclss.
In a few minutes Nero, the dog, de-
tected the approach Of the Indians.
They broke the glass in the window
and strove to push the blind open.
Failing, they went to the door and ham
mered on it with their weapons. Mrs.
Wentworth made no reply. They
pushed, and the frail lock yielded. The
door flew open and the brave woman
discharged both barrels of the gun into
the group of savages. The dead and
wounded fell on the floor of the room
and the porch outside. The dog few
among them, and must have killed
those who fell only wounded, as some
OF them showed marks of his teeth, and
he was covered with blood when his
master returned.
The Indians who were not injured re-
tired after their comrades fell, not know
ing what might be their fate were they
to attempt to enter the dugout.
|. Mrs. Wentworth was thrown upon the
floor by the recoil of the heavily
charged gun. In falling her head strucl,
the wall, and she was so stunned that
she became insensible.
AS the Indians were accommodating
preparatory to another attack, Went
worth, accompanied by Wild Bill, a
well-known scout, leading some twenty
ranchmcn, all heavily armed, rode up.
Wentworth and Wild Bill threw them
selves from their horses at the door,
and, leaning over the slain, raised Mrs.
Wentworth, placed her on the bed and
applied restoratives. She was soon able
to tell her husband of the attack. The
milo nf 1oo1 Mt a.
Tended her home.
Wild Bill left them, and, mounting
his horse, was soon engaged in follow
ing the now flying savages Few OF
them escaped.
The boy who herded the sheep was
killed and scalped by the Indians, but
the sheep were brought in by the shep-
herd dog that night.
Had it not been for Wild Bill, Went
worth would have known nothing of
his wife's perilous situation. and he
would have returned to find desolated
and burned home, his wife slain, or
worse, a captive. ~.
| Wild Bill was on his way to Fort
Riley to procure troops to intercept a
band of Cheyenne Indians who had left
their reservation and were on the war
path. He went to the store where
Wentworth was, to inform the owner,
so that he might warn the ranchmen
in the neighborhood. He knew the
course the Indians had taken would
lead them by Wentworth's ranch, and
on hearing that Mrs. Wentworth was
alone. he called for volunteers to 20 to
her defense. AS there was a large
number of ranchmen at the store to see
the blooded sheep, he was soon on his
his way at the head of the squad of
men, who arrived at the Wentworth
ranch just in time to save the brave
woman from a horrible fate.
After this experience Wentworth sold
his ranch and stock and returned to the
East.