St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-16
The Remarkable Luck That
Fell to q Government
Scout.
He and a Companion Are
/ Captured by the Saw
ages.
They Find a Queer Birthmark
and Marvel at
It.
Allowing Him to Escape, They
Torture His Friend to
Death.

Republican riyer,in Western Kansas, and
the Indian war had fairly begun, l was
doing duty with several others as a
scout, says the New York Sun. On the
morning of the 18TH a young man named
Robinson reached the camp and reported
that he, with three others, had been
hunting TO the west of us, and had been
stampeded by the Sioux indians. One
had been killed, as he believed, while
the others had made a dash for it n
scattered, each taking his own course.
Robinson had Numbered upon our camp
after riding all night.
Custer was at this time hopeful OF
making peace with the redskins, and
the camp at the forks would be perma-
nent for at least a fortnight.
1t was with this understanding of the
situation that | set out with Robinson,
after he had had all all-day's rest, to
hunt up his stampeded companions and
bring them in. We left camp just after
dark, both of us heavily armed, and
rode straight to the west. As L had
never seen Robinson under fire l was
more anxious than if one of my fellow
scouts had been with me, but in the
course of a couple of hours L made up
my mind that he had plenty of nerve,
and could be depended on. AS near as
he could Judge his party was thirty
miles west of the forks when stampeded.
At midnight, after an easy cantcr of five
hours. we halted, ~diSmOunted, and went
into camp for the remainder of the
night. believing we were close upon the
spot where the
Hunters Were Attacked.
Both of us slept from that hour until
just before sunrise. AS there is an
other Indian val now on. and as the
traits and characteristics of the red
man are under discussion, | shall relate
some particulars which might other
wise be suppressed. We had a cold
bite for breakfast, aud had scarcely
mounted our horses when we caught
sight of the carcass Of a horse lying on
the plains about a quarter OF a mile
away. AS soon as we reached 1T Robin
/ son identified the animal as having been
the one he saw fall as the stampede be-
gan. Its rider was a man named Nc
Henry, who had previously been en-
| pl0yed as a civilian at Fort Larned.
The buZzards and wolves had been at
the carcass. but we made out that
the horse had received three
bullets and dropped in his tracks.
Saddle, bride INT all other
portable property had been removed.
Robinson estimated that the attacking
party numbered 80. After half an hours
search l put the number at twenty. He
believed that all who dashed away were
pursued. l found that none of them
had been followed over half a mile.
Had McHenry been killed or serious
ly wounded by the volley which killed
his horse, his body would have been
found lying beside the carcass. AS it
was not, | reasoned that he had been
captured unhurt and taken away a prls-
oner. The trail of the Indians led to
the north, as if making for the south
fork of the Platte river, and we fol-
lowed it at a cautious pace. At the end
of five miles WE came to the spot where
the band had encamped for the night.
1t was on the banks of a small creek in
a scattered grove, and the first thing
we saw was
The Dead Body of McHenry.
The Sioux chiefs had declared their
anxiety for peace, and were protesting
the greatest friendship for the soldiers.
Indeed, Pawnee-Killer had visited Gus
ter to shake hands and sign a declara-
ton of peace. While the old hypocrite
was declaring and protesting. his whole
tribe was making ready for wal and in
duiging in atrocities. While the big
chief was 'shoW-howing" in Clusters
camp and declaring his love for the
white man, n of his bands only thirty
miles away was subjecting a hunter to
the most agonizlng tOrtureS. They cut
out his tongue, blew powder into bis
body, cut off his toes, broke all his fin
gers, pricked him with knives, and finally
1oloI br coaItainn him IA rnrcf haun
suffered for many hours before death
finally came as a glad relief. The body
was not yet cold when we found it, and
there were evidences that the Indians
had not been gone more than an hour.
Of the two who stampeded and got
clear, one went to the northeast and the
other to the northwest. Robinson had
held due north and thus reached our
camp, although he was not aware of its
location. We took up the trail of the
one going to the northeast. believing
that he was in the greatest danger. He
went at a wild pace for at least ten
miles, never seeming to have looked
back and discovered that pursuit had
been abandoned, or to have turned to
the right or to the left, to throw the
redskins off his route after darkness
came. 1t took us three hours ITO cover
the distance he rode in one, as re ex-
pected to see Indians at any moment.
About twelve miles from the spot where
we foundMcHenry's horse we came upon
that of Jackson, whom we were follow
ing to the northeast. The wild ride had
exhausted the animal. and, as he fell
down, Jackson had abandoned him and
pushed along OH foot. The animal was
on his feet and grazing as we found him,
but so lame that he could scarcely move.
We removed the saddle and blankets,
and found JackSOn's reyOlverS in the
holsters.
From this point we had no trail to
guide US, and the ground was badly cnt
up with ridges and washouts. We rode
forward during the rest of the day,
hoping to 0yertake the man, and neg
Letting no %precaution to
Insure Our own Safety.
Just at shutdown we followed a dry
gully up long ridge and debouched
from it, seeing a sight which for the
moment appeared to be an optical de-
fusion. There were Indians on our
right, on our left, In front, and | turned
in my saddle to see other Indians clos.
ing in behind us. AS we halted and
looked around US many of the redskins
expressed their humor by grunts. They
had probably been riding to the right
and left of Us for hours. and had
formed this cul de sac for us to ride
into. 1t was taking a great deal of
pains for nothing. but the Indian some
times exhibits a queer vein of humor.
They were not disappointed in thinking
we would be surprised.
1t was fully two minutes before a
chief rode forward and said "How-
how" and extended his hand to me,
and as he did So the whole body closed
in. l am so unfortunate as to be marked
on the left temple with that birth-mark
known as a white stain, the spot being
as large as a silver dollar. My hat was
we'll up and my hair back as the chief