The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1891-11-12
They Out Run Horses.

One of the problems of the soldiers in
the West is to overtake the Indian when
that fellow wants to get away. Let a
band of Indiana commit a depreciation
and start to run it is one of the greatest
of difficulties to catch them. No one
who remembers tho account OF the
Geronimo band can forget the trials of
the army men who were sent to capture
and punish the redskins. Once they
had reached the mountains it was almost
impossible to get rear them. They not
only knew the land thoroughly, but they
could run go rapidly that you might have
them safely located in one place, bring
your detachment up, only to find they
had gone, bag and baggage, hours and
hours before. On straight chase it
was almost equally impossible to catch
them. Even cavalry is useless against
them. The human after all is the better
animal, and when an Indian band ran in
the lead of cavalry horses the latter lost.
The only hope was in numbers that could
in time surround and turn back the line
of retreat so often and at such unexpec-
ted places that the Indian would surren-
der more from confusion than from fear.
1t is no difficult thing for one of the
mountain Indians to run one hundred
miles within ten hours. Couriers have
carried messages for army officers in
that time very often. A single mile in
three minutes has been made time aud
again.
So proud are the Indians oftheir prov.
ess as runners that on recent occasion
when Commissioner Morgan, Of the In.
dian bureau, was in the territories look
ing after his wards, the Navaioes brought
a runner to the headquarters of the
government men and wanted to pit him
against horse. Lieutenant Baker, of
the Seventh Infantry, and Lieutenant
Pierson, of the engineer corps, slipped
away from the commissioner and went
down to where the Indians were camp
ing. Baker said he thought the Navajo
couldn't run. They we're very much of
Tended and offered to bet he could out
run a horse.
Baker," said Pearson. "you bet them
I can beat their man."
The lieutenant made the proposition,
and the Indians swiftly gathered up their
valusbles and offered to stake them.
They came in groups and clamored for
a bet. He covered everything they Of
fered, even down to their ponies. He
had about peck of the most beautiful
gsrnets heaped upon blanket before him
and all the silver girdles they had in
camp. The Iudian racer stripped to
the skin and Pierson took off his heavier
garments. Indians and whites agreed
upon course and the runners started.
Pierson isa sprinter who could probably
beat any man in the army and he ran
away from the Navajo. But the Indians
were game. They were sadly disap-
pointed in their man, but the bets they
never gave second thought. The army
men rounded up their herd CT ponies,
loaded burro with pclts aud valuables,
hired boy to csrry the lighter winnings
and started away. TIE Indians broke
camp and got ready 10 leave. AS soon
as the two lieuteuanis had shown their
plumber to the other officers, they sent
for the losers aud gave everything back.
But so game were the latter that they
did not want to take their things back.
Commissioner Morgan had thought q
great deal of Lieutenant Baker, and he
was sorely grieved when lie learned of
the betting. Bsker was very careful 10
keep from him the knowledge that the
winnings had been restored, and he
probably went back 10 Washington with
a shocked sense o! the state of the army.
lie is all Indian lover and thinks the
Leatherstockiug tales arc veri'ies.-
Chicago Herald.