The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-01
WHITE AGAINST RED.
"A Footraco Between q Soldier and
an Indian.
Tho Eedmen Have Unboundcd Faith In
Their Man and Wager All Their
yaluablcs, But the Palcfaco
Is tho Winner.

One of the problems of the soldier in
the west Is to overtake the Indian when
that fellow wants to get away. Let
band of Indians commit depreciation
and start to run and it is one of the
greatest difficulties to catch them. No
one who remembers the accounts of the
Geronimo band, says tho Chicago
Herald, 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 near them. They not
only knew the land thoroughly, but
they could run so rapidly that you
might have them safely located in ono
place, bring your detachment up, only
to find they had gone, bag and bag
gage, hours and hours before. On
straight chase it is almost equally inn
possible 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 cav
airy horses the latter lost. The only
hope was in numbers that could in time
surround and turn back the line of re-
treat so often and at such unexpected
places that the Indian would surrender
more from confusion than from fear.
1t is no difficult thing for one of the
mountain Indians to run hundred
miles within ten hours. Couricrs have
carried messages for army officers in
that time very often. A single mile in
three minutes has been made on
wager time and again. Up at Iualpi,
q village of the Moqui Indians of Ari-
iona, there is II religious festival, which
is introduced by n race Of five miles, in
which the winner, on testimony that
cannot be denied, makes the distance in
twenty minutes, climbing at the con-
clusion of the race sloping height OF
over seven hundred feet.
So proud are the Indians of their
prowess as runners that on n recent oc-
casion when Commissioner Morgan, OF
the Indian bureau, was in the territories
looking after his wards the Navajoes
brought a runner to the headquarters
of the government men and wanted to
pit him against horse. Lieut.. Baker,
of the Seventh infantry, and Lieut..
Picrson, 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 were very much
offended and offered to bet he could
outrun a horse.
Baker" said Pierson, ''you bet them,
can beat their man."
The lieutenant of infantry made the
proposition and the Indians swiftly
gathered up their valuables and offered
to stake them. They could not get to
him quickly enough. They came in
groups and clamored for n bet. He COW
cred everything they offered, even to
their ponies. He had about a peck of
the most beautiful garnets heapcd on T.
blanket before him and all the silver
girdles they had in camp. The Indian
racer stripped to the skin and Pierson
and whites agreed upon course and
the runners started. Pierson is sprin-.
ter who could probably beat any man
in the army and he ran away from the
Navajo. But the Indians were game.
They were sadly disappointed in their
man but the bets they never gave sec
ond thought. The army men rounded
up their herd of ponies, loaded a burro
with belts and valuables, hired a boy to
carry the lighter winnings and started
away. The Indians broke camp and
got ready to leave. AS soon as the two
lieutenants had shown their plumber to
the other officers they sent for the
losers and gave everything back. 1t
was quite n difficult matter for them to
explain to the Indians that an army Of
ficer could not gamble with Indians,
and certainly could not justly win from
them. But SO game were the latter
that they did not want to take their
things back.