St. Landry democrat., 1891-05-09

and had made up my mind TO pretend TO
be without the power of speech. l found
onnortuniry TO whisper to Robinson to
nursue the same policy, but unfortunately
he had not the nerve to carry out the idea.
The fact of his being captured broke him
all up. The recollection of what McHenry
must have suffered unstrung his nerves,
and | heard him begging and entreating
as be was carried away.
Red Trail closely examined the mark on
nv face, and was as much mystided as the
others. I still had a power in reserve.
Having served through the war in the
navy it was but natural that I should
carry a sailors passport. On my left arm
was a tattoo representing an anchor This
was seen as two warriors stripped my
buckskin shirt off to look for further
marks. Not an Indian in that camp had
ever seen anything like the mark, and
when the examination had been completed
I felt sure that l was looked upon with
awe and mystery, if not veneration. was
conducted to a tepee and motioned to turn
in, and had every reason to congratulate
myself on the plan l had pursued. l had
made signs that / could not talk, and the
information had been accepted.
Next morning Pawnee-killer arrived in
the village, He had agreed to surrender
his tribe and go on a reservation, but it
was bold faced lying on his part. His very
first move was to order the village to pack
up and move back about twenty miles.
This consumed the entire day. AS we were
ready to start I received my horse to ride,
aud my hands and legs were left entirely
free. saw Robinson brought out, and he
was loaded down with kettles and led by a
rope. At no time during the day was he
near enough to exchange a word, but on
several occasions / saw him kicked and
beaten by the squaws and boys.
1t was 9 o'clock in the evening before
was taken into the presence of Pawnee-
Killer. He seemed to have accepted the
belief of the others, and in less than a
quarter of an hour waved me out of his
wigwam. may state here what / learned
two or three years after. 1t was the belief
of the Indians that | had been struck by
lightning as l slept, and that the fluid had
left the two marks to prove that | was in
vulnerable. They further reasoned that
lost my speech at the same time, and was
therefore al object of generation. l was
in no wise hampered or restricted, but !
found shelter as soon as possible, and was
soon asleep. | wanted to do something
for poor Robinson, but just how to do it !
could not figure. The treatment accorded
him during the day did not augur we'll for
the future.
When morning came again / had a hearty
breakfast, and then two old men, armed
with only bows and arrows, took me down
the creek about a mile and then sat down
on the grass. It was IN hou or two before
| could make out the significance of the
move, but then | heard sounds from the
direction of the camp which satisfied me
that Robinson was being put to the torture.
One of my guards soon left for the village,
and an hour later the other suddenly rose,
and without a word suddenly walked
away in the same direction. Unable to
make up my mind what to do, I remained
where / was during the entire day. In
later years I learned from n of the war.
riors of the fate of Robinson. His tortures
lasted nine long hours. He first ran the
gantlet. Then he was tied to a stake, and
every form of mutilation which the fiends
could invent was practiced on his poor
body. 1t was with great animation that
my informant related how the poor fellow
begged and. cried and entreated-what
wonderful vitality he had-how he could
have been preserved an hour or two longer
had not everybody grown tired of the sport.
1t was Pawnee-Killer himself, fresh from
signing q treaty of peace, who exhibited
the most iendish spirit.
had a much closer call than I knew.
The two old men who took me out
doubted that / was what the others took
me for. They had some arrows made on
purpose to kill witches and keep off bad
spirits, and they were to take me off and
see if these arrows would kill me. In go.
ing down the creek one of them came near
stepping on a rattlesnake, and this was
taken as a sign that they must not shoot.
When they returned to the village and re-
ported it was hoped that I would go away,
and therefore no one came near me. As
night fell | started off to the west, expect
ing every moment to be overhauled, put
ting in a good twenty miles before day
light. was picked up by scouting party
of cavalry just before noon.
1t was about three months after my es-
cape before the Indians learned that / was
q government scout, and that they had
been duped. Red Trail and Pawnee-Killer
then offered five ponies each to the warrior
who should bring in my scalp, and for the
next year perhaps / was wanted" more
than any other man on the plains. 1t was
a curious turn of affairs that, while Red
Trail had no less than five of his best war.
riors out on an expedition after me, I crept
Into his camp one night and secured his
own scalp lock, rife and pony and got
away.-New York Sun.