The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-10-10

the men in camp both on account Of
their maddened struggles being like
ly to iDjure some one and because
their movements showed the Indians
where to fire in the darkness. Dur
ing the long, long hours of night
Stuart walked down almost in the
very midst of the savages to get
water for his wounded men. When
at last day dawned and enabled him
to look over his camp sad sight
met his eyes.
One man was shot through the
temple, another had received five
balls, one through each thigh and
another through his shoulder. An
other was shot in the side and
through the back. Another was shot
once but the ball had made six
holes. The fifth man was shot in the
shoulder with an arrow; the sixth
George Ives was shot through the
hip, but he lived to be hanged for a
road agent by the vigilantes some
years afterwards. S. T. Hansen was
shot in the breast but thick mem
orandum book broke the force of the
ball and saved his life He lived to
be Governor of Montana in 1886.
Those who were still alive were in
a desperate situation. They could
not go back to Bannack the way they
had come without passing through
the hostile Crow country and Stht
only alternative was to return by
making a detour of ten or twelve
hundred miles by way of Fort Bird
ger through totally unexplored coun
try inhabited if it all, by bloodthirs
ty Sioux. The only advantage to be
hoped for was that as the Sioux were
the deadly enemies of the Crows the
latter would give up the chase, when
they found them heading for the
Sioux country and the white mer
hoped to slip through without the
Sioux becoming aware of their DIES
perate situation
They then abandoned all supplies
but six days rations and prepared
for the perilous undertaking.
Just before starting out Geery, I'm
derwood and Stuart who were Ma
sons pledged each other if either Of
the three got badly wounded he
would shoot himself in order to pre-
vent sacrificing the remainder of the
party by remaining to defend on,
who would most likely die any way
One of the wounded men Bostwick
blew his brains out while arrange
ments were being made to break
camp. Rill, another one who was
desperately wounded, begged to bt
placed on horse and taken along
AS this forlorn hope moved out
the Indians mounted their ponies
and moved parallel to them but safe
ly out of gun shot. Burdened with
a wounded man they could only make
from 10 to Is miles per day and the
the hearts Of this brave men must
have died within them when they
thought of twelve hundred weary
miles stretching between them and
safety. On the 14th they stopped
for supper An alarm of Indians was
raised and Geery going to get his
gun on'whichisome blankets had been
thrown caught the lock in them and
it was discharged the ball entering
his breast and SCATTERING his left
shoulder terribly. With deathly
pallor on his face he calmly opened
the bosom of his shirt and pointing tc
the CHASTITY wound he said, Il have
needlessly but accidentally destroy.
ed my life 1t is fast ebbing away
few hours more and all will be
over, but that is far too long for you
all to remain here. The Indians will
soon be upon you and it will be i'm
possible to defend yourselves in this
place. Stuart tell the boys l am ia
tally wounded" He held revolver
in his hand while speaking. The
others all said, "Never mind Geery
we will stay by you-all the Indians
in the nation couldn't drive us away
from you" This reply only seemed
to fix his resolution to die that they
might live for he said, 'sThe fact that
you would,I know, all stay by me and
die for me has determined me- Remem
Der | am not committing suicide
Bear witness to my friends that am
only shortening my life few hours
to prevent you from foolishly sacri
ficing yours in defense of mine. God
knows | don't want to die-that
fear death-but have a christian
hope of eternity-yet must die
rather to save than to sacrifice. Re,
member the spot where you bury me-
describe it to my friends If any OF
you ever live to tell of it."
By this time those rugged men
were all weeping like children over
him. "God bless you all comrades,
l must die and in time for you to
bury me and escape before dark
good by" AS he placed the pistol
to his temple the men with stream
ing eyes turned to walk away as they
could not witness the dreadful deed
He pressed the trigger the cap ex-
ploded. The men then begged him
for Gods sake, to desist, saying that
was warning. He made no reply
only muttered softly to himself: 81
don't know what to think of that
it never snapped before" Cooking
the pistol again ne engaged few
moments in silent prayer and then
pressed the trigger which sent him
into eternity.
"The report of the shot was awful
and sent thrill through our swelling
hearts that will never be forgotten, =
said exGov. Hansen in speaking OF
the tragic occurrence. 1--WE gather
ed around his dying form and it was
fearful thing to see human soul
take wings especially as he had SO
nobly died to save us. Never before
had l seen our little band give way
they all wept like children and seem
ed far more disheartened than the
morning of the massacre
They wrapped him in his soldier
overeoat and had scarcely finished
covering the body when the Indians
again appeared, but the men stood
their ground long enough to build
and burn pile of brush. on the grave
to prevent the Indians from digging
up the corpse for the scalp and cloth
ing, they then stole away in single
file and hid in the sage brush six
miles from the scene of the tragedy
where the night was passed.
Did anything more sadly heroic