The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-05
An incident Illustrating Indian
Nerve, Which Occurred Near
Pine Ridge Agency.
HOW the Red Secured a Dead Pri-
Yates Horse Under Heavy
Fire.
impossible While Being Charged by =
Troop of CavalrymeM Distant Less
Than 200 Yards.

-HAT WAS A CLEVER TRICK
NJ played on adozen of us cavalry boys
el9 when. scouting to the north OF Pine
Ridge, Just before crisis of Jan. 1891, when
the s~apaeity and address OF General Miles
ayerted ons of the most frightful Of Indian
wars.
Wehad had several sharp skirmishes with
the h~ostiles, who were in an ugly temper and
eager for a fight at any time. They are hne
horseman. and, when in the mood, Will
fight like tigers. We had lost a couple OF
men, two others were wounded, n mad
a bullet hole through my hst, which was
about az close as q missile could come with
ont doing damage.
Il was near the middle Of the afternoon
when a smoke to the westward drew us Ill
that direction. We Galloped through a
stretch of open timber, over a slight rise
in the prairie and then came in sight of q
settlers house on fire, hardly an eighth OF
mile away.
What surprised us was that we had not
heard the report of q gun. nor a shout, nor
was a living person in sight. It looked az
IF the place had been abandoned by the
ovne ana his family, n that the fire had
either broken ont accidentally. or that q
narty Of dusky raiders had set IRE to 1t and
left. @"# .
Still there was no knowing what it all
might mean, and everyone OF us WAS on the
oui yiye as We rode forward at an easy can
ter with our eyes fixed on the blazing
structure. We were within q hundred
Yards. riding close together, when crack!
bang! from the other side of tho flames
came a yolleyy which emptied two OF our
saddles.
We we're staggered for the moment:
There were only ten left, but we were USED
to danger of that kind, though caught on
our guard for the moment. Capt. wharton
uttered a sharp word OF command, and the
next moment we Numbered past. the mouse
and were hos on the heels of three dusky
fellows running for life toward q hunmook,
barely 100 yards distant. Let 1t suflce to
say shat although the wooded knoll was
their destination. they failed to arrive
there.
. It was all over in q twinkling, rs may be
said. The whole affair was begun ana
ended in such short order that We iounu
ourselves doubling whether it was a dream
or actuality. There was no mistake, how
ever, in this case, and we rode slowly baek
to zee whether we could do anything TOT
the Two motionless forms stretched on the
prairie. When We reached them We lmme-
diately saw they were beyond help. lnen
we turned to look after the two horses tina,
had galloped some distance to the left and
we're circling aimlessly about, waiting 1oi
some one to take charge of them.
HELLO! look there!"' exclaimed Captain
Dunmore; 'did you ever see the like" .
Where he had come from no one coule
tell, but an Indian was walking slowly owe
the prairie in the direction OF Private
Gardeners horse, one of the finest animal
in the troop. The savage was speaking IN
soothing tone to the beast, evidently try,
ing to quiet his fears until he could az
proach near enough to seize the bride
The horse looked suspiciously at him, rs h.
slowly advanced, but though be showed
some timidity did not run He seemed o.
the very point of doing SO, but something
In the Indians looks or manner, or both
held him motionless.
The Apache grasped his rifle in his LEI
as If he did not hold as in he's lightes
fear. He appeared simply to know tina
valuable animal was within his reacl
and conld be won by a little patience.
"Hel4 Il get poor Gardeners horse, if "
are not quick" added the captain, and "
all broke for the daring redskln, several o
ua firing as We did so.
And then that Indian showed a nerve
never saw surpassed. What white soldie
would not have been 'rattled" under tn
circumstances? There were ten Of us, no
more than two hundred yards away, rldln
like mad for him, but he never showed tina
he knew it. He kept walking towards til
hesitating horse, with his right hand ez
tended, uttering his quieting words an
never turning his head to look atus, thong
we we're in his field of vision and he mus
have been aware of every leap of our ami
mails.
1t would be supposed that he would hay
hurried matters, in his efforts to secure th
indispensable steed, but he did not; at leat
not until the last moment had come. 1t WI
pure nerve. such rs not one man in
thousand could have shown.
Our impetuosity saved tie Indian, {
rather gave him the very advantage he ws
seeking. Our shots and firing caused tt
horse to turn his bead and look at us. 4
the moment his attention was diverted tt
rekakin darted forward, andlike q flash WI
in the saddle. Then away he shot with a
row speed. We sent several bullets aft
him, but l suspect net one of us mourne
because we all missed, for we couldn't he
admiring the grit of the fellow, no matt
what he had done or helped to DO.