San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-11
.THE SANTA FL TRAIL
By MRS. ]. K. HUDSON.

came out TO meet me: she is my promised
wife. found you in trouble, in danger,
and i could not stay away. ought to
have Joined her at Westport Landing
there was a reason. Can we let that go?
! thought maybe could help you out of
this. Where's old Jose? | heard that
You made him captain at the Grove"
Silently heads were nodded toward
the gray blanket and spectral arms
pointed out the two dead.
"Janey" still stood by the wagon
masters size, encirclod by his strong
arm, but us soon as King saw tho
motionless form of the old captain he
pressed another hurried kiss upon her
white face and told her to go back to the
wagon.
There's no time to lose." he said,
"you know the Indians will be moving
with the first streak of light What is
your plan, boys"
~ reckon we'll make you captain the
first thing we do" said a gruff voice,
and an echo of "yes." Eyes" and Isl"
ISL" came from every side.
It was very informally done but the
election of the new captain was unani-
nous, and before the morning showed
ever so family in the east the plan of
campaign was arranged. Then the gray
darkness came on, the ghostly, uncer-
tain hour that is darker than midnight,
and then the pink promise of the sun.
Still there was not an Indian in sight
nearer than the camp on the Arkansas.
The entire band was yet there moving
about restlessly. Soon a courier started
toward the corral riding a swift pony
and carrying a white rag on pole-a
flag of truce.
We'll meet him." the captain prompt
ly said. Let every soldier in the cor
raj put on all the regalia he has and
follow me"
1t was well understood that King
could speak the language of any tribe in
that region, and his natural assumption
of leadership inspired confidence. Every
man prepared to do his bidding. Guns
were examined and then the captain
stepped outside the encircling line of
wagons closely followed by the squad of
soldiers. The Indian courier immedi-
gesticulations, which were easily inter-
preted to mean that the soldiers must
retire or he would not advance.
Captain King waved him back and
motioned that his men would stand
their ground.
The maddened Indian dug his spurs
into his pony's sides and galloped back
to the camp. After few minutes par
ley he started out again with score of
painted braves at his back. AS they ad-
vanced, Captain King stepped forward
alone and signifed his willingness to
listen to the courier who carried the
white flag. He was told that the savages
demanded complete surrender and ex-
tended a promise of kind treatment.
These terms they thought would be &C
cepted because of their superior num-
beers. When the Indian had delivered
his message the captain pointed behind
him to the soldiers-of whose presence
in the corral he hoped the Indians had
not known the day before, and said:
You see we have the Great Fathers
fighting men to protect US, and before
noon today there will be many more at
the Big Rock, on the way from Fort
Dodge. When they come we will fight
you in open field. Till then we have
great stores of powder and bullets. We
will not surrender"
The mutterings of anger and disap-
pointment were loud, but with little
hesitation the Indians withdrew and
hurried back to their waiting people in
camp.
The American Indian, whether he be
high chief and a great brave, or a
graduate of an agency school, respects
no white man so much as a well armed
United States soldier. Captain King
knew this fact, and counted wisely the
effect of few uniforms. He agreed
with the men in the corral, too, that the
Indians were probably about out of am
munition, otherwise they would have re-
newed the attack at daybreak.
Before the sun was three hours high
on this the second morning of the siege,
the Indians were growing DINNER and
DINNER in long line, creeping over the
plains southwark, and the men under
Captain King s command thanked heaven
and him for their deliverance.
Jose Valdez and his companion were
buried at the foot of Pawnee Rock, the
pile that yet stands as monument for
uncounted dead. Perhaps every nation
on earth, surely the greater number out
of all, has contributed its grave to this
spot, where the bones of men were
plowed up for many years after the
white settler took possession.
"Thar's no preacher by to pray over
him." said one, land we've often had a
priest along goin to the missions"
GtT+,c q co,,, fov+ +bav caD both cpao L