The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-10-19
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FRONTIER FIGHTING.
A Unwilling stery by q Scout.


A Thrllling story BY Scout.
-
The many who should attempt to ar.
que that the native American had lost
any of his pluck since the days Of the
Revolution would soon find himself
smothsrsd under volumes of proof to the
contrary. In war soldiers havs shown
their pluck by brigades, regiments and
companies. In peace peril menaces in
dividuals alone, and gives q mans nerve
fair trial. I ha,s seen tho American,
as an individual, in good many tight
places, and it has been a rare thing to
see one show q white feather, no matter
what the odds were.
In the year 1857, while MAS acting as
a government scout, I had to pass be-.
tween two military stations in western
Kansas. The Indians we're out on the
warpath, and were never 30 malignant
and cruel. They could see the begin.
ming of the end, but we're determined to
fight 1t off as long a. possible. I left
camp at midnight for a ride Of forty
miles, but at two o'clock in the morning
my horse slipped on stone and went
dead lame.
Was then on the right bank Of the
Smoky Hill fork of the Kansas river,
following It down, and by leading the
horse half a mile I got to shelter Of q
grove of cot:onwoods. I knew must
remain there for the day, and I made the
best arrangements I could for defense.
There was thornapple tree In the cen.
ter of the grove, which was covered with
q grapevine. Under this shelter I dug
out rife pis, and whom it was finished I
knew I could stand any party Of Indians
off until had fired one hundred bullets.
I slept from four o'clock until nine, at
which tins whimper from my horse
aroused me. I heard the reports Of
rifles to the north and the east,
mingled with the faint whoops Of In
dams, and az soon as I could get look
In that direction the cause was plain. A
white man on horseback was headed for
the grove, coming from the north. He
vas followed by dozen Indians. He
was we'll ahead Of pursuit, and would
have made the grove all right, but a
party of four Indians we're coming down
from the east to head him of.
He had pulled up just looked out.
He was cut off and those behind were
fast coming up. He took In the situa.
ton In minute. He was on knoll
covered with dead grass and scrub
bushes. He swung himself from the sad.
die, unbuckled and pulled it of, and
gave the horse slap and started him off.
I had telescope with me, and when I
got it out and got the bearings, the man
was 30 hidden on the knoll that I could
only guess his location by locating the
saddle.
All the Indians had come up and
halted just out of rife range. There
were fifteen of them, and from the ap.
psarance of their ponies I knew they had
had a long chase. The white mans
horse came down to the stream above me,
drank his fill, and then began grazing 81
If In his owa pasture. I wanted to mi1
in at once, but they wore not only out Of
range, but my horse Was disabled. To
have moved out on foot would have been
throwing my life away. There was every
chance that I might have to fight them
single handed later on.
The white mans actions proved that
he knew how to take care of himself, and
I must let him do so for the time being
climbed into one of the cottonwoods,
got an elevation of about thirty feet, and
now my glass served me better. The
man was digging in the earth with
his huntiDg.knife 10 scoop ont q
riHe=pih eWhiie he.worked the redskin,
rested and planned They, gave hin
about tYsnty minutes, and at The end Of
the sfimeyhs was we'll hidden, even from
my sight. He had turned up several
large stones, ard these made breast
work.
When the Indians moved 1t was to cir.
Gle around him and keep up the fire to
rattle him and waste his ammunition
Willie they we're at long range be made
no answer, but 81 they narrowed the cir
Gle puff Of smoke suddenly leaped from
his pit, and one of the warriors fel! from
his horse like a log. A second dashed ia
secure the body, and his horse was shot
through. The bullet hit the rider In the
opposite leg, and I could follow him as
ho crept away through the grass. An.
other consultation was held, and it re-.
suited in a general dismount.
Then each warrior began creeping for.
ward on his own account, firing at will.
They had the man completely enciroled,
but he MAS very COOL. When he finally
got q sure thing he firad, and shot an In.
dias 80 dead that he never kicked. Two
minutes later ho killed second. This
was three killed and one wounded, and
they were losing their sand. All orspt
out of range and consulted again, and
knew how 1t would end.
If the eleven warriors let one white
man beat them of, they would be dis.
graced forever. The ground was favora"
BILE for charging him on horseback, snd
they were soon ready. Six went TO the
east and FIVE to the South, and at a sig-
nal they put their ponies on the run and
rode for the knoll. Up jumped The man,
his rife at his shoulder, and he fred
twelve shots into the two sections faster
than could count He killed two pou