The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-05-27
ADVENTURE OF 4 TRAPPER
Golfers Wildly Thrilling Experiences
In the Rockies In Early
Days
Racirg for His Life With Over 600
Bloodthirsty Blackfeet
Indians.
They Gave Him . start OF
o Yards.

Among the many thrilling adventures Of
tho early Rocky mountain traders there 10
none more interesting than that of Golfers
race for life with over GOO armed and blood
Thirsty Blnckfeet Indians, one of the most
cruel Of tho western tribes, says tho Phils-
delphia Times. Golfer hAd accompanied
Lewis and Clarke in their expedition to the
upper waters OF the Missouri, but, forming
a partnership with q man named Potts, the
two obtained permission from Lewis to
stop for the purpose of trapping and hunt
Ing. Lewis at the sams time recommended
them to exercise the greatest Prudence and
cunning In regard to Indians, whom he
had learned to his cost to be a. trsaoherous
and a. savage ~ pnnthsrs. The plan pur-
sued by the partners was to sst their traps
late In the evening, visit them at early
dawn and. after removing them and the
game, lie hidden al day. This course sue
cssded %splsndidly for some tins and tho
men grew Z little careless in removing all
trace Of their presence. One morning,
while rowing up the river in their canoe,
they heard = heavy tramplinR a. Of many
feet. Golfer declared 1t to be the Indians,
and vas for abandoning the canoe and tax
ing to the woods, but Potts, who was the
older man, laughed at him and pronounced
the feet those of buffaloss.
The question was o o settled by them
sending themselvss ty a few strokes Of the
oars right into the midst of several hun
seeing in q moment that escape was impos-
sibls. obsyed them whom they called to him
to come ashore and rowsd close to the
AA~Ir III A-1 Data un - a Sv1ck aknnrSN r.
up when an Indian snatohsd Potts rife.
Golfer, a powerful man, wrosted the
weapon away from the savage at once and
returned ii to Potts. who seemed to lose
himself completely. He threw himself
back into the canoe and pushed it out into
them from their position by strategy, called
to him to come back, but the panic stricken
man kept out in tho current and presently
cried 10 Golfer: "Oh! / am ~woundsdv'
Golfer turned just in time to see the Indian
who had shot Potts lowering his bow from
his aim, and while he looked he saw the
Indian crop lead and heard the rerort of
Potts rifle. A second after Potts ~lifeleEs
body fell back in tho canoe, pierced by a
hundred arrows.
Golfer wal now in for il. The Indians
stripped him Of his clothes and held a con-
sultation rs to what was to be done with
him. Golfer. who knew their language
slightly, gathe rsd that some OF his aniabie
captors proposed to whip him to death,
some to akin him alive, while Others wanted
to burn him at the stake, but the chief, a
burly old chap, with some originality de-
oided the question by declaring that it he
was not too swift q runne that he should
have a chance for his life. II he got way
he might. but If he was recaptured they
would burn him alive.
The chief approached the prisoner an
asked if hs was a good runner. Golfer re-
s,lyn1 kknt Re . a unrv MN nun UhiJn ~
reality he knew himself to be one Of the
swiftest foot racers on the border. His an
swer was hailed with delight by the Indians.
who were promising themselves great diver
sion with the white man. Tit 600 Indians
were stationed at one point, and Golfer
given a start of 200 wards that the sport
might not be too quickly ended. With a
whoop from the Indians the race began.
Like an arrow from the bow the prisoner
shot forward. and the duped Blackfeet saw
that it would put them to all they NEW to
overtRks their human prey, or even to APP
proaoh him near enough to shoot him. They
had ono great advantage over the white
man. however, and they counted largely on
this to give them the victory. Thcir feet
were protected by noccasins. while those of
the trapper were naked and exposed to the
sandburs and cactl, with which the plain
was Tricky set. These pierced Golfers feet
terribly, but he could not pause for such
trifles. He had run three of the six miles
that lay between him and the son
Fork of the Missouri, for which he had
made before no dared to look back. When
he did he saw that he had, with one excep-
ton, left all his pursuers far behind.
One warrior alone still held out, and with
his spear held aloft came on with the speed
Of a greyhound. He was within 100 yards
of the white man when Golfer, resolved to
save himself if it lay in human power, put
forth a tremendous effort and tore on with
all his speed. The blood burst from his
nose n q slight hemorrhage also filled his
mouth, but he pushed on, frantic at the
idea of being retaksn after his "superhuman
efforts. He had nearly reached the liver
when he looked back and saw that his pur-
suer was not thirty feet behind him. and was
just in the not of hurting his spear. With
incredible CELEBRITY he whirlod about, and,
before the savage could check his rapid
course, ran right into the Indians arms.
Colter's unexpected action and his bloody
appearance so startled the Blackfoot that
he stumbled, and the lance thrown ten feet
stuck in the ground md broke off. While
the redskin tried to recover his equilibrium
Golfer picked up the piece of spear that re-
tanned the head and drove it th' ough the
body of the Indian, pinning him to the
ground . dead man. But fearing that the
rest OF Inc band would presently appear,
tho trapper stopped only long enough to
Gecure the dead mans weapons and then
ran on, reaching the river moro dead than
alive.
After a rest Of q mint ute or two he
plunged into the stream and swan a short
distance to a drift OF trash and limbs OF
trees aud brush. The drift had lodged
agRinst the shore of a small sand bank and
Golfer dived beneath it. coming up with his
head among the thickest-lsaved branches.
In n few minutes the Indians reached the
dead body Of tho warrior, whom Golfer now
knew to have been n chief by the wailinR of
ina hand nVQr hlu OnrvSA Nhnr thta ~
preston of grief wal over, Golfer heat d the
wells for vengeance, M knowing that if
captured that a death by the most horrible
torture awaited him, resolved to drown
himself rather than fall into their hands.
They ran to the banks Of the stream, and
suspeoting his hiding place. swan out to it,
and twenty timer tho trapper sank beneath
the drift BY RraspinR = sunksn tree that
was imbsdded in the sand. But though
the Blaokfeet spent over an hour searching
for him and pokinR the drift with their
spears, they finally concluded that he had
gone further down the river. and departed
to beat the banks. Heard by tho wratchsd
trappsr they spent nearly the whole day
aAu.nksns e.. h,-c h-A -- -