Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-07-30
DICK, THE COMPANY DOG.
STORY OF HIS RUN ACROSS
THE PRAIRIE AT NIGHT.
1t Was Not stealing because the whole
Company Took Him The Little
Dog Who brought Help TO
the Perishing Men.

Yes Dick was a favorite Dick
always counted one in the company;
every man claimed Dick as a COM
rade, Surprisingly young looking
with his dark eyes honest face alert
movements. and ringing bark
This story was being told OF Dick
j the company dog. in the summer OF
80 out In the Indian Territory
He came from the East with us
! joining us in Jersey City. How did
he come to joina Well to DO honest
we were waiting on the platform for
the train to back in, and when the
handsome dog came up and made
friends, soldier-like we smuggled him
on board. Yes. he was somebody 8
pet No II wasn't right to take him
But you see. the whole company took
him. not any one man-that would
have been stealing No. sir he
hadn't collar.
There wasn't anything special for
long while, Dick was friends with
everybody Even when some Of tho
men got little OFF Dick never got a
blow
why did say there never was a
! dog that had 50 much sense? just
this; Our post was down near the
| Wishita and the Indians had been
quiet for couple OF weeks; just timo
enough for the cavalry to get shol
and rested and fixed up 10 go out and
chase EN- some more when they got
ready to be chased
Our company was ordered to march
to the next fort and bring down
supply train. Steam? Not much
Slx-mule wagons. So ono morning
I oil we started. Dick with Us as usual
TO make a long story short the next
afternoon found Us surrounded BY four
/ or five hundred Indians. our wagon
animals killed and we unable 70 move
intrenchcd as best we nigh. with our
wounded as comfortable as we could
make them in the centre OF our circle
Safea OF course We were; thaE "a
some ,oi US got hurt OF course bat
| they couldn't break our circle And
no moro could We move. There We
! were out on wide prairie only a few
| drops OF water Ia our canteens and
| cut of from any way Of getting more
That made It question OF moving
and getting killed. staying stlll aud
| dying Of thirst or getting aid from
the fort. Night came and volunteers
for water tried to steal through tho
I Indian lines. Got through No. sir.
| Those plains Indians knew Just the
kind OF box they had Us In, and no
man. white or red could have got
past them. Every man that made
the trial came runningback for his life.
Next day Il was worse. hotter
than ever. and what water there was
was kept for tho wounded And tho
meanest part OF 1t was 70 look at tho
reds some on horseback. some on the
I ground stretched out enjoying them.
selves out OF range and all OF them
free to ride o er to the stream whose
| cottonwood covered banks were in
| plain sight few miles or
~ ght came again. and again some
volunteers tried 20 slip through Bur
1t was no use. Things looked protty
| rough, Only an occasional gronn
from the wounded broke the silence.
| Along about ~ o clock heard some.
body whistle; then 'Dick' was called
softly. After bit every man rot
orders not to let Dick come inside the
lines. A message to the fort for aid
had been rolled up In piece OF rub.
Der blanket and tied around his ncck.
Our only hope was that he would start
OF for the fort and carry 1t. and that
somess one would unite the roll and
read the message.
Every now and then Dick would
| try 10 come up TO where lGy IA tho
circle. but it was only to DO met " tn
| clods OF earth that drove him Oft 70
try to find some friend who would
welcome him as Of old. But every
mans hand was against Dick TINT
night. and after long time word was
| passed around that Dick was gone.
! NOBODY could SEQ him at all event4
But wo had TO wait for daylight, 10
make sure that the poor old boy WI.
| not lying down little way from us
waiting for the dawn and the recognf.
ton We had never failed In & wing him
] before
Daylight came at Inst Then
every eye was strained to lind Dick.
But ne was not there. And after the
ficld-glasscs had searched in vain for
him. there rose cheer on tho morn.
ing air that brought tho Indians "a
their feet anylously scanning tho
horizon all around for the cause.
Well. that little dog made his way
70 tho front over the dark prairies
and swimming the streams until. lust
after day break. about the time VIC
were cheering him back there in camp
he trotted up TO the stable guard M
one Of the cavalry coinpanys stables.
| tired out.
Well. it wasn't long after that
that We saw our relief comiog. And
they brought Dick with them. How
! we did pct himi But / often wonder.
ed what the little fellow thought that
night after We had driven him OF as
he trotted through the dark to the
tort. For Of course he don't know
that he saved our lives.
|