The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-05-14
A RACE FOR LIFE.

Among the many thrilling adventures
Of the early Rocky mountain traders
there is none more interesting than that
of Golfers race for life with over 600
armed and bloodthirsty Blackfeet In
dians, one of the most cruel of the west
ern tribes. Golfer had accompanied
Lewis and Clark in their expedition to
the upper waters of the Missouri but
forming a partnership with man named
Potts the two obtained permission from
Lewis to stop for the purpose of trapping
and hunting. Lewis at the same time
recommended them to exercise the
greatest prudence and cunning in regard
to the Indians, whom he had learned TO
his cost to be as treacherous and as saw
age as panthers,
The plan pursued by the partners was
to set their traps late in the evening,
visit them at early dawn and, after re-
moving them and the game, lie hidden
all day. This course succeeded splen-
didly for some time, and the men grew
a little careless in removing all trace of
their presence. One morning while
rowing up the river in their canoe they
heard a heavy trampling as of many
feet. Golfer declared it to be Indians.
and was for abandoning the canoe and
taking to the woods, but Potts, who
was the older man, laughed at him and
pronounced the feet those of buffaloes
The question was soon settled by them
sending themselves by few strokes of
the oars right into the midst of several
hundred Indians that lined the shore
Golfer, seeing in a moment that es-
cape was impossible, obeyed them when
they called him to come ashore and
rowed close to the bank. He and Potts
were just stepping up, when an Indian
snatched Potts rifle. Golfer, power
full man, wrested the weapon away from
the savage at once and returned it to
Potts, who seemed to lose himself COM
pletely He threw himself back into
the canoe and pushed it out into the
stream Golfer, who hoped to release
them from their position by strategy,
called to him to come back, but the
panic stricken man kept out in the cur
rent, and presently cried to Golfer, "Oh,
l am wounded!' Coiter turned just in
time to see the Indian that had shot
/ Potts lowering his bow from his aim,
and while he looked he saw the Indian
drop dead and heard the report of Potts
rife
A second after Potts lifeless body fell
back in the canoe, pierced by a hundred
arrows. Golfer was now in for it. The
Indians stripped him of his clothes and
held consultation as to what was to be
/ done with him. Golfer, who knew their
language slightly, gathered that some
/ of his amiable captors proposed to whip
him to death, some to skin him alive,
while others wanted to burn him at the
stake, but the chief, buTly old chap,
with some originality decided the ques-
ton by declaring that if he was not too
swift runner that he should have a
chance for his life. If he could get away
he might, but if he was recaptured they
would burn him alive.
The chief approached the prisoner and
asked if he was good runner, Golfer
replied that he was very poor one,
while in reality he knew himself to be
one of the swiftest foot racers on the
border. His answer was hailed with de-
light by the Indians, who were promis-
ing themselves great diversion with the
white man. The 600 Indians were sta
toned at one point and Golfer given a
start of 200 hundred yards, 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 pris.
oner shot forward, and the duped Black.
feet saw that it would put them to all
they knew to overtake their human
prey, OF even to approach him neal
enough to shoot him They had one
great advantage over the white man
however, and they counted largely OF
this to give them the victory. Theii
feet were protected by moccasins, while
those of the tTapper were naked and ex
posed to the sandburs and crcti, with
which the plain was thickly set. Thes'
pierced Golfers feet terribly, but HI
could not pause for such tlifies, He ha(
run three of the six miles that lay be
tween him and the jefferson fork of tn,
Missouri, for which he had made befor,
he dared to look back. When he did h,
saw that he had, with one exception
left all his puIsuers far behind. On,
warrior alone still held out, and will
his spear held aloft came on with tn
speed Of a greyhound
He was within hundred yards of tn
a white man when Golfer, resolved to saw
$ himself if it lay in human power, pu
!, forth u tremendous effort and tore ol
+ with all his speed. The blood burs
2 from his nose and a slight hemorrhag
also filled his mouth, but he pushed on
frantic at the idea of being retaken afte
his superhuman efforts He had nearl
. reached the river when he looked bac
once more. and to his dismay he say
that his pursuer was not thirty feet be
hind him and was just in the act O
hurling his spear. With incredible ce
lerity he whirled about, and before tn
savage could check his rapid course ra
right into the Indians arms.
Golfers unexpected action and hi
bloody appearance so startled the Blacl
foot that he stumbled, and the lanc'
thrown ten feet, stuck in the groun
and broke off. While the redskin trie
5. to recover his equilibrium, Golfer pickle
up the piece Of spear that retained tn
= head and drove it through the body {
1; the Indian, pinning him to the ground
/. dead man. But fearing that the rest {
IL the band would presently appear, th
Z. trapper stopped only long enough to s.
cure the dead mans weapons and the
= ran on, reaching the river more dea
h himself than alive.
On After rest of a minute or two
r plunged into the stream and swan
short distance TO drift Of trash an
limbs Of trees and brush. This drift ha
4 lodged against the shore of a small sar
bank and Golfer diYed beneath it, COZ
ing up with his head among the thicke
leaved branches In few minutes Il
Indians reached the dead body of q
warrior. whom Golfer now knew
have been % chief by the wailing of Il
band over his corpse. When this c
preston of grief was over, Golfer hea
their yells for vengeance, and, known
that if captured that death by t
most horrible torture awaited him,
solved TO drown himself rather than Fl
into their hands. They ran to the ban
of the stream and, suspecting his hidi
place, swan out TO ii, and twenty tim
the truppeI sank beneath the drift
graspng % suuken tree that was j
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