The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-20
In Carriers Pass.


A corporal and two mon. Just three OF US
and we left Camp Sheridan. at the headwatsrs
| Of White River. Nebraska. to open commanded
ton with the command which was expected to
| be encamped on the .Loup fork OF the Platte.
seventy-fve miles to the southeast
The red man was making his last heree fight.
| and the agencies had been deserted by every
buck who was classed as warrior. Seventy
Ave miles to the southeast meant at least
seventy miles through o country where In.
dinns were likely to be met with at any mo-
ment. The chance OF getting safely through
was figured as one in fifty. That was terrible
odds. you'n agree. but when an officer COM
mands private must obey. Little difference
1t would make to the general campaign
whether our scalps were present and ac-
counted for" when winter came. or whether
they had been hoored and dried and were
hanging at the belts OF warriors
Outinto the darkness Of a summers night
rides the corporal. aud we ride after. The
heavens arc overcast and we are scarcely
clear OF the camp before 1t begins to rain. 1t
is we'll A rainstorm will drive an Indian to
shelter quicker than bullets. The softened
earth would leave palmer trail. but that did
not count. It is only the flight OF bird which
the Indian cannot follow as unerringly rs
q bloodhound. Straight on into the night.
with steady lope which nothing breaks. and
We are twenty miles from camp before We pull
UP for ten minutes rest. Then on again-an-
other brot rost-and when daylight comes we
have covered over half the distance and our
horses are still strong and fresh.
The east reddens: shadowy spectres race
across the plains: We can see the rocks and
bushes to the right and left OF US. and day
gradually dawns. Tho upper rim OF the blood
red sun is Just showing above tho ridges far
Izzt
our trail.
Indlansl Like tigers they have kept the
trail through storm and darkness. and are
only three miles behind. They are punched
and We cannot count them. but there must
be full dozen. We can hear faint shout
ps sy sfe Sy thu shout no s mr.
We now move on three. abreast. The horses
Gpli them down and sneak soothing words
phs gait Il j1ssn hit faster than during the
mile Or aa4s on tsa Thea
will come the test. Scarcely more than a mile
a@ a9T W
Mics ahead Is Caters pass Ssyond that the
us;-dismo cunt and stand the red men Oh Until
would b wsstsd "" The 'e looEs back
gauge the distance. and as he Increases or
6l0cRen6 the pace We follow cult.
nss y. SSs St
aip sss two two. long and eafTsn h ys
been, cut bv storms until they are bluffs. up
which only an active man can Chamber. Here
here and there tons Of earth have fallen and
raised the natural bed foot or more; Beyond
hs HaSs viii s the
hour more will settle the matter.
I'll, There has been no shouting for the last
nsss
even gained little. As We enter the. pass YOU
tshs figure 1T chance II SIXTY Hall
arate S Nd. s :r eS sst we're e s
enough that they are gaining, Every buck
ut htters yell -: md the IMPULSE s
check this. and after a minute tho heart beats
Nhst.s tint We are within hal,a mile etthe
a9ppesrs ahead More IN Indlans3 Caught IN
tail up PUSHES past us on tho loft hand, and he
is followed by another md another Without
gerai single flc. and DO Increases the pace.
TO ~ s taS St JpSs
with aflrichted animals. But for the great
rocks a. few yards to tho right We
should have beon picked up In that
rush: A halt Of thirty seconds would have been
our doom: From rig ht to loit--from the pnss
q far to tho east and south as the eye could
i sccrn-was u solid mass Of stampeding buf- |
ialoes: The clattcr Of their horns was deafen- |
ir% the tramp of the thousands OF hooss
mad" the earth tremblo. As the rush con-
trartcd At the nl5s hundreds OF animals went
down To be- literally trodden into tho earth. |
while scores Of others were lifted up by tho |
squeeze until they were carried along as chips !
on tho surface of u rushing river.
ny and by there WAS q rampant OF deal and |
dying so high that II could not be jumped over
or broken through. and the stampede bore or |
to the right. At tho end Of two hours the last |
ani NAL able to move had passed out OF sight, |
and We drove ahead for the camp on the L0lp. |
Next day we rode through the pass, again. this |
savage old bulls with broken logs. patches Of |
Of horns knocked Off and flung into Tao banks |
ike ED many spears.
~ Had tho Indians escnpsd Never a one!
They hhd not caught the alarm ~ soon as ws
had. and seconds We're minutes there. To go
back wls tho only choice left them. but that |
meant a. ride of four miles and half before n
stampede. Every PONY hal gone down: every
rider had been tossed and tramped and flung
about until yOn could hardly believe that those
objects had once been human beings.
A Hotel In the Desert.
IL is said that 5000 foreigners In quest OF