Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-22
A RACE FOR LIFE.

Among the many thrilling adventures
of the early Rocky mountain traders
there is more more interesting than that
of Golfers race for life with over 900
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 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
little careless in removing all trace of
their presence. One morning while
rowing up the river in their canoe they
heard heavy tra1npling 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 moment that es-
cape was impossible, obeyed them when
they called him to come ashore and
r0wed 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,
] am woundedw 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
rifle.
! A second after Potts lifeless body fell
back in the canoe, pierced by hundred
arrows. Golfer was now in for it. The
Indians stripped him of his clothes and
held a 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, burly old chap,
with some originality decided the ques-
ton by declaring that if he was not too
swift a runner that he should have
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 a 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 900 Indians were sta
toned at one point and Golfer given
start of 200 hundred yards, that the
sport might not be too quickly ended.
With 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. or even to approach him near
enough to shoot him. They had one
great advantage over the white man,
however, and they counted largely on
this to give them the victory. Their
feet were protected by moccasins, while
those of the trapper were naked and ex-
posed to the sandburs and cacti, with
which the plain was thickly set. These
pierced Golfers feet terribly, but he
could not pause for such trifes. He had
run three of the six miles that lay be-
tween him and the Jefferson fork of the
Missouri, for which he had made before
he dared to look back. When he did he
saw that he had, with one exception,
left all his pursuers far behind. One
warrior alone still held out, and with
his spear held aloft came on with the
speed of greyhound.
He was within hundred 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 and a slight hemorrhage
also filled his mouth, but he pushed on,
frantic at the idea of being retaken after
his superhuman efforts. He had nearly
reached the river when he looked back
once more, and to his dismay he saw
that his pursuer was not thirty feet be-
hind him and was just in the act of
hurting his spear. With incredible &C.
lerity he whirled about, and before the
savage could check his rapid course ran
right into the Indians arms.
Golfers unexpected action and his
bloody appearance so startled the Black
foot that he stumbled, and the lance,
thrown ten feet, stuck in the ground
and broke off. While the redskin tried
to recover his equilibrium, Golfer picked
mp the piece of spear that retained the
head and drove it through the body of
the Indian, pinning him to the ground a
dead man. But fearing that the rest of
sfha hand wOuld nresentlv amman tho