The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1892-10-28

not yet begun. there was price set upon
my head.
The first attempt was made about two
weeks after the fight ON q ridge. A
Sioux Indian. who claimed % have been
outlawed from his tribe b, use he fla
vored peace with the viii IS. came into
Fort Hays, ostensibly for protection.
He had no weapons, seemed to be honest
and raightforward, and all the men
had good word for him. On the thir(i
day he came to me and asked my as
slstance to recover his rifle, blanket, .
lot of powder and lead and various other
articles, which he said he had cached at
spot about twelve miles down the
Smoky Hill Fork in grove. When he
described the spot l remembered it
very well, and next morning, having
permission of the commandant, we set
out. was on horseback and the Indian
afoot. had my usual weapons, while
he had an army musket. He gave us
his name as Little Smoke, and was a
typical warrior in build and demeanor.
Before we left the fort an old hunter
called me aside and said:
"Do you believe thar is cache?"
"Why not?
"Bekase an Injun says thar is. Allus
take em contrary to what they say. Is
your scalp nailed on?"
"Do you mistrust the MANI"
"Never saw one yit that didn't. I'm
going to bet my rifle agin a key of pow
der that you don't come back"
AS soon as we were out of sight of the
fort | motioned for the Indian to take
the lead. He seemed to take it as a mat
ter of course, and he led off with a lope
and held it for six or seven miles with
out halt. had not only to keep an
eye ON him. but scan the country us
well. He appeared to be on the lookout,
as well he might be if his story was true,
and about IL o'clock we approached the
spot where he claimed to have hidden
his property. had kept him in the lead
all the time, and we had had more or
less shelter along the bank of the stream.
Half mile from the grove | drew rein
and said:
Il will wait here while by brother
goes forward after his property"
lis tine Swift Rider tired with his
ride!" he sarcastically answered.
zone must keep watch for danger
will do that, for you will be busy"
eff my white brother is afraid he need
not go.
eff my red brother has a cache in the
grove let him look for it. If not we
will return to the fort"
He hesitated moment, and then, sat
isfed that l was on my guard, he walked
away and soon disappeared in the grove.
l had every confidence that the trees
sheltered band of redskins, and it
| would not have surprised me in the least
to have seen body of them dash out.
| was therefore taken aback, at the end
of about a quarter of an hour, to see Little
Smoke reappear with backload of stuff
from his cache He came straight
toward me, but very slowly, and halted
every few yards to adjust his burden
was carefully watching him when my
horse shifted the air uneasily, and all at
once it came to me that | was being
stalked. left the shelter of the cot
tonwoods for the open ground, and as
l rode away two bullets tipped close to
my head, having been fired from the
opposite bank of the stream. At the
same moment Little Smoke dropped his
goods and fired on me with his musket.
While half dozen Indians in my rear
were yelling and shooting l rode down
to within 200 feet of the smooth tongued
traitor and dropped him dead in his
tracks. There were five Indians in the
ambuscade, and they mounted their
ponies and pursued me for three or four
miles, but got safely away.
The second attempt was made in De-
cember. A half breed Cheyenne-an
old man with very honest face-came
into the fort and reported that white
man, a trapper was in camp on the
river above us with broken leg, and he
had volunteered to come in and report
the case. The distance was not over five
miles, but the snow lay deep on the
ground and it was very sharp weather
The old man probably reasoned that
would be sent out to guide the relief
party. He was asked to do so, but re-
fused, even under promise of gallon OF
whisky. This refusal aroused my suspi-
cions, and instead of going out as a re-
lief corps a dozen men went armed tC
the teeth. The place designated was q
grove, and we approached it as near as
possible under cover and then made q
sudden dash. Eight mounted Indians
rushed out on the other side. There
were evidences that they had been there
in camp for two or three days.
In the spring, when war had been for,
mally declared, most of my work was
| IL