The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-03
Min :;sS11le
THE COWBOYS TERROR.
A Night on the Plains Waiting for In.
dlSns.


with the less thrilling but more truth
full incidents recounted in various
western histories, were the rather un-
satisfactory preparatory schooling
had taken before entering into the
reality of western life. When 1 left
Chicago for a Montana ranch / specu-
lated wildly with the usual youthful
imagination on the possible repetition
of the deeds of daring and blood
curdliDg incidents of which had read
and fondly pictured myself as the hero
Of each event.
MY dream was undisturbed until
zlighted at a small station in a Mon.
tana cattle-growing county. There
were n number of cowboys at the sta
ton, who appeared formidable enough
with their cartridge belts and revolvers
in addition 10 their picturesque cos
tunes. True, their appearance wasn't
quite up to my exaggerated idea, but it
was sufi Gent to win my youthful ad-
miration, mingled with species of awe.
81 was soon initiated into ranch life,
and overcame my disappointment at
finding that the cowboys did not wear
their wild dress for effect, but that the
big hats and leather breaches were for
protection against sun and rain and the
weapons for service against animals
rather than each other.
81 took to riding ike an old-timer,
and before a year had passed was con-
sidered as good hand among cattle as
any rider on the range.
Tho enr;p-r fo1lo,.;,,c
about three thousand head of cattle
were moved 20 another section for bet
ter feed. Five of US were detailed to
range herd them for the summer This
meant camping out and daily ride Of
from twenty TO thirty miles. I was de-
lighted. The drive was made, and to
better guard against the return Of any
of the cattle to the old range we made
two camps. one at the mouth OF Battle
creek and another on the main road
about a mile farther up the stream.
We were about twenty-six miles from
the nearest town.
wo months passed without incl
dent. but one day band of renegade
Flathead Indians. evidently on a hunt
ing expedition. pitched their tents near
our lower camp. / was curious to see
the red men, so we rode down and had
u talk with them. One of the bucks
was in bad humor, having been i'm
prisoned for trapping beaver He
vowed vengeance, and said no white
man could keep him from trapping,
and, by way of argument, held up some
recently taken skins. did not like
the idea of their being so close to our
camp, but the boys laughed a me. I
noticed there were about a dozen of
them and they had about sixty horses.
Another thing that struck me was that
the dissatisfied buck rode horse that
had 4 COW bell around its neck An |
old man named Morgan had ranch |
near our upper camp and by not very
singular coincidence had milk cow /
that wore a bell.
That night Morgan came over to |
the tent to discuss the arrival of the |
Indians. He did not like their pres |
ence, having been through one of two !
raids. He mentioned one occasion |
which ended IN the death of fourteen
Indians and the battle occurred on the
spot where he were camped They
were Flatheads. too The conversat ton
that night was full of Indian experi-
ences.
THE next dsv, as luck would have
1T, was election day. The boys all want
ed to vote and had to 40 to town to do
1T. ] was not of age and nv heart sunk
when they told me they would be gone
over night and had decided to leave me
IN charge of the camp. / hid my fears
out my spirits were not raised when the
boys admonished me "a leaving ito
look out for indians
ut was nearly midnight before 7
eosld muster up courage enough to go
TO nbed and abandon myself to the
mereies of those Indians. Everything
had ever read or heard of their crimes
came to my mind, and Morgan's real
istic descriptions were worst of all.
What If the memory of their fourteen
dead brothers should incite them to
vengeance? | wondered Before roll
ang myself IN my blankets | loaded the
magazines of three rifles. cooked them
all and laid them in easy reach. NV
fear was beginning to abate when |
caught the s3und of faint tinkling of
q bell down the creek. Ny blood froze
within me and cold chills tran I'D nv
back. lay still and listened.
The sound grew nearer and
soon recognized the trample
g many hoofs. | sat up and
one rifle and laid another
across my knee. | resolved to sell nv
life dearly. Closer and closer came the
Indians. They could not be more than
thirty yards off. Suddenly the bell
stopped thinking and the trampling of
noofs ceased. They were dismountino
and would soon be upon me- was in
An agony of terror impossible to de- .
scribe. There alone, at the mercy of a
dozen Indians. The moments that
passed seemed hours. Finally. in des- I
peratlon, l sprang up and ran to the
door OF the tent ] fired two shots in
the air, uttered yell, and Jumped out ,
Of the tent. The scene that met nv
eyes was the most blessed one | ever :
saw. 1t was n herd OF cattle led bv
Morgan's cow."-Chicago Inter-Ocean. !
Queen Natalie Of Servia and her
husband have AMIGA bly, settled their
differences and mutually retaIlen the
vows. The romantic version !
Of the story sets forth that the queen. l
1s one of her regular visits which the :
allow her 10 make to her
bon, met her husband through the in
Of the boy king, and directly
the allegiance of the deposed king for :
ais early love returned The beauty of :.
mis- charming romance is ratherdimmed
oy the rumo- that the RUSSIAN govern i.
neEt, desiring Queen Natalie's inHu- -