The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-09-21
THE SCOUTS STORY.

:. Hdu Deeu scouting IfOm L Ort BaS
h com, on the Canadian river, and carry
y ing dispatches between that point AM
: ! Fort Stanton, Oh the Rio PecOs. for 81,
I. months, before the Comanche5 called
the turn on me. 1t is agreed that al
T Apache Is devil incarnate, but in tn,
:. old days there wasn't much choice be
. tween the tribes. All We're blood
thirsty and relentless, and it matterec
little into whose hands a prisoue1
might fall. Every torture which In
genulty could suggest was certain tc
be applied, and no ransom, however
great. could effect the release of pris
oner. 1t was while engaged in such
an effort that my first capture came
about.
A party of citizens from Santa Fe
had come out to Fort Bascom for a
hunt along the Canadian river to the
east. They were all we'll known men.
and were fitted out in the finest style,
having the best of firearms, and being
accompanied by four hunters and
guides Of long experience. The In
dlans We're bitterly hostile at this time.
and although seen near the fort, they
were ever on the watch for any one
leaving its shelter This party nun
bered twenty, all told, and was strong
enough to go anywhere, providing it
was well handled. 1t left the
post one Sunday morning and was
! gone three weeksand, up to two days
before reaching the post, all went we'll
Then DR.. Albert5on of Albuquerque
tarrled behind one morning as the
party broke camp, and three Conan
ches dashed IN on their ponies and
cut him off. They mounted him on
his own horse and had start of half
a mile before the mishap was discover
ed. and, althoug pursuit was made, it
was useless. The doctor was a man
of prominence, holding some position
under the government, and having
many friends, and the party no sooner
reached the post than 1t was determin-
ed to make every effort to secure his
release. 1t was idle to think of send
ing out an armed force, and it was
finally decided that [ should go out
as an emissary to treat for his ransom.
1t was agreed thst | could promise
tL1c IlltlIdllS cS t7It.OUU III CdSD.
for his release, and all were hopeful
that this large sum would induce the
redskins to give him up [ had been |
told time and again that the Conan
ches had never been known to give
up prisoner, and L wis therefore in |
a state of doubt as [ rode away on my
errand. | had got to put myself in
their hands IN order to negotiate, and |
if they refused to give up the doctor
it was probable they would hang on
to me.
rode away to the east, knowing
that the prisoner had been conveyed |
to some camp in the Wichita range. |
| left the post in the morning and |
rode hard all day without sighting an
Indian. At dark [ went into camp |
and had no alarm during the night |
and at sunrise was again holding for |
the mountains. At about IL o'clock |
while riding over broken ground. [ |
caught sight of an Indian taking COW
er, and hating my horse | made the
peace signs with my blanket Ten
minutes later | was surrounded by a
dozen warriors, who were evidently
astonished at my foolhardiness. [
could speak their lingo fairly well,
and | told them what had come for,
and asked to be taken to the nearest
village. This request was sulkily
complied with, and at the end Of two
hours [ found myself in the village of
Red Moon, chief of all the Comanches.
The village was scattered along the
river for mile or more, and numbered
at least thousand souls. My advent
was hailed with whoops and yelis and
other tokens of satisfaction, and even
when it was known that | had volun
tarlly come into camp on an errand of
mercy 1t was hard to restrain some of
the young bucks from doing me injury
| was taken directly to Red Moons
tent, and my reception there was any
thing but cordial. He was anything
but noble in speech and look He
was dirty, unkempt, and out of sorts,
and | had no sooner set eyes on him
than [ knew my mission would be a
failure
why does the dog Of white man
come to my camp?" was his salutation.
-Four days ago some OF your war
rior5 captured white hunter suns
journey to the west" | replied
They did, and to morrow he shall
die"
Il have come from his friends to
buy his liberty. They Will give Red
Moon more silver than he ever had be
FORE
"Ispit upon the white mans money!
he retorted. The white man has
killed my young men, built his forts
on my land, and would drive Us away
if he We're strong enough. [ would
not take food from his hand if [ was
starving"
| named the price which we would
pay for the doctor. and tried to make
HIM understand how many guns and
blankets and other things the amount |
would purchase, but he grew more ex
cited, and finally shouted:
Does the white man regard the
Comanches as squaws that their heads |
can be turned by soft talk? Only the
Dog Indian begs for mercy from foe
or takes presents from an enemy. |
Were you to offer all you had / would !
not give hlm up. He shall die. / |
have said itr'
Finding him so obstinate and deter
mined, mentioned that / had come
alone and placed myself in his power,
trusting to his honor to be permitted
to return in safety
Did l ask you to Gomez" he thun-
dered. Are you not here to insult
me? You shall see the other prisoner
die, and then you shall suffer the same
fate"
began to protest but was hurried
away to lodge, disarmed, searched,
and very roughly treated. Before
being left alone my hands and feet
We're ued, and the buck who did this
gave me a good -day in the shane of