The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-05

this portion Of Texas The Cona,cho.
nave been called the Ishmaelites of tbs
west, their hand being against every mar
and every mans hand againstt them Tbo
queen had formerly acquired almost as
ihuch influence over the Indians as sbe
had over the whites, and in nerio5s 20
open Indian hostility this influence stood
her IN good stead. The Indians seemeJ
TO consider that her Indian blood
made her one of themselves ana
so allowed her to pass bacl,v,ar5
and forward to and from their carnps nm
molested. Though a Cherokee. She had
soon acquired the language of the Co
manches. For a long time her influence
was successful IN protecting the settlers
around the Peak from any disturbance
out on one occasion it failed. All the
men for forty miles had gone some dis
lance below to Clear Creek canon to
ward which locality it had been reported
that large band of hostiles were adj
Vanclng. While the country was thus
unprotected, 14-year-old boy came DASH
ing up on his pony and called to the
queen that band of about twenty Co.
mancheS were coming as fast as thew
could travel. He begged her to 90 meet
them and pacify them.
No" she answered sadly: cts no use
this time. Their blood's up because our
mSu nave gone 10 Clear creek and thew
won't be pacitied. You ride like the
wind and get all the women and children
hid in the creek bank. I'll hold the In
dams long enough for that
Even as she was speaking the Indians
came in sight over a rise in the prairie
They would willingly have passed her by
without moleStation, but she was deter
mined they should not. Taking deliber-
ate aim at long range she fired and one
Indian tumbled from his horse. Then She
sprang upon the topmost stone of the
Peak and, standing at full hight, sent
out ringing yell and derisively waved
her gun. The boy waited to see no more.
but keeping the wooded base of the Peak
between himself and his pursuers, he
dashed off, as he had been told.
ELEVEN REDSKINS LAID Low.
No one will eyer know the details of
what happened after this. There was a
natural barricade of stones on top of the
Peak, and, keeping behind it, she had the
advantage over her foes in the open
prairie. The Indians seem finally to have
taken positions inside the timber around
the Peak, and then gradually to have
drawn their lines nearer to the summit,
Doubtless they were unable to tell
whether it was defended by one person
alone or by more. Doubtless, when they
had drawn nearer and were preparing to
LlsihC blG 1ttSu ldIdl IuSil, SIlG UEODDeu lGc
rifle and used her heavy six-shooter with
deadly effect. Certain it is that she was
game to the last. Finally the last cruel
rush was made, and the brave teacher
queen had given her life for those of her
subjects.
All this took time and time was valu-
able just then. There were not more
than three or four families then living with
in several miles of the Peak, and the bow
messenger had ample time to notify them
and get them hidden in the timbered
bank of the creek. 1t must have been
after nightfall when the summit of the
peak was finally stormed, and
about 10 o'clock force of men
came galloping in from Clear
Creek, having heard of the threat
ened attack. The Indians still remaining
left under the cover of night. Next
morning The settlers visited the Peak
There, behind a big bowlder, on
the very summit, they found
Ellen Quinn, the prairie queen,
stiff and cold in death. Her body had
been pierced by half dozen bullets and
her scalp had been taken. Rife and six
shooter were both missing. Around the
barricade, down in the timber at its base,
and out in the open prairie. they counted
the bodies of eleven Comanches. That
told the story
No death in the whole of this part of
Texas could have moved the people as did
hers. She could have escaped by merely
doing nothing but she deliberately chose
to die that the lives of some fifteen or
twenty defenseless women and children
might be saved. 1t was decided to bury
her and raise monument to her on the
Peaks mound, on which she labored in
the school room and on which she died.
Everyone for miles around attended the
funeral There was no minister to preach,
but it was solemn affair notwithstand-
ing. The body was buried on the very
summit and above it the men piled up q
vast heap of rough stones. These maybe
seen there to-day.
A new set of people have filled up the
surrounding country. About all they
know about the matter is that these
stones mark the grave of an Indian named
Queen, who was killed on the summit and
after whom the Peak was named.