The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1893-09-07
TURNED ASIDE.
Fleeing Foxes. Rabbits. and Deer Give
Notice of an Ambush.

Fleeing Foxes. Rabbits. and Deer Give
Notice OF an Ambush.
We were going down the rin>ula
formed by the Junction OF the Vel
lowstonc and Little Missouri rivers.
hoping to intercept the Indians and
turn them back. 1t had been a hard.
swift march, Il ride of over 400 miles,
with no halt above four hours. and at
10 o'clock in the forenoon half the
troops We're sleeping in their saddles.
rs their lean and lame horses picked
their way over the rough ground.
We had planned TO reach the spot
where the fleeing Indians would cross
ahead Of ,hcn. We believed We had
ccompliShcd it. At 10 o'clock We
were within two mics OF the spot.
Then the head Oi he column ii. tie |
Tor tn men To close up Oar l:nH
had >trung Olt tor Il mile or more.
i;et"ecn Us and the crossing. Is the
nat WIS made, nature had made !;
highway. II was 4 grassy road. about
twenty feet wide, twi>;ln. and turn
ing ike i creek. Either side W :
lined " til dense thlckctS Halt Il
mile down the highway i! WAS crossed
hN L creek with steep banks. Half a
mile farther on wa ii second creek.
Il wis hardly more than Il +! ,.ict a:
This season, but the width from banN
10 bank was forty feet AID the hank>
We're tea feet hirh. Our guide had
,.f ~ ,n a.
No man IN Tie column ii 200 m"n
knew what lay tcrUnd the first turn.
The halt to close up was Il Irccau-
tiNlIary measure, but no one dreamed
OF danger. II the hostile IuGian>
had not turned ia * or ch:tugcl their
route they should Still! be forty or
nifty miles to The south The stray
uler> had come up, the sleepy troopers
bad hcactd up under the eyes of their
officers, and the hug!rr was about to
.ound the forward when the lalf-hrccl
guide and >''cMt held up his hand in
warning. \ dee; came running up
the grassy lane 1T full speed and WAS
within ten feet of tho ro!unc.'> horse
when it wheeled to the right and
vanished into the thlckct. Next
came fox. who ran under the feet
Of il dozen horses before he found
shelter Then q second dc"r-then
three or four rabbits.
''Wha, i it," :t~I>cd the Colonel Of
the guide.
"-:mhu>h.' WAS the brief reply.
''W he.e e."
The guide waved his hand TO >iI
Nifty that il WI, down the lane .o,ne-
where.
.'lIow do YOU know
''Scc that
A big gray wolf rounded the turn Il
hundred fee, away, coming 1T full
speed. The hair on his back stood
up. his tail almost dragged, and II
was easy to see that he had Eccn dis
turhcd and was put out abou. it.
''In un> down there" said the
.,uiue. 1--WE are too late They have
got here first and we are in am
hI>il"'
But what makes YOU think so:'
persisted the Colonel, who was i'm
patient to go ahead. ard yet too pr,l-
dent to nccdiessly expose his com
mand.
" Deer ioN-rahhit> a. wO!f.." re-
Piled the guide. ''All were fright
cncd. All running away from some
thing. lnjun> down there waiting
for lis. We go some other way"
We turned to the left and banked
the position. We hat! made Il dis
tan,c Of seven miles when Indians
were seen and >kirmi>hiug began. but
they >oon rctrcat"d ~uuthwarl>, and
is we followed them up they crossed
the Little NiS>OU.i. Ii was the
band We Ind hoped to intercept, hut
why did they turn back without Il
tight Everybody was asking the
question when Il few IL IL rode of to
inspect the iln',u>h, Toe death { ap
had been set fer us between the
creeks The lower end Of the avenue
had been blocked with fclled trees
and bushes. and trees partly cut down
would have hiotked the upper crd as
soon as the last hor>eman had passed
The road here narrowed to fifteen
feet. Wherever there was an opening
in the bushes which lined the sides
/. had been closed with thorn>
From sunrise that morning the IN.
dian> had been waiting for us Al
most two hundred warriors were in
hiding behind thc bushes rcady To
thrust out their rites and fire at the
signal. rorcncG ia thu trees along
the WY wee hal. i hundred DO, :
armed with BOWS and arrow Hid
den away under the banks Of the
creeks We're Ii hundred more >quaw>,
armed with hatchet>, knives. or
Clut> l. was not "a he Il battle, but
:. massacre No lne:ty was 10 he
~ilown-not a prisoner taken Scouts
had observe our approach AID re.
ported When the head Of our coi-
umn had fairly entered the lane the
eager >tliaw> and inpu!>ivc Toys
could hardly he controlled In THEN
moving about they frightened III
wild animals 0It % thejr retreats and