The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-03-23
MADE A TARGET OF.

Predssament of Man Who Was Obliged
to stand Helpless and BE shot At.
In descending the steep trail some OF
the camp equipage packed on the mule
had worked loose and fallen off, and
started out about sunrise next morning
to recover it. / had assembled the trail
| for about a mile and had reached a
point where it was entirely clear OF
shelter when something passed my face
so close and had such Kissing sound
that thought of snakes and stopped
dead still. 1t was half minute before
the mystery was solved. On the east
side of the canyon, which had a width
of about two hundred feet, were two
Sioux Indians They were standing on
a level spot and one had rifle and the
other bow. The one with the rife
was middle-aged warrior-the other a
boy, perhaps Is years old. No doubt
they were father and son. The boy
had fired an arrow at me and missed.
The other could have had sure shot,
but he stood leaning on his rifle while
the boy fitted another arrow to his
bow.
Ny first idea was to take to fight,
but that was almost instantly aban-
doned 1t was at least one hundred
feet either way to shelter and any
such move on my part would be checked
by bullet. Without knowing just
what to do did what was probably
for the best-that is, l stood still and
faced the pair. The boy had a fair
mark. He brought the arrow to his
eye, held it the for five seconds, and
it had passed me before | heard the
twang of the bow string. 1t missed my
left shoulder by some in ches The
father uttered grunt of disgust and
added word or two. The boy now Sc
lected an arrow out of five or six,
sighted along its length to see if it was
perfect and was more deliberate in dis
charging it. Did l prep are to dodge?
No! One might as we'll think of dodg-
ing bullet. 1t seemed to me that the
arrow passed within an inc h of my
right cheek. thought felt the touch
of the feathers as it flew. The father
now spoke in n scolding Tone and the
boy seemed to be much put out by his
failures A Sioux boy ten years old
who cannot put an arrow into an
orange at two hundred feet would be
hooted at
There was just as much deliberation
over the fourth arrow. The polished
steel head, sharp as u razor, glittered
like silver in the sun as it was held on
a line with my breast | wanted to
shut my eyes, but they refused to close.
/ saw the arrow pulled back, and
caught the flash of it as it was dis
charged. 1t passe my left shoulder.
The father turned on the boy and used
very harsh language and ended up by
snatching the bow and an arrow from
his hands. Had l been familiar with
the dialect should have heard some
thing like this:
whats the matter with you this
morning? You have had four fair shots
at the white man and missed him every
time Does the sight of an unarmed
enemy affect you in that way? Give
me that bow and I'll show you how to
roll him over. FL send this arrow right
through him. Watch me now Does
the bow shake? DO you detect any
trembling?"
This time did close my eyes, and
hadn't the faintest no pc of escape. AS
the arrow swished by opened my eyes
to see the pal + looking at me in conster-
nation The father had missed as we'll
as the boy. They stood staring at me
for thirty seconds and then turned to
the right and walked away, and were
finally hidden from sight by some huge
powders The boy glanced back over
his shoulder several tim es, and just be-
fore they disappeared / thought the
father quickened his pace as If apprc-
hensivc of danger. Ibid not run away.
AS a matter of fact, | was in such
dazed and weak condition that | stag
gered as walked and when shelter
was finally reached my knees did not
get over shaking for a full hour. Why
didn't the Indian try shot with his
rife? 1t is just possible that it was not
loaded. He may have feared to disturb
the camp by the report He may have
looked upon me as hoodoo and become
panic-stricken. | gathered up the five
arrows and found every one of them as
perfect as arrows could be made. A
few days later, with u bow not half as
long or stiff, one of the men sent an
arrow through the head of coyote and
far beyond Times.