The Lamar register., 1893-06-03
THE COWBOYS TERROR.
A NIGHT ON THE PLAiNS 5 WAIT
ING FOR INDIANS.
Alone In cnmp-The Note of Alarm
Armed to the Teeth. the Cowboy
Facc. the Foe--A Herd u
Cattle and Bell


Blood and thunder novels, the con-
tents OF which are absorbed together
with the less thrilling but more
truthful incidents recounted in vari-
Gus Western histories. were the
rather unsatisfactory preparatory
schooling had taken before enter
ing into the reality of Western life.
When left Chicago for q Montana
ranch speculated wildly with the
youthful Imagination or the possible
repetition OF the deeds OF daring and
blood-curdling incidents OF which !
had read and fondly pictured myself
rs the hero OF each event
| was soon initiated into ranch life,
and oyorcame my disappointment az
finding that the cowboys did not
wear their wild dress for effect. but
that the big hats and leather
breeches were for protection against
sun and rain. and the weapons for
service against animals rather than
each other.
took to riding like an old-timer
and before year had passed | was
considered as good hand among
an Inter Ocean writer.
The spring following my arrival
about 5000 head OF cattle were moved
TO another section for better 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 l
was delighted. The drive was made
and to better guard against the re-
turn OF any of the cattle 20 the old
range VIC made two camps. one at the
mouth of the Battle crook and an
other on the main road about mile
farther up the stream We were
about twenty-six miles from the near
est town
Two months passed without incl
dent. hut one day band OF renegade
Flsthead Indians. evidently on q
hunting expedition. pitched their
tents near our lower crnp- was
curious to SEQ the red men, so we
rode down and had a talk with them
One Of the bucks was in bad hunor.
having been imprisoned for trapping
beaver. He vowed vengeance. and
said no white mau could keep him
from trapping. and. by way OF argu-
mant, held up some roceatly taken
skins. l did not like the Idea OF
their being 60 close TO our camp.
but the boys laughed at ne / no
ticed there was about u dozen, OF
them and they had about sixty
horses. Another thing that struck
me was that the dissatisfied buck
rode horse tha; had COW bell
around its neck. An old man named
Morgan had ranch near our upper
camp and By nc; very singular co,
incidence had milch 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 or
two raids He mentioned one oc-
casion which resulted in the death OF
fourteen Indians aad the battle oc-
CURED on the spot whore wa we're
camped. They were FIatheads. too
The conversati n tha: night was full
OF Indian experiences.
The next day. as luck would have
Il. was election day. The boys all
wanted to vote and had 70 90 70 town
TO do t. was not OF age and my
heart sGzl when they told me they
would be gone Uycr night and had de.
cided to leave nc in charge OF the
camp. had my fears but my spirits
were not raised when the boys ad-
Inonished me on leaving Ito look ont
for Indians"
It was noarly midnight before
could muster up courage enough to
go to bed and abandon mysei. 10 the
mercies OF thoso Indians. Every
thing l had ever read Or heard Of
their crimes came 70 my mind and
Morgan's realistic descriptions were
worst OF all. What II the memory
OF their fourteen dead brothers
should incite them to veageance?n
wondered Before rolling myself in
my blankets loaded the magazines
of three rifles. cooked them all and
laid them In easy reach My fear
was beginning 20 abate when caught
sound OF faint tinkling OF bell
down the creek My blood froze
within ne and cold chills ran up my
back | Lag still and listened. The
sound grew nea-cr and ! soon recog-
nizcd tho trample OF many
hoofs. I sat up and grasped
one rife ana laid another
across nv knee. / resolved to sell
my life dearly. Closer and closer
and closer came the Indians. They
could not be more than thirty yards