The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-03-12

fight, when ran over to the captain and
excitedly told him that unless something
was done Immediately, shooting would
begin without orders or concert of action.
He told me to tell our men to keep cool,
and wait until he began the fight or gave
orders to begin. Turning to the chief,
he told him In peremtory voice to order
his men to come out from among our
horses and tents and keep quiet. The
chief saw that both parties were in an at
titude of battle, with weapons drawn,
and signaled his men to drop their guns,
which they did. Our men cooled down
and began preparing FOX the night at
about S O'Clock, at which time the talk
broke up.
AS the chiefs kept close watch on our
captains movements Stuart thought best
not to give the men direct orders, but
quietly instructed me to tell them that at
daybreak we would saddle our rid
ing horses first and get them
ready. Then if the Indians at
tempted to take possession of our pack
or pack horses, we would turn loose, kill
as many Indians as we could and mount
our horses to strike into the mountains
Tor Fort Benton. We would thus be get
ting q good start of them before those
who escaped could get to their main camp
and arouse the reservation force there.
We had learned that the main camp was
across the river, only some twenty miles
away.
As we began to pack up in the morning,
they Immediately proceeded to forcIbly
trade horses, blankets, and other articles,
making the best of the bargain, and an
propriating everything they wanted.
Capt. Stuart saw that the time had
come to do or die, ana his imme-
date action was one of the most dar-
ing deeds ever performed by any man.
For cool self-possession and bravery, his
course has rarely, If ever, been equalled
and never surpassed. 1t fixed him for
ever in the hearts and admiration of his
little band, and to it, in my opinion,
those who emerged alive owed their lives.
From that hour. the very men who had
on the previous night complained of what
they believed was his timidity, looked
upon him as hero of undoubted courage
whose "nerve'' and policy could no
longer be questioned. When we quietly
began saddling our riding horses at a.
NJ, the indians forcibly prevented our
ing his plan thwarted, instantly formed
new one, without manifesting any sur
prise or in any way showing any evidence
of being Disconnected.
Passing close to me he saidin an under
tone: ''Tell the boys there's going to be
ouble-to be ready-keep as close watch
as l do, and for their lives not to fire
until my gun goes OFF, With this order
he went to work in the most unconcerned,
Indifferent way imaginable-lit his pipe,
moved about quietly, gave directions here
and there about packing, breakfast and
other things, interspersing the directions
with his dry and witty remarks, and do
ing nothing to excite even our suspicious
as to what he proposed to do. In the
meantime I had passed the word around,
and the Indians evidently concluded they
had things all their own way, were
changing their larietS from their horses
to ours, and quarreling with one another
about choice Of horses, blankets and
other articles. Fifteen minutes passed
by in this way, our men Initiating the
captain IS example as nearly as they could,
preparing breakfast, collecting blankets
and whatever else we could get our hands
on with show of general indif-
ference. At the same time, in pass
ing each other, some OF them would
ask the others: EtWhaJ does he mean?
Is he going to let them put US afoot here
and kill us by piecemeal?'' and, ttHoW
long is this thing going to last7'' The
mystery was finally solved. The oppor-
tunity came. The chief had been awak-
ened by the quarreling of his followers,
and came out in angry mood. Capt.
guard and catch him apart from his war
riors. Our first warning of it was by our
LEADER quick, sharp, startling, ringing
order, s'Look out!" At the same instant
he covered the principal chiefs heart
with his unerring Sharp's rifle, the muz-
zle of which was not more than two feet
from the old warriors breast.
Instantly we all followed suit by cover-
ing an Indian with a cooked rifle or re-
lx-o. ilvao Aoe hofV fell
their shoulders, disclosing their naked
ness and their short shotguns were leyeied
at US in return The suspense and anx-
iety was now intense, greater than any
thing we had yet encountered. While the
opposing forces glared at each other the
terror was fearful. 1t can only be realized
by men imagining one Of their number
surrounded by these savage fends, hun
dredS Of miles from any relief or rein
forcements. They were two to our one
and there were several hundred more
within few miles. They were equally
well armed with US, but not SO accurate
in craftsmanship by long odds. Fortu-
nately the Indians all looked at their
chief and saw that he was absolutely lost
if g gun was fired.
We looked to our captain with our
danger almost forgotten in admiration,
but none of our alertness lacking. The
captain In his entire features, face and
person, had changed; he seemed and was
taller; his usually calm face was all on
fire: his quiet, light blue eyes were now
flashing ike an eagles, and seemingly
looking directly through and piercing
the innermost vitals of the fierce and, for
time, undaunted savage that stood be-
fore him in all the splendor of perfected
native manhood and chieftainship. For
several seconds it was doubtful whether
the old warrior chief would cover before
his white foe or meet his fate then and
there.
Our captain, with eyes rivited upon the
savage, was fercely and eloquently re-
preaching him with his bad faith to the
pale faces and their Great Father, wind