The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-10-31
Boy of q Hundred Scars.

BILL ARP.
Boy of q Hundred Scars.
At tie Rosebud Indian agency one
may sec at the traders store of
Charles Percival Jordon, man now
approaching middle age and who made
his record as hero when boy. He
is full bloodcd Sioux, of the Mime
coujou tribe, squat Of figure and home
ly Of face. A great scar traverses his
forehead from the ccal black hair on
the left side down to where there
should be an eyebrow over the right
eye. In place Of that natural appen-
dage there flares another scar. Notice
him as he displays gaudy calicoes or
brilliant silk handkerchiefs to the
men and women Of his own race who
throng before the counter on what is
known as tissue day." and you can
not fail to observe the absence of two
! fingers from one hand and the thumb
from the other. The manhood
name" of this humble clerk in from
tier store is "The Swimmer" Before
he received his adult title, which is
only granted to braves of the Sioux
nation after they have undergone
most hideous test of endurance, he was
known as "The Boy Of Hundred
Scars"
It was when but fifteen years Of age
that "The Swimmer" performed q
deed of heroism as notable as that Of
Horatius who kept the bridge Of Rome
Gin the brave days of old" In the early
'6O's this immature lad formed one Of
hunting party Of his tribe. The
band was composed chiefly Of old men
women and children, for the braves of
the nation had made a rendezvous
preparatory to going on the warpath.
against their hereditary enemies, the
Crows. In their chase after buffalo
the hunting party ventured south Of
the Platte river and encountered war
band Of their foes. They fed north
ward and reached the forc little in
advance Of their pursuers. The Platte
is wide and shallow stream, filled
with quicksands, and the ford atwhich
the fugitives essayed to cross was a
passage so narrow that al one point
they could progress only in single file:
Hot on the trail came the painted and
whooping Crows. At the center of
the watery way the lad now known
as the Swimmer paused and cried to
his companions: 'Hurry northward
to the warriors camp, I will hold the
ford until they come. He was naked
to the waist and kneedeep in water.
He had two old-fashioned Colt revol-
vers and bowie knife. Thus equip
ped, the bold lad faced the onrushing
enemy, while his friends urged their
way toward safety and assistance:
The Crows plunged. into the water and
greeted their single foe with derisive
yells, expecting that he would flee
upon their advance. But there he
stood, stern, immobile and impassive,
until the narrowness Of the ford
forced his hunters into single column.
Then the revolver in his right hand
flashed out tongue of fame. An
unseen bullet sped straight to the
heart of the leader who fell into the
swift and treacherous current, and
was followed by his frightened pony,
which sprang from the ribbonlike
pathway, only to be swallowed up by
the terrible quicksands. Then came
battle royal. Over each other's
shoulders and from beneath the necks
of their horses the furious Crows sent
volley after volley at the heroic lad.
Several bullets took effect and the hur-
| rying waters soon became tinged with
his blood. After his first shot he had
eleven leaden messengers with which
to reply to the deadly message of his
enemies. When, years later, he told
me the details Of this wonderful COM
bat, he said he was sure he missed his
aim but thrice. The revolvers emp
tied, he threw them into the stream,
drew his Bowie knife, and chanting
the death song of his race, dared his
foes to close combat. On they came
one by one, for the narrowness OF the
way would allow of no concerted rush.
And as they came the lad gave blow
for blow. In what he thought to be
his first and final fight he displayed
the coolness of absolute desperation:
Knife wounds covered him.from head
to waist. An arrow had pinned his
left arm to his body, but this
he tore loose. And still he fought,
and still he chanted his death song.
Just as terrific blow had laid open
his forehead he heard an Inspiring
cry. was the wild, shrill war whoop
of the Sioux. Racing down to the
bank at the height of their ponies
speed came a hundred braves to the
rescue. They reached the exhausted
lad, and the foremost brave, springing
from his steed, took his place, while
another bore the young hero to the
shore. After that the struggle was
short and decisive. The Crows were
pressed back to the south bank, and
when they made stand, suffered
practical annihilation.
Previous to this the boy who kept
the ford had been known by his first
name, given to him when he was a
baby-that of the Maon Gazer. Three
months subsequent to the fight, when
he had recovered from his almost
countless injuries, the Minnecoujous
gave him his second name-Wah-te
gis.ah-sin-the boy Of hundred
scars. Later on he became known as
the Swimmer. Now that his fighting
days are over he earns modest living
as clerk in Jordan's store and the
whites with whom he deals call him
John Davis.
But neither the lapse of time nor
change of condition can eface those
glorious scars received by the lad who
stood ready to die fighting for his peo-
ple.-Fred C. Dayton, IN Constitution,
T.
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