Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-21
sIITTLE PHIL
How . Pawnee's Thievish Design Wa
Frustrated.

Frustrated.
From the st. Joseph Herald
To the west Of our camp n q stretch OF
| tall div grass, its western edge close to
the chaparral At the eastern edge our
cavalry horses are feeding at the rope
The hour II O'Clock In the afternoon, and
most Of the men are bathing in the river
below. said all the horses. but should
have made an exception. The lieutensnt's
chestnut which is a thoroughbred and
came from Kentucky. il as docile and good
natured as a kitten In all respects save
one. When in the field. no man must place
halter on his head or iariat about his neck.
He VIII not be tied. though he VIII not
wander away II left at liberty.
AT the hour named. as happen TO glance
over the horses munching their feed no
tice that Little Phil, as the men long ago
air and IL gazing fixedly at the edge Of the
chaparTal. We long ago discovered that
he had wonderful powers OF scent and i
swiftly realize that the light breeze blow
ing down from the thicket has given him
a sign" Ii may mean Indians. or IL may
mean q wild animal. We caught sight OF
few Pawnees the other day. but they
showed no disposition to follow US. and IL
thickets they would not dare attack US at
this hour OF the day. Rising TO my feet
ana moving q little to the left, can cover
the same line OF sight as the horse. He IS
q picture to look at His ears are pointed
forward. his eyes dilated. and but Tor the
heave OF his sides and the nutter OF his
nostrils he might have been carved out OF
stone The other horses make no sign OF
having discovered the presence Of danger.
There Is a movement OF the tai grass
between the horses and the thicket. An
emigrant would have said IL was caused
by a pun OF wind. But for the attitude Of
Little Fhil. / should have said that n hare
or coyote was moving about. Something
Is approaching, but its movements are 30
cautious and wary that the sharpest eyes
steady. but comes In puffs at intervals.
Whenever q pun comes TO set the field OF
grass waving. then the object moves for
ward. At the end Of ten minutes the horse
lifts his head higher. snins the air susp-
ciously. and now almost every other AMI
mai shows by Its demeanor that dsnger
menaces. A horse In camp does not trouble
himself about proving animals unless II
be night Sergeant Swift Is sitting On the
ground ten feet away. As look around
at him / note that he has just nnisheS
cleaning his carbins. I tiptos over TO hiIn
and whisper:
There's a Pawnee creeping through the
grass out there TO reach the horses and
create stampede You 20 carefully TO the
right OF the line. and 1 viii take the left.
When YOU have fanked the line. work
down behind it and meet me I'm the resr OF
Corporal Johnson's horse. That's about
the spot the redskin is aiming for"
The sergeant quickly arose and walked
the left flank. As I did So the chestnut
backed away from the rope. and I heard
his teeth grinding together. He hated the
sight or smell of a redsi;n. and our Indian
berth AS 1 dropped down 70 make a,y
way to the center Of the lire he vas still
moving. There might be two Indians liz
the grass. and there would surely De doz-
a on ia. ~ az
The game would be TO creep close to the
horses. and II they were not too FESTIVE TO
cut the long feed rope and then RAISE a yell
and shake a blanket at them and start
them on. The stampeders might mount
two OF them and go with the rush. or they
might run back TO their own ponies in
waiting for them. Yelling and screaming
and making great confusion. the Others
would dash out swing IN behind the terri
ned horses. and away would go the whole
mount. leaving fifty men TO make the post
seventy miles away, on foot.
FIVE minutes after sinking down 1 met
the sergeant, ana we both lay FIAT down
and pushed our carbines out for a shot.
There was a thick bush in front OF us. and
the chances were good that we wound bag
our game Two, three, five minutes went
by. Then we heard a shout OF surprise
mad scream-a cry Of terror-lnd We
leaped UP to behold q curious sight. Lit
Tie Phil had backed himself clear Of the
line and then followed the sergeant though
taking wider circuit Men who saw him
moving said that he exercised the greatest
caution and advanced more like n wolf
than a horse. His circuit was wide enous a
10 bring him in rear OF the creeping Ia
dicn, and he followed him up and dashed
upon him so suddenly that the warrior
cried out Like a woman. What we saw -rs,;
the Indian held high In the air and es;ng.
shaken from side TO side the terrier f,r-
ishes rat. The horse had seized him oy
the hip. and he tossed him about !n ths
most savage manner for two or three min
utes. The redskin had a katie IN his hanT
but there was no chance to use II tn.
breath must have been well shaken ont "a
him when he was flung to the ground AMI
tne chestnut began paving and striking
rim. We closed up. but did not !atorfere
IN the course OF fve minutes the almost
naked body was nearly buried from si-tf
IN the soil. and when sure that his word
was nnished the horse walked back 10 ti,s
line and resumed his place We ran fh-a,,sI,
tne grass 10 the chaparral. Just bevooS
It's fringe was glade. and sn that glade /.
pane OF At least twenty mounted indIscs
mac been In waiting. When they ssv 80
late OF their companion, they mace -
leaFing only the hoof marks 70 prove ;b.;.
presence We pulled the BODY oar - -.
Srass 70 nave look at Il before IN. tns-
1Sr1s came. IL was not a BODY. bu- a min
TAD the warrior been blown f,,o-n ~.
mouth or cannon deat tn would have c,-.s
sooner. but the corpse would rot hsye ~
scented a more shocking spectncle