The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1894-12-14


! rife he came tumblin' like ! log q
l most on top OF me. | was afraid
} was in for It then, with the whoop ths
fellow gave and the noise Of my gun ss
, near that Sioux camp. Sure enough
: when scrambled to my feet and
looked over the tops of the rocks, tina
bunch Of willow was alive with reds
Most of 'em were maxim for thu
, ponies, hut three or four were run
min out on the prairie in differant
directions to reconnoiter. You see
they heard the sounds plain enough.
but didn't know which way they came
from. / rolled the dead Sioux up
close against the rocks, where they
wouldn't see him until they stumbled
right on him; then, pickin' up my
knife and that piece Of rock Id had
in my hand, ! knocked of the rough
corners while watched the Sioux for
q minute or two. They were all
mounted by this time and circlin'
round the camp like mad. knew
they'd be out Of my way in no time,
and. tuckin' the pipestone in the
pocket of my huntin' shirt, / crept
down to the little creek bottom.
"Once out of sight, did some tall
runnin' for spell. must have run
mile or more when I heard a great
yellin' way behind me that told me
that they'd found the brave I'd shot. I
was leavin' broad trail in the tall
grass as Iran up stream to the east
and lookin' sharp for some place to
dodge the Sioux. When heard that
yellin' behind knew it was time to
get under cover. My idea, at first, was
to hide in the tall grass along the
creek, but a little draw that came into
the creek from the southwest changed
my plan. After runnin' about forty
rods, straight ahead, past the mouth
of this draw, caved bit of the
creeks bank into the stream, to make
them think I'd taken to the water to
hide my trail, and, doublin' on my
track, ran back to the draw, jumped
out of my trail as far as I could and
crept through the grass and reeds up
the draw, coverin' my tracks behind
me as carefully as knew how. I'd
got about hundred yards up the
the creek on my trail, ridin' pell-mell
and screechin' like so many fiends.
That was just what wanted, for their
ponies would trample down the trail |
SO that they couldn't see how doubled |
on 'em. They were past and out of
sight in a jiffy, but great whoop,
followed by few minutes silence,
told me when they came to the end Of
my trail.
1T always did do me good to fool
the ,unnin' rascals, and / laughed to
myself when / heard the snappin' and
,rackin' of fire in the dry grass.
Smoke began to curl up to the east
md the yellin' commenced again.
They'd set the creek-bottoms on fire
Ind We're ridin' along the banks to
head me off when they'd roasted me
'ut. I'd got my wind and loaded the
imply barrel of my rifle by this time,
Ind keepin' in the bottom of the swale
made for camp as fast as could with
nut leavin' too plain trail to tell 'em
which way I'd gone. As soon as had
'ut safe distance between me and
he Sioux, took to the open prairie,
where my moccasins left scarcely a
race as l flew along over the short,
Try grass. naturally kept to the hol-
ows as much as / could, and it must
ave been half an hour before ] heard !
r saw anything of the Sioux again.
Then my ears caught the thumpin' of
loofs on the hard sod, and l hadn't c
more than thrown myself fat in the !
r ass before dozen of 'em came a,
'woopin' over a rise on my left, and s
rossed my trail without ever seein' 1t,
lot hundred yards behind me. ,
81 knew there wasn't anything to a
worry about after they were out of t
ight, and took my time gettin' to !
amp.
Yes, l made this pipe out of that
it of4ock. It's always seemed like a
riend to me ever since it saved my
fe that time, and there amt money
nough in the country to buy it"
AS the old trapper finished the story
nd started his pipe w it'll a coal from
nr campfire, his saddened countenancs
lowed how keenly he missed the ex-
ting adventures of those tragic early
avs. The beaver and the otter, along
18th the savage enemies, have faded
way. and the old man to-day would
'arcely recognize the site of this once
Unknown quarry, which is now marked
Y thrifty railroad town, built al
ost entirely of this soft red stone,
nd bearing the very appropriate name
Pipestone. Pipestone Co., MIMI
Y. Ledger.
Very Obiiging. r
A lady whose husband is an invalid +