The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-03-01
ADVENTURE WITH SAVAGES.
GefrSe "Ihe- Man-That-D raws-the-H Hand.
cart" and the Indians.

" common adventures, George was ac-
tustomed to employ green trappers to
york by the month under his direc-
ton; then, pushing beyond the usual
llne OF trapping into the Yankton
country, he would establish camp ont
of5he way of Indian haunts, and dis
tn cute his men up and down the
ST. cams to trap, During the winter of
1852 he planted his camp on Devils
lake. large body of water IN what is
now northeastern Dakota.
Z Sioux chief of the Yanllton tribe,
whose Indian name signifies ''old man"
heard that the adventurous handcart
d:t wer was trapping at that point, and
htt;d out an expedition for the purpose
OF r. bbing him, partly perhaps under
fae. ereteXt of indicating Yankton
ciantJt TO riparian ownership in all the
musteht and otter that padded in the
streams of that country, but influenced
stun pre- strongly by an Indians love
1T fs a bright winter morning, and
Geor0f had followed an elk six miles
throe nh the snow. He had just shot it,
and Was stripping off its coat, when he
saw an Indian scalp-lock rising above
the top of alittle knoll. He threw him
self unto thicket, put his hand on his
ulAet pouch, and found by touch, with
DAT cous4cing, that there were fifteen
bullets in it, while thirteen Indians
soon came into view.
SIS The Observation-Disclosures the Hand
cart here?" asked one of the Indians,
for they knew Northrup's aim too well
to approach without caution.
IF any man comes one step nearer"
cried George, in the Dakota tongue,
until / know whether this is war
party or not, will shoot him."
One of the Indians fred off both bar
rels of his gun into the air, which was
a pledge of peaceful intentions, but it
put George under the necessity of
emptying his gun and trusting to the
uncertainties of Indian good faith, or
of accepting battle with the odds of
thirteen to one Slipping the cap from
one barrel George ran out and fired one
barrel of his gun, bringing the hammer
down on the capless tube of the other,
as though the barrel were empty. He
was now virtually prisoner but he
dexterously replaced the other cap and
kepta good hold on his gun. He after
ward managed to load the empty bar
rel without attracting attention.
He understood perfectly the Indian
plan. They knew that any attempt to
take the life of man with so sure an
eye and quick hand as Georges would
probably cost some Indian his life.
They meant to detain him on some
pretext while a detachment should
plumber his camp, guarded only by in
experienced men.
The boldest way was the only one.
After standing in the Indian camp
awhile he confronted the chief and
said quietly: Pm going home i'm
mediately turning about and taking
the trail that led to his camp. The saw
ages were nonplussed by the sudden
ness of the movement, and they fell
into line behind Northrup. At every
step of that six miles George expected
rifle ball from behind.
Guns, provisions, furs, were scattered
about the trapper's camp in confusion;
if the Indians on their arrival should
find things so, the camp would be
utterly stripped. George tried again
what virtue there might be in impu-
dence Turning to the old chief, when
they came in sight of the camp, he said:
GOLDMAN, my men are green; they
do not know that you are coming in
friendship; if you go in now, they
might fire on you. Wait here until l
go and tell them that you are friends.
In fact, George feared nothing so
little as that his men would shoot.
But the Indians We're deceived, and
with a 'Ho" of approval, the Sioux
consented to remain until their well
come should be assured. When they
reached the camp, George had every
thing in order. the things all under
guard, aud the Indians saw themselves
outwitted. ......
There were thirteen savages to six
or seven white men; but Indians like to
keep their own skins whole, and to
attack so vigilant man as Northrup
was dangerous. George overheard them
disputing which should have his rifle.
where is your gum" he demanded
of one of his men.
''The Indians are sitting on it and l
cannot get it."
George walked up to the row of In
dams who had taken the gun in this
tentative and diplomatic manner, and,
cycling them sternly, he seized the
stock of the gun, whereupon the cowed
sayages rose up, and he returned the
gun to the man and ordered him to
hold on to it.
The crisis came at last. There was
of flour but thirty-seven pounds in the
camp carefully boarded against ex-
tremity. To Georges conster nation
he found that Oldham had seized it,
while his frightened men did not dare
offer resistance. Northrup walked di-
rectly up to where the chief sat with
the sack of flour by his side, and laying
hold of it, started off.
''Stop!" cried the Indian, getting to his
feet ''Man-that- Draws-t the Handcart,
bring back my flour!'
George turned about, and with a ges-
ture of that cool dramatic kind which
SO impresses a savage. he opened the
breast of his coat and said: b..
Goldman, if you want to kill me,
shoot, but you shall not take away my
| food and leave me to starve." ..