Omaha daily bee., 1894-12-17
A DASH OF THE CHEYENNE.

How Young Warriors Plundercd Three
Wagons of Freighting OUTFIT.
Talking Of bad Indians, the ones that
make most trouble are not the old warriors -
said the veteran plains freighter to the New
York Sun. "These have made their reputa-
tion and got wives and ponies, and have little
to gain and much to lose by going on the
warpath against the whites. With the young
buck the case Is different. He wants plunder
for a start in life, and, more than that, he
wishes to make name for himself in his
tribe. So he is always ready to start hostil-
tiles, and will take desperate risks to capture
scalps or horses
This brings me to an attack by Indians
upon freighting train, made up of wagons
drawn by siX-mule teams, that was travelling
in company with mine from Kansas City to
Denver in the early Cos 1t was done in
such a way and was so unexpected as to be
| almost laughable, although 1t cost the outfit
eighteen good mules, some freight and good
deal Of bother in repairing damages and get
ting straight again.
"At that time the Indians were at peace
| with the whites, SO no trouble was looked for
| from them. We had come to a deep prairie
ravine, with a good-sized stream flowing
| along the bottom Of it. My train was in the
| lead and had got across the guch to the high
prairie beyond, while the last wagon of the
other outfit was in the bottom. just pulling
| out Of the stream.
I'VE hadn't seen an Indian or sign of
one for weeks. and, as they were supposed
| to be friendly, nobody was keeping very much
of lookout. There came tremendous yell
| ing that made every man in the rear train
| jump, and round bend in the bank $50
yards up the creek, came about twenty five
| young buckS in war paint, whooping and
shaking blankets to stampede the mules as
| they rode their ponies on the dead run for
| hn CT foop OF
| jumped to the ground and ran for the head
| of the train. The Indians paid no attention
| to them, but went for the last three wagons.
While an Indian jumped to the seat of each
| and caught the reins and whip, others seized
| tho mules brides and helped turn them
down the creek. Before the teamsters ahead
could fairly realize what was going on the
Indians had run the mules and wagons into
the water short distance below. While
some of them embarrassed or cut loose the
| mules others overhauled the freight taking
whatever struck their fancy.
| There was no escort along and but few
extra men, so, of course, the first thing tc
do was to get the other wagons out of the
ravine as soon as possible. BY that time the
Indians had plundered the captured wagons
and, driving the mules ahead of them, were
off, out of the gulch and across the prairie
safe from any pursuit that we could make
The teamsters sent shot or two after them
but were too badly ratified to do any ex
ecution.
"When I saw by signals that there was
trouble in the rear l formed my wagons ir
circle, and sent all my spare men to helT
the others out. All the help we could give
however, was to lend hand in getting the
wagons out of the creek-one of them was
upset-and in pulling them out Of the gulch
There they had to be abandoned, together
with as much of their freight as the Indians
had left, until we could get to a station where
more mules could be bought to send bach
to haul them in. This delayed the train fol
a week, while l. kept on, and the Denver
firm to which my goods were consigned held
the market at their own prices during thai
time.
I'VE never got any trace Of the robbci
Indians or their plunder. All that could bt
known about them was the report of tho
badly scared teamsters who saw them. BY
that we knew that they were Cheyennes, ant
very young bucks, some Of them being boy.
apparently not more than Is years DID,"