The Meeker herald., 1895-02-16
a MAD DASH.

hsde By Ysu.s cAsy.n.a wsn.s-
upea Ffsightsns oatAt
Talking Of bad Indians, the one.
that make most trouble are NOT the
old warriors" said tho veteran piains
freighter to a writer for the Nav
York Sun. These have made their
reputation and got wives and ponies.
and have little TO gain and much TO
lose by going on the warpath against
tho whites: With the young buck the
case Il different. He wants plunder
for . start in life, and more than
that, he wishes to mako . name for
himself in his tribe. So he Il slvsvs
ready to start hostilities, and viii
take desperate risks to capture scalps
or horses.
"This brings mo to ali stack bv
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 carly sixties. 1t was done in such
way and was 80 unexpected rs to be
almost laughable, although 1t cost the
OUTFIT eighteen good mules, some
freight and good deal Of bother
In repairing damages and getting
straight again.
''At that time the Indians were At
peaoe with the whites, 80 no trouble
was looked for from them. We had
como to deep prairie ravine, With a
good-sized stream flowing along the
bottom Of 1t. My train was In the
load, and had got across the suleh to
the high prairie beyond, while the
last wagon Of tho other outfit was in
the bottom, just pulling out OF the
stream.
"We hadn't seen an Indian or a
sign OF one for weeks. and, Is they
were supposed to be friendly, nobody
was keeping very much Of lookout.
There came tremendous yelling that
made every man in the rear train
jump. and around 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 the rear
wagons. The rearmost teamsters
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 tho seat of each and caught
the reins and whip, others seized the
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 to do was to got the other
wagons out OF the ravine - soon as
possible. By that time tho Indians
had plundsred the captured wagons.
and. driving the mules ahead of them,
were of, out Of the gulch and across
tho prairie, safe from any pursuit that
we could make. The teamsters sent
q shot or two after them, but were
too badly ratified to do any execution.
when I saw by signals that there
was trouble in the rear / formed my
wagons in circle and sent all my
spare men back to help tho others out.
All the help We could give, however,
was to lend a hand to getting the
wagons out OF the creek-one was up
set-and 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
go to a station where more mules
could be bought to send back ito haul
them in. This delayed the other train
a week, while kept on and the DEN
YER firm to which my goods were con-
signed held the market at their own
price during that time.
1--WE never got any trace OF the rob
Der Indians or their plumber. All that
could be known about them was
the report OF the badly scared team
sters who saw them. By that we
knew that they were Cheyennes, and
very young bucks, some OF them boys
apparently not moro than 10 years
old"