The herald., 1895-12-22
Ride THAT killed GENERAL NILES BLACK HORSE
He Travelled l2O Miles in Twenty-Five II

turesQue sight was never photographed
on the mind of men than was then i'm
pressed upon "Prairie Dog" Dave and
comrade.
On emerging from "the creek" or lit
tie canyon, canyoncito, onto the bot
tom lands both felt as if they had come
lover the divide" into paradise-hunt-
er's paradise. There were deer, bucks,
does and fawns by the score in sight
feeding on succulent grasses, and as
the ride across the valley was made
hundreds Of wild turkeys took to wing
and dozen or more elk scampered
away, frightened by the two trespass-
ers. The young lieutenant was might
lily tempted to take shot, and had
'the buck fever" like a chill-stricken
patient of Dickens "Eden." His COM
rade kept him, wisely, from wasting
ammunition and inviting the attention
of any prowling Indian.
The creek crossed, the farther en-
bankment of the stream was reached
and assembled, and the two riders got
to another divide just as the sun was
sinking at the farther edge of the
prairie in "a sea Of glory" nowhere as
lurid, nowhere as near, seemingly, as it
appears on the plains.
Cautiously and expeditiously THE
divide was crossed, as Indians are at
their worst when twilight falls"
A "break" of thu Canadian was
reached, and, like the sun that had
dipped behind the horizon, the two
horssmen went out of sight into the
dark ravine.
The breaks of the Canadian" No
body knows just what is meant by the
term unless he has been among them,
not by daylight, but moonlight, while
beset as we'll with fear of Indians.
"Breaks" is used to designate a net
work of ravines that flank every river
in Indian territory and the Panhandle
OF Texas. They are deep canons radia.
ting from each rivera perfect labyrinth
in themselves.
Down one of these "brsaks" the two
horsemen rode. 1t was as black down
in the canyon as the ace of spades, to
use familiar frontier simile. Stun
bling over gypsum rocks, the horses
could scarce keep to their feet and the
riders in their seats; but suddenly the
horses took to speeding over q bard,
eand-hollowed ravine, and soon horses
and riders were out on the divide, but
on the same side of the river it was
their purpose and need to cross. An
other plunge. without any particular
consideration, was made into another
ravine. 1t was followed down, down
toward its mouth, toward the river,
broadening out, and the banks grow
ing higher and higher and more precip-
itous. Just as the mouth was reached,
opening out to the broad, high, grass
covered bottom lands Of the Canadian
river, the full moon came out from be-
hind great bank of clouds. just to
the right Of "the break" from bosque,
or cottonwood grove, sprang forth q
troop, 300 or more strong.
Indians, lieutenant" was whisper
ingly shouted by "Prairie Dog" Dave,
if there be anything like making
whisper sound like roll Of thunder.
The moon looked down clsmly and
cast a shadow, as is her habit when
there is material at hand out of which to
fabricate it. A projecting butte in the
ravine furnished the material, and both
horsemen sped to its hospitsble shadow.
AS the troop rushed pell-mell, Indian
style, out of the bosque into the moon
light, the war bonnet5 of the Indians
could be distinguished, and the ami
mails ran as fresh from the grass, pre-
cludirg all hopes of escape on the two
horses which had been ridden over
thirty miles in less than six hours.
just then the moon took less
alarming twist on her face, and showed
"the war bonnets" to be the antlers Of
q great herd Of elk.
The Canadian river, followed up its
right bank for many miles, was crossed
at "the sand Dunes" fifty miles west of
Antelope Hills, along about midnight.
"The Antelope hills" are not range
of hills, or longitudinal upheaval on
a dead level of prairie. There are only
three of "the hills" great gypsum
buttes, one 700 feet high, and no one
less than 400 feet, somewhow washed
out by a swash of the waves Of great
inland sea that once covered "the
great American desert"
But, dropping these hills out Of
sight, great landmarks as they are, the
Canadian river was crossed, "Prai-
RE Dog" Dave leading the way. Gen.
eral Miles black horse was kept we'll
in hand to the rear-no thoughts of
losing the horse, but quicksand loss
was apprehended for "man and beast"
The sand dunes reached, across the
river, both riders dismounted for the
first time after ride of twelve hours.
Both stretched themselves on the sand,
soon becoming half buried-as these
hillocks move about with almost an
imperceptible whirl, but yet to sound
as rhythmical as the tabled "singing
sands" of mythology.
Remounting, the journey was con.
tinued, the moon at full, shining al
most ominously.
The moon, dead silent, looking down
upon the wide, open, far-stretched
prairie and upon the two travellers,
dreading and in fear, afraid to talk or
whisper to one another-there's moth
ing like the moon under such consid-
erations to make man shiver.
Winding in and out among the sand
hillocks, the horses we're put to their
beet along this fetlock-deep road until
Sand creek was reached. A dry creek,
waterless at all seasons of the year
Sand creek is fringed on either bank
by scraggy growth of trees.
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