The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-03-11

This is prefaced with a description OF
the attempt Healy made just after the
council between Bull and General Terry
to shoot the former and hurry back on
American soil as fast as his thorough.
bred horse could carry him. 1t seems he
had an old grudge against Bull and in the
hope of securing immunity he thought he
could shoot the old chief and escape
across the line. How he failed to carry
out his plan is told in the following. Then
comes the wonderful ride:
Healy turned to the Herald correspond
| ent and said:
Il am going to kill Sitting Bull to-
night"
you will be hanged sure if you do"
! said Mr.. Tiliotson.
Il will take 10 minutes start and all
OF the mounted police in Canada can't
| catch me.'
| In the meantime the several newspaper
| correspondents we're preparing for the
race for news. Healy was asked how long
it would take him to carry the Herald's
| dispatches to Helena.
"Forty-eight hours" he said.
you can't do it in three days." said
| General Terry.
Il Will, and will take the news of Sitting
Bulls death, too" said Healy.
The other correspondents had arranged
for couriers to take their ncws to Cana
dian telegraph offices. Healy had pick
eted his thoroughbred horse outside the
post. and, rifle in hand, waited until he
could lind Sitting Bull alone. The Indi-
ans were permitted TO wander about the
buildings they pleased. He finally
found the old chief standing alone at one
corner of the square row of buildings and
an easy mark for a shot. He ran back to
get his dispatches and then take a look at
his horse before finishing his Indian en-
envy. But fate was kind to the Sioux
warrior that night, and saved him for a
death in his own country. 1t was perhaps
well for Healy that he found that his fine
thoroughbred horse had UNFINISHED the
iariat, and, having become entangled,
was thrown to the ground and choked to
death.
THE FAMOUS RIDE.
But the dispatches must go, and there
was no time 10 be lost and there were no
relays arranged. An army officers horse
was hastily found, and Healy, with the
dispatches in mis- hat, was flying away over
coulee and plain the the dark of the night.
AT daybreak a good part of the 100 miles
of road to Fort Benton had been knocked
a freighter was found in the nick of time.
and Healy stopped long enough to shift
his saddle to a mountain bred cayuse and
was away again. The trail over the plain
was dry and good, but in the coulees it
was hard riding, and in the afternoon
Healy began TO feel wrenching pain i'll
his back. he stopped only long enough
to drink at the mountain streams, eating
hard tack and dried venison as he rode
along.
At Twenty-ei9ht Mile spring he made |
another exchange of horses with a ranch |
man, and from there to the Marias he
sped forward as fast as his tough little |
horse would carry him. His legs had be- |
come stiffened and seemed set in the sad |
die like wise, while the sand from the |
plains burned in his eyes until his vision |
became partly distorted. In precisely "a |
hours from his start he was climbing over |
the hill into Fort Benton. The horse stag
gered with his weight up TO his house and |
fell over on the ground.
After hot bath and bite to eat Healy
was again in the saddle on a finely bred
horse 10 make the run to Helena on the
old stage road. He slept in the saddle,
giving the horse FREQ rein and leaning
over Oh his neck. Another horse was
found at the end of 60 miles, and the ride
down the Prickly Pear canyon was made
on schedule time. The last 30 miles was
he hardest fight. a good horse was found
1t stage station, and Healy, SO sore that
ne could hardly move, was lifted into the
saddle. His head grew dizzy as he struck
he Prickly Pear valley and saw the lights
IF Helena twinkling in the distance, but
he braccd himself with a drink for one
asst effort, and In an hour the plucky
iorse and pluckier rider were flying down
he old diggings, around the corner of
owering Mount Helena, and down again
'ver the sharp foothills that mark the
ides of the gulch and into Main street.
The sleepy telegraph operator heard a
hout outside and opened the window.
"Well? '' he asked.
WAR news for the New York Herald.n
elled a voice, and through the window .
anne flying bundle. The next morning {
he Herald had an exclusive report of the
ouncil three days before at Fort Wash. {
nd Healy had made the greatest ride in
he Northwest. {