The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-08-05


"This will be a hard ride for us all and q
last one for you perhaps" he muttered in
an undertone.
Last howl" asked Fearn.
"Wait and see," was the reply.
So the men rode along. Fearn hung
back or rode out on the side, where he
could watch the three men. His carbine
lay across his saddle bow. The butts Of his
big cavalry pistols rubbed his hands as he
held the reins. Fearn understood that a
relaxation of vigilance meant death.
When the watering creek was reached, the
men dismounted in silence.
"Ride on, Fearn. We will catch you,
said one Of the men.
Fearn said nothing, and finally the men
rode on together. AS they neared the sta
tion where the paymaster awaited them
one of the men turned suddenly on Fearn
and raised his pistol. He was too slow.
Fearn's two hands went up, each grasping
a pistol, and when he ceased firing three
riderless horses followed him into the sta
tion, where he met the paymaster alone
1T was q close game, :" Fearn says as he
tells of it now, "but my pair beat three
odd hands,
When the Pine Ridge trouble broke out
four years ago, four troops of the Seventh
cavalry went up into the territory to bring
the Indians into submission. The Ninth
cavalry also went out. Fearns troop
with another under Colonel Guy V. Henry,
then major, met the Indians near a big
basin known as DEVILS Bowl.
''It was the hottest fight was ever in, :"
said Fearn. 1--WE were sitting about on
the rocks drinking our coffee, when sud
denly from behind rocks and trees and
bushes burst a storm of bullets We
jumped to the charge, but there was moth
ing to charge on except rocks A puff of
smoke would float out from behind "a rock
or tree, and that was all we could see
They fought us back foot by foot down
the hill until they got us on an open much
like log chute. No sooner had we rallied
along this than there was q terrific ex-
plosion upon the hill, and shower Of
stones and sticks and tent pins pounded
down on us. The Indians had captured
an old cannon and had loaded it with any
thing they could lay their hands on. We
jumped for cover. Suddenly everything
grew quiet We waited, but all was still.
In about ten minutes the old gun doomed
again. A tent pin struck me on the shoul-
der, and glancing off killed the man be-
hind me.
Major Henry divided us into two
squads. One squad held the ground, fight
ing like mad. was in the other squad.
We crept single file up the hill about 100
yards. Then we turned sharp to the left
and opened out in skirmish line Then
we faced about and marched toward our
own men. But the Indians were between
u.s. We had them front and rear
II was right beside Major Henry He
was cool as a cucumber. We crept along
or about 100 feet without seeing rcd
man. Suddenly Major Henry stopped and
nodded his head forward. We halted and
looked ahead. There was big bowlder,
and lying fiat behind it in a hollow in the
earth were over 40 Sioux. They knew
nothing of our presence. Quickly we
brought up our pistols, every man with
one in each hand. Major Henry nodded
again and line of fire lit the woods.
The Sioux yelled and sprang forward, but
they ran right into our other squad. Then
it was that they fought.
Have you ever met an Indian face to
face when he was war crazy? No? Their
you cannot realize what fight we had. 1t
was man to man There was no chance
for the Sioux to jump behind trees. We
closed right in. Our other squad, too,
grapplcd and struggled, each for his life.
Don't tell Inc that the colored man won't
fight. just you get him started, and he
will go right through with you to the end.
/ saw negroes lying hacked and torn shoot
last shot and fall hack dead. We held
our ground and drove the red men off. -
Fearn bears five scars to remind him of
the battle of the Wounded Knee.
At the expiration of his enlistment he
returned to Fort Sill, where lie had once
lived. His fame had preceded him, espo-
cially among the Indians. He declined to
live in the post and went instead to the
ranch of White Wolf, powerful Kiowa
chief. Soon after his arrival he married
one Of White VOLTS daughters and became
full fedged squawman, appropriating
all the rights of his Indian wife to raisa
an unlimitcd number Of cattle on the In
dian lands free of charge His hord has
grown rapidly, and today he counts his
cattle by the hundred He Is present at
all high councils of both the Kiowa and
Comanche tribes The Cache Creek Inedi-
cine dances always know him as a promi-
nent figure. The beef issue twice a month
would be incomplete without him. He is
the only known negro EQuaAymaD Fort