The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-26

would have risked his life to serve the
| Morgans.
Seven years had passed away. The
sumner of 1876 had come, and with it,
to the North Dakota settlers, much
, harassing by struggling warriors Of
Sitting Bulls force, who, after the Gus
ter massacre, were making their way
to the British provinces in the hope of
escaping vengeance and stealing en-
route, all the horses they could lay
! their hands on.
These refugees were mostly Sioux,
and had the band to which Tah-to-ka-
no belonged been still in the neighbour
hood Mr. Morgan's family need have
feared no molestation; but it had
moved fifty miles to the west some
years before, since which time no news
from any Of its members had reached
the people at the farm, who, so far,
had not seen hostile Indian.
About sunrise one morning late in
July, Tom, now a vigorous man of "a,
rode out to a piece Of rough land called
1.-The rock pasture" situated two miles
from the house, to bring in a pair of
mules, wanted. for that days work.
Anticipating no evil, the young fellow
was entirely unarmed and was riding
carelessly through the boulder-strewn
field, when. all in moment, he found
himself surrounded by score Of wan
dering Sioux braves, who, as he after
wards found, had secured not only the
mules he was in search of, but four
fine horses as well. The savages had
sprung up so suddenly from behind
the scattered rocks that Tom had no
time to retreat before two of them had
his pony by the head. while half a
dozen now seized his own legs and
dragged him to the ground. If now
he had made no resistance the Indians
would probably have contented them
selves by merely gagging and binding
him, in order to prevent an alarm, as
their main object was to get possession
of riding beasts to facilitate their
fight. But Tom Morgan was not one
of that kind.
He had barely touched the earth,
when rebounding from it like a rubber
ball, he shook his assailants off as
might a grizzly bear pack Of yelp-
ing ours, and as they sought to close
with him again. struck out right and
left with his bare fists. sending one
after another sprawling to the ground.
Then. as the whole angry band came
on with uplifted weapons but in omin-
Gus silence. he jerked a tomahawk
from the hand of the foremost brave
and. placing his back against rock,
skins paused for a moment. either
through involuntary respect or fear.
But this situation could not last.
One. however valiant. could not long
overawe twenty, and Tom well knew
that he must be speedily overpowered.
if not slain on the spot. Yet there
was in the man contemptuous, stub
born courage which would not let him
yield to such foes.
Several Of the Indians had guns, but
it was not their policy to create an
alarm. Hence. instead of at once
shooting down their fearless enemy,
they made a simultaneous rush upon
him-not scathIess, however; for, be-.
fore any could strike a blow, the two
nearest warriors fell, stunned by as
many lightning strokes from the blunt
back Of the imperilled mans toma-
hawk.
TRUE GRATITUDE.
And now, their bloodthirsty instincts
thoroughly aroused, the remaining
eighteen savages threw themselves
furiously upon their expected prey.
But their very numbers impeded the
immediate contamination Of ven
geance Weapons dashed harmlessly
together as each warrior tried to be
first in delivering a death blow, so
that he might claim the coveted scalp;
while two or three cleaning toma-
hawks, which might have reached his
head, were slSillfully parted by Tom,
who, with set. resolute' face, fought as
might an imprisoned lion baited by
jackals.
Pushed on by those behind. the lead
ing braves came closer and closer
almost within knife reach-and in a
few brief seconds all must have been
over; when, just at this critical mo-
ment, there resounded near at hand
ringing whoop, instantly recognized by
the belaguering Sioux as the battle cry
of their own nation. Turning in won
dering amazement, they saw, bearing
down upon them with whirlwind speed,
q mounted, one-armed warrior. who,
holding the single rein of his foaming
horse in his teeth, brandished aloft in
his right hand a formidable. though
spikeless, war club,
'Ughi Tah-to-ka-nol Tah-to-ka-no"
yelled the affrighted marauders, scat
tering like scared coyotes. But ere
they could gain cover the avenger was
in their midst, and at every sweep of
his strong right arm a warrior meas
ured his length on the earth, stricken
down by the terrible club.
None dared to resist; for Tah-to-ka-
no, now chief in place of his deceased
father was well known to them all;