Evening star., 1896-12-26

NWAW only two stalls and
NN y y room at the back for
IN < three or four hunks
fH(t W and a work bench.
- "a NV To protect ourselves
against the Sioux We
mad lined, or wai,.scoted. the house up to
about five feet from the ground and filled
in behind the lining with sand
Indians were thicker than grasshoppers
in Kansas In the days of the building of the
kansas Pacific. and scarcely q day-never
a week-went by without a fight. At first
they appeared to be awed by the locomo-
tives. but in a little while their supersti-
ious fear had vanished and they were con-
stantly setting lures to capture the "big
hoss.' as they called the engine. One day
We We're out at the front with a train of
steel, some eight or ten miles west Of the
Hill. 1t had been showing all day in little
fits and spits. and near nightfaH the clouds
became thicker and darker, and before the
sun had gone down the snow was falling
fast. By the time the last rail had been
unloaded 1t was pitch dark, and as the
engine was headed west, we were obliged to
back up all the way to Smoky Hill. The
conductor and the captain Of the guard,
composed of government scouts, took
stand on the rearmost flat-car, and when
L L
began to poke the blunt end Of the con-
struction train into the darkness Ordinar-
lily, hate running backward at night, but
in a case of this kind 1t is real relief to
know that there are n dozen or more we'll
armed soldiers between you ard whatever
the darkness holds Three or four men
with white lights were stationed at In
tervals along the tops of the ten or twelve
cars that made up the train. The house
car. or caboose, was next the engine, and
upon the top of this stood the foreman
of the gang. and from him was supposed
to take my tokens
I'VE had been in motion less than ten
minutes when l saw the conductors light
1--WE were going with the Storm stand out,
and following this movement all the lights
along the trains top pointed out over the
plain, and began to slow down. Instant
ly dozen shots were fired from the dark
ness. Muff1ed by the storm, the sound
came II a pack of firecrackers were
going off under a dinner pail, and We all
knew what We had run into. Injuns.
shouted the fireman, leaping across the
gansway, and they're on my side Keep
your seat said I. they're on my side, too
To Ditch the Train.
Now all the white lights. following an
other signal from the conductor, began to
vhirl furiously in a short circle. That was
my notion precisely. If they had prepared
to ditch US we might as well go in the
ditch as to remain on the tops of the cars
to be picked of by the Sioux. so opened
the throttle and began to back away again
as fast as possible. The Indians had pre-
pared to ditch our train. They had placed
a great pile of crosS-tieS upon the track.
expecting that when We struck them our
train would come to a dead stop. This
small party which had fired upon US was
the outer watch. the main band being hud-
died about the heap of ties, where they ex-
pected us to halt, and where most of the
amusement. would occur. The track was
newly laid, and as billowy as rough sea-
but this was 20 time for careful running.
The old work engine soon had the
empty train going at a thirty-mile gait, and
then We hit the tie pile. The men on the
rear car, which was now the 'front.' had an
ticipated wreck, and retired in bad order
TO the center of the train. The Indians
who had only faint notion of the power
and resistance of a locomotive, stood close
together about the pile of ties The falling
SHOW had made the rails and tinrbers so wet
ana slippery that when We hit the stack of
wood the ties flew in all directions. Some
or them were thrown to the tops of the
cars and others flew into the mob of red
skins, Knocking them into confusion A
hne buck. who must have been standing on
the track was picked up in the collision
and landed upon the top of the second car
r-ght at the conductors feet The fellow
was considerably stunned by the fall, and,
taking advantage of his condition. the
scouts seized and bound him with a niece
OF bell cord, taking care to remove an ugly
knife from his rawhide belt The band
were SO surprised to see the train plough
through the wreckage that they forgot TO
fire until We had almost passed them and
a great flood Of fire from the engine stack
was falling among them. They then threw
up their guns. those who were still on their
!eet, ana let go at us, but none Of the bull
lets affected our party.
w hen we had reached the station the
fawnees who were among the scouts rec
ogni.ed aa our captive at once as Bear Foot,
d nkod oh.
sioux came to himself and realized that he
was captive he became furious He
surged and strained at the bell rope. but If
was all In vain. and finally he gave it up.
In the Round House,
when We had eaten cur supper we all
went into the round house-soldiers and on
for We knew the Sioux would make .
desperate effort to- secure their chief befora
the night was out.
1t was long after midnight when ono of
the men on duty heard q low screaming
SOUND like that made by a hog era wiling
under gate. A moment later the nnisa
was repeated, and when the same sound
nad been heard three or four times the
lieutenant In command flashed a bulTs-eye
lamp IN the direction of the door and tha
light of it revealed three big braves stand-
ing close together. while fourth was inst
creeping in under the door. With a we-are
discovered expression, the tall Indian. who
companions. Then, as though the idea had
struck all OF them at once. they threw their
guns up and let go along down the raw IF
light. and the lieutenant fell to the ground.
severely wounded. -
Approaching the importance of our cap-
ture, the captain in command had set four
powerful Pawnee scouts to guard Bear
Foot, the Sioux chief. 1t was no sure thing
that We would be able to stand the indians
on till morning, and as the storm had
Knocked the wires down we had been un-
able to telegraph to Lawrence for REIN
forcements. The fact that their brave chief
was himself captive would increase the
wrath OF the red men without, and taking
even moderate view of the situation. we
were in hard hole. l, for one would have
gladly bartered our captive and the glory of
the capture away for an assurance of see
ing the sun rise on the following morning.
but dared not hint such a thing TO the
captain, much less to the Pawnees.
Keeping Steam Up.