The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-04-02
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THE Ride THAT KILLED GEN. NILES BLACK HORSE. :
81 -
g He Travelled 100 Miles in Twenty-Five Hours. g
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scampered away, frightened by the
two trespassers. The young licllten-
ant was nightly tempted TO take ii
shot, and had 'the buck fever like a
chill-strlcken patient of Dickens
Eden His comrade kept him, wise
~ from wasting ammunition and in
wiling 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 so
lurld, nowhere as near, seemingly, as
it appears on the plains.
Cautiously and eXpeditiously this
divide was crossed, as Indians are at
their worst when twilight falls"
a break of the Canadian was
reached, and, like the sun that had
dipped behind the horizon the two
horselnen went out of sight into the
dark ravine.
THE brakes 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
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"Rreaks'' is used to designate a net
work of ravines that flank every river
in the Indian Territory and the Pan
handle of Texas. They are deep can
yOns %radiating from each river, a per-
feet labyrinth in themselves.
Down one of these breaks the two
horsemen rode. 1t was as black down
in the canyon as the ace of spades, to
use Il familiar frontier smile. Stumb-
ling over gypsum rocks, the horses
could scarce keep to their feet, and
the riders in their seats, but suddenly
the horses took to speeding oven Il
bard, sand-hollowed ravine, and soon
horses and riders were out on the di-
vide, but on the same side of the river,
as was their purpose and need TO
cross. Another plunge, without any
particular consideration, was made
into another ravine. 1t was followed
down, down, toward the river, broad.
ening out, and the banks growing
higher and higher and more precipit.
Gus. 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
behind Il great bank of clouds. Just
to the right of the break" from a
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forth a troop 300 or more strong.
indians. lieutenant" was whisper
ingly shouted by prairie Dog" Dave
if there be anything like making 8
whisper sound like a roll of thunder
The moon looked down calmly ant
cast a shadow, as is her habit Whel
there is material at hand out of whicl
to fabricate it. \ projecting butte il
the ravine furnished the material, ant
both horsemen sped to its hospital BIZ
shadow. AS the troop rushed pell
nell, Indian style. out of the bosQu(
into the moonlight, the war bonncts
Of the Indians could be distinguished
and the animals ran as fresh from the
grass, ~precluding all hopes of escape
ON the two horses. which had Deer rid
den over thirty miles in less than 81,
hours.
Just then the moon took a less
alarming twist on her face, and show
ed the war bonnets" to be the antler,
of a grcad herd of elk.
The Canadian river, followed up it;
right bank for many miles, was cross
ed at 1.-The sand Dunes" fifty mile.
west of Antelope Hills, along abou
midnight.
"The Antelope Hills" are not a rang,
of hills, or IA longitudinal upheaval OF
a dead level of prairie. There are onl!
three of "thc hills" great gypsum
buttes, one 100 feet high. and no on
less than 400 feet, somehow washct
out by n swash of the waves of Il grea
inland sea that nee covered ''tho
Great American Desert
But, dropping these hills out o
sight. great landmarks as they are
the Canadian river was crossed, witt
prairie Dog" Dave in the lead. Gen
Miles black horse was kept well il
hand to the rear-no thoughts Of los
ing the horse, but a quicksand los
was unprecedented for man and beast