The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-24
CREEDE, THE DAREDEVIL.
mrs TTo FI0HTs, ING LE- HAND Ed,
WITH SIOUX BANDS.

WITH sIOUA "
Once re Put 90 FIiEht 1'wenty.nve Indians
nnd Purrued Them Three Miles, and at
Another Time SIC Killed sis Out or =
Party or seven with sis One Rine.
One OF the most daring acts in tho history Of
Lieut.. Creole was committed In western Me-
braska In 1860. From boyhood days he had
been noted as n hunter, and during the years
which he spent in the scouting service his
splendid craftsmanship and extraordinary
achievements In the pursuit OF game earned for
him the reputation of being the best hunter
west OF the Missouri River.
Here is tho story us I had 1t from Creede's old
friend. 1t was this incident which first gained
for him the full confidence and u~nstinted admit
ration OF tho Indian scouts:
"Game, through some cause. was very scarce
near our cnmp. and one day Creole saddlcd his
favorite horse and rode southwark determined
to got meat of somo kind before returning. He
went about fifteen miles from camp. and after
hunting some four or five hours without success
made up his mind the game had all left the
country. and started to return by n circuitous
route. desiring to cover as large n scope OF
country as possible and get some meat
IL IL was mt all to be found. After
travelling perhaps an hour through tho
sand hills lie came upon n frosh trail
OF pony tracks. and knew the tracks were made
by Indian ponies. aud hostile Indians, too. for
mono OF our scouts were away from camp. He
determined to follow the trail and ascertain II
tho ponies all bore riders, and, IL possible, to get
close enough unobserved to see from the APP
pearance OF the Indians who they were. They
were headed in the direction In which he d.
sired to go. and. after tightening up his saddle
cinches and looking To his pistols, he took up
the trail. lie Judged from the trail that there
were about twenty-five or thirty Indians In the
party, and soon learned that his estimate was a
nearly correct one.
when he reached the top Of the first littis
hill he came In full view OF the party not moro
than a quarter of a mile distant. They saw him
at the same time, as he knew from the confu-
sion in thcIr ranks. His position was n critical
one. If he tried to run they would scatter and
get him, and in less time than 1t takes to tell
1t he had made mis- plan and started to put it
into execution. He saw that his only chance.
though desperate one, would be to make them
believe lie was the hend Of a party in their
pursuit, and, taking off his hat he made fran
tic motions to the rear, ms IL hurrying up q
to Ills horse. dashed right toward them, and
his rifle. The plan worked beautifully. for with
out firing II shot they seemed to become terror
stricken and fled on through the hills. The
course Law through low sand hills which often
concealed them from view, hut he scout pressed
fully, three miles; two Of them died; he cap:
tpred three ponies which fell behind. and
found it hard to make the scouts believe his
story: and some Of them quite. plainly hinted
had seen no Indians. Crecdc saw Mt once that
they doubted him; and determined to convince
The next morning h. took a dozen or. more OF
them and went eaGs % the scene q the chase.
had left OF the two bodies.
THAT affair firmly established his reputation
on his juisment as a war chief" ''' JULIO"
One day At sunset Lieut.. Creole rode out
guarding the builders Of the Union. Pacific
Railway. Creole was, and is yet. for that
sns.. and u famo ,nts ri dses sh"f; S ag's skil fe esns and ID
good, play. as it did in later, years when no
IT was CUSTOMARY for some one to take a look
ss0Gi at the close LOSE OF day la to see II any stray
covering a half dozen acres Of ground; Through
haps. nm elk or deer might he seem; but
nothing worth shooting wns sighted. till sud:
tho wood and on the banks OF the Platte; Look
ing across the stream he saw a small band Of
glasses showed him that there were seven OF
ment he could see that they had a majority Of
six over hi party; They were riding slowly IL
that they intended to cross over, Kill the guards,
and capture the Government horses; His first
cinInr Of trees between him aud the indians,
AID arrange a r%cccption FOR the SIOUX.
The river was half n mile wide and three feet
deep. Horses can't travel very rapidly In three
feet of water.
In a short time they had reached the waters
edge. and the scout conld hardly resist tho
temptation to await their approach. dash out
That was dangerous, he thought; for ii. he got
9ns there would sun be hall 2 dozen bullets 70
tns bank. lie lie co s'"Tsi 'f IN the OUT grass
until the enemy was within Sixty
wards of him. then stand I'm and work his Wins
chester. The first shot would surprise them.
second sHex % would i Snow a. Item snei where tr,i hs wars ls.oa and The, Inc
third shot would leave but four Indians. BY tho
time they swung their rifles mp another would
shore. with his rife working. was as good as
three frightened Indians in the river.
Thus reasoned the scont. and he crept to the
shore Of tho stream, lie had no time 10 lose. as
the Indian, ponies had finished drinking and
As tho sound OF the sinking feet of the horse.
grew louder the hunter was obliged to own .
his horse without their seeing him, he thought
II would DO as well to return TO canlp, and, re-
head above tho grass, and then he saw how nse-
less it would he to attempt TO fee, for the In
away. Realizing thar no was IN for it, he made
up his mind 10 remain in the grrss until
siSlc to miss them. Nearer and nearer soun%ed
the plunkcty PUNK, OF, the unshod feet OF tho
they seemed to be in short rifle range, and tho
trained hunter sprGng TO his feet. lie had reck-
onr1 wei: Tor tns imu'nhs we're NOT nvsr SHY
In the littlo grove; the lend lcapcd
out and the head Indian pitched forward
short. The rife cracked again. and the
second red man rolled slowly from the saddle.
so slowly that ne barely got out OF the vay 10
time to permit the next brave, who was almost
directly behind him, to get killed when It was
his turn. The remaining four Indians, instead
of returning the fire, sat still and stone-iike;. no
terrified were they that they never raised .
hand. Two more seconds; two moro shots
from the rifle OF the scout, and two moro
Indians went down, head frat. into tho
stream, Panic-stricken, the other two dropped
stream with all their might. They kept an eye
on the scout, aud at the fash ~ his gun they
duCkcd their heads and the ball bounded AWAY
over the still water. SOnn they were beyond the
reach Of the rifle. Returning to their own sido
Of the river, they crept away In tho twilight,
and the ever sad and thoughtful scout stood by
the silent stream, watching the little red pools
blood on the broad bosom Of the slowly run
ming river,
Three OF the abandoned proncos turned hack.