The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-12-31

and after 4 long talk with Holmes he
told us that as soon as it was dark he
would slip out of the camp and try to
find the Gros Nentres and bring them
to our aid These Indians were her
editary foes of the Sioux and he had
no doubt they would be glad 70 help
Us. We buried poor White that even
ing, digging the grave in the center
of the corral. Revois sneaked out OF
the camp about 9 O'Clock, and after
listening for an hour or more for the
sound of his gun-he said be would
shoot If the Sioux discovered him
We put on a guard of twenty men, and
| the rest lay down to get little sleep.
''Revois did not return for four days,
and during that time the Sioux came
up every morning and evening. and
sometimes oftener. One day a lone
redskin On foot was seen approaching
the corral. We let him come in. and
he began to talk and make signs. but
of course we could not understand
him. The cook gave him a plate of
food ana cup of coffee, and while he
was eating we saw three more of them
coming up; and as they neared the
corral still another little band appear
ed, all of them on foot ard without
any arms in sight.
All hal said Holmes. That's
your game, is it? Boys, just grab
that fellow and tie him up
The minute we seized the fellow
he gave q loud y2ll. and the others
who were coming up turned around
and ran back as fast as they could,
and we helped them along with a few
rifle shots. The boys we're feeling
pretty blue over Whites awful death,
and many were in favor Of killing our
captive to avenge it; bat it seemed to
most of us a cowardly thing to do,
and we finally compromised tie mat
ter by shealing off his flowing locks
and letting him go. This was the
most insulting thing we could have
done to him, and, although he never
uttered a word or fiinched while un-
dergoinS the operation, the expression
on his face satisfied us that he was
suffering as much as if we had killed
him by incnes.
About midnight of the fourth day
Revois came in with 300 Gros Ven
tres: he had found their camp over on
the Missouri at Cow Island, and they
had been greatly pleased to have a
chance OF battle with their old enc
mics. Revois said they had left their
horses about five miles back, in charge
of tifceen or twenty young men, who
would be on the lookout and bring
them up as soon as the battle opened.
We told him from which direction
the Sioux came when they charged
around Us every day, and little while
before day he went out and placed
our allies in the form of an inverted
Y; at the apex wide gap was made
for the enemy to enter: at the mouth
Of it was cur corral. The Gros Ven
tres showed considerable skill in con
cealing themselves on that seemingly
bare praire. Where the grass was
short they covered themselves with
armfuls of it which they plucked
others got into little hollows or behind
clump of sage brush, while few
burrowed into the ground like bad
ger. At sunrise [ got upon a wagon
and looked carefully for a sign of them
but none was to be seen.
No breakfast was cooked that
morning; we were too excited to eat,
andimpatiently waited for the Sioux to
appear About 9 o'clock they came
in sight, gracefully riding their pran
eng ponies. and shouting and singing.
as usual. We fairly held our breath
as we watched them, fearing they
would discover the trap laid for them
and escape. But on they came. never
thinking that they were, many of them
riding straight to their death. Sud
denly the GrOs Nentres, with yells of
joy and hatred, sprang up and closed
IN behind them, and the two long
wings advanced, shooting their guns
and arrows as they charged.
"EOr a moment the Sioux paused,
and then, realizing the situation,
swept down the ever narrowing lane
as fast as they could urge their
horses. Already many of them
had fallen, and as they came on, they
began to drop faster and faster They
were SO thoroughly surprised and
frightened that they did not try to
fight. but thought only of escape We
were now to have our chance at them,
and as they swept by on each side of
us We emptied our rifles and revJlvers
at them, tumbling a number from
their saddles and sometimes bringing
down both horse and rider with a
thud. In minute they had passed
beyond our range, and we rushed out,
each Of Us anxious to secure a shield or
other trophy of the fight The Gros
Nentres were busy scalping the dead
and wounded, finishing the Job by
Draining each one with their war clubs
to be doubly sure be was a dead Sioux.
In little while their rear guard
brought up their ponies and they
mounted and rode off on the trail of
the fleeing enemy Whether they
overlook and killed any moro or not [
never knew.
Breakfast over. a lot of us went out
10 look for the cattle. which we found
contentedly grazing from two to four
miles away. By o'clock we were
again strung out on the trail Toward
evening our allies began to come in,
and we camped early and helped the
cooks prepare supper for them. As
soon as it was dark they built huge
fire in the center Of the corral and had
q scalp dance We all sat around,
looking on, and not few of rs were
rather uneasy. especially those, like
myself, unused to Indians and their
ways As they danced by MS they
would swing their war clubs over
our heads or point their guns
and arrows at our breasts. Suppose
they should attack Us, l thought, wnat
show would we have against 800 arm
ed Indians? Revois, however. assured