Omaha daily bee., 1896-04-05
ON THE PLAINS IN THE COS
How Brave Young Officer Was 0ra7ed
Fighting Indians.
"A TRUE ROMANCE OF The WEST
singular DeIusion that TOOK Possess
sion of Lieutenant Muric-Thc
Dcmcntcd Mans Solicitudc
for His Young Wife.

For they were willy, wild and strong.
| Revengeful, fearless, fierce and fleet.
They murmured: Oh, revenge is sweet
When red men ride to right wrong.
While the Union Pacific was being con-
structed across the plains the government
scouts, mostly Pawnee Indians, were KEEP
busy guarding the laborers against the hos
tile hair-litters of the western wilds
1t was here that w. F. Cody won the title
of Buffalo Bill for upon his unerrng rifle
the workers depended for their daily meat.
Omaha was the headquarters for the west
ern department of the United States army,
and among the young and prominent officers
there stationed was Lieutenant Mure.
Read to me, Jim," said Mrs. Mure one
evening, as the young officer lighted his
after dinner cigar.
81 can't read long, my love-" said the gal
liant scout. 81 have just learned that there
is trouble out west and must be off to the
front. That beardless telegrapher, Dick, has
bsen here with an order from Major North,
| and they will run us out special at IL: 80
| tonight"
The lieutenant picked up a collection Of
poems and read where he opened the book:
| Tell me not sweet, I am unkind,
| That from the nunnery
| OF thy chaste breast and quiet mind
| To war and arms flee.
"Oh, JIM" she broke in, "why don't they
try to civilize these poor, hunted Indians?
| Are they all 50 bad? Are there no good
ones among them?
YES" said the soldier, with a half smile.
"They are all good except those that escape
in battle"
"But tell me, love- how long will this In
dian war last?"
"As long as the Sioux hold out" said the
| soldier.
At II o'clock that night the young lieu
/ III l.I
went away.
The scouts were stationed near Julesburg
which was then the terminus of the Union
Pacific track. The special engine and car
that carried Lieutenant Mure from Omaha
arrived at neon, the day after its departure
from the banks of the Missouri.
Murie had been married less than six
months. For many moons the love-letters
that came to camp from his sweetheart's
hand had been the sunshine Of his life.
An hour after the arrival Of the special
scout came into camp to say that large
band of hostile Sioux had come down from
the foothills, and were at that moment
standing, IL waiting-even inviting an
attack, and not a thousand yards away. If
we except the officers, the scouts were nearly
all Pawnee Indians who, at the sight or
scent of Sioux, were restless as Gagged
tigers. They had made a treaty with this
hostile tribe once, but the treaty had been
broken and many Pawnees cruelty mur-
forgotten, and when the government asked
the Pawnees to join the scouts they did so
cheerfully.
The scouts did not keep the warriors wait
ing long. In less than an hour, Lieutenant
Murie was riding in the direction Of the
Sioux, with N. G.. Creede, now famous as
the founder of Creede camp, second in COM
mand, followed by 200 Pawnees, who were
spelling, for trouble. The Sioux, as usual,
outnumbered the government forces, but, as
usual, the dash of the daring scouts was
too much for the hostiles, and they were
forced from the field.
Early in the exercises, Murie and Creede
were surrounded by party Of Sioux and
completely cut off from the rest of the COM
mand From these embarrassing environ
ments they escaped almost miraculously. All
through the fight, which lasted twenty min
utes or more, Creede noticed that Murie
acted very strangely. He would yell and
rave like a mad man-dashing here and
there, in the face Of tho greatest danger. AT
times he would battle single-handed with
half-dozen of the fiercest of the foe and his
very frenzy seemed to fill them with fear
When the fight was over Lieutenant Murie
called Creede to him and said he had been |
shot in the leg Hastily dsmounting, the |
anxious scout pulled off the officers boot, |
but could see no wound nor sign of blood |
Others came up and told the lieutenant that |
his leg was as good new; but he insisted |
that he was wounded and silently and sui |
lenly pulled his boot on. Then he remounted |
and the little band of invincibles started for !
camp. The Pawnees began to sing their |
wild weird songs of victory as they went |
along; but they had proceeded only short
distance when Murie began to complain |
again, and again his boot removed to
show him that he not hurt. Some of |
the party chafed him for getting ratified |
over little brush like that and again in
silence he pulled on his boot and they con-.
tinued on to camp.
niSmouDtinp Murip limDnd tn the r.
geons tent and some Of his companions fol-
lowed him, thinking to have a good laugh |
when the doctor should say it was all the re-
suit Of imagination. and that there was no
wound at all.
When the surgeon had examined the limb
he looked up at the face of the soldier
which was a picture of pain, and the by
ISLANDERS could not account for the look of
tender sympathy and pity in the doctors
eyes.
Can it be, thought Creede. that he is really
hurt, and that | have failed to find the
wound? "Forgive me, JIM" he said, hold
ing out his hand to the sufferer, but the sur
geon waved him away.
"Why, why-you couldn't help it, Nick"
said Murie. you couldn't kill all of them,
but we made it warm for them till / was
shot, You won't let her know, will you?"
he pleaded, turning his eyes toward the
medical man. "It would break her heart.
Poor dear, how she cried and clung to me
|
and let the country die for itself awhile.
Most wish | had now. Is it very bad, doc
tor? Is the bone broken?"
'"Oh, no." said the surgeon. IT'S only
painful; you'll be better soon"
Good Don't let her know, will you?"
They laid him on a cot and he closed his
eyes, Whispering as he did so: Don't let
her know
where is the hurt, doctor?' Creede whis-
pered.
Here" said the surgeon, touching his
own forehead with his finger. "He is crazy
insane"
All night they watched by Murie's bed,
and every few minutes he would rise sud
denly, look anxiously about the tent and say
In stage whisper: Don't let her know"
When he awoke the next morning he was
Indeed hopelessly insane. All he knew was
that he was wounded and that she must not
know.
A few days later they took him away.
He was never to lead his brave scouts
again His reason failed to return. / never
knew what became Of his wife. but | have
been told that she is still hoping for the
window of his brain to open up, when his
soul shall again look out and see her wait
ing with the oldtime love for him.
One OF his old comrades called to see him
at the asylum, few years ago. and was