The record-union., 1897-07-16

1--WE went into the station and called
up Redfield. The information that
was licked back to us caused the rail-
road man to jump aboard the waiting
train with the words to the engineer:
Make Redfield quick The train shot
out of the depot and up the track like
q flash, and / hurried off to the house
hold where 1 was making my home.
quietly informed the head of the house
as to what seemed likely to occur, and
then went back to the sounder, never
getting out of earshot Of it for the next
three hours.
THE wires were getting hotter and
hotter, and l knew they were having
great excitement not only at Redfield,
but at other points along the line where
the rumor had spread Finally 1 heard
a dispatch to General Miles in st. Paul,
who was then in comand of the Army
of the Yellowstone, acquainting him
with the situation. Then came his re-
ply. Later on messages flashed to the
commandants at Forts Bennett and
Yates ordering out scouting parties to
round up all the Indians whom they
might find improperly away from the
reservation. Later word came from the
superintendent to alarm the town, and
it was done. Our people, though some
of them felt that they were about to be
slaughtered by Sitting Bull and his
tribe of warriors, were wonderfully cool
and deliberate, and to man resolved
to stick to their homes and die game.
'In half an hours time probably the
most unique collection of shooting irons
ever seen was resurrected. I think
some of them came over in the May
flower judging from their ancient type
and mechanism. With the swapping of
old flintlocks. the printing of rusty,
double-barreled pistols and blunder-
busses of every conceivable type, it was
an astonishing fact that no one was ac-
cidentally killed before a red man
showed up.
'It was not long before some of the
couriers sent out to investigate the real
state of affairs were given the facts,
which revealed q most ludicrous situa-
ton The couriers at a point near
where Faulkton now stands met sew
eral members of the expedition which
had gone land hunting, and without
recognizing them asked if such-and-
such a person had been seen on the
prairies The particular individual in
quired after was one who had been a
member of the land exploring expedi-
ton. Early in the progress of the
party toward the interior the fellow
had betrayed an abnormal fear of In
dians. One night, while the company
was sitting around a campfire, the
practical jokers of the party reeled off
a lot of yarns of the most blood curd-
ling character, and, noting the effect
on the timid homeseeker, they resolved
to enact realistic climax to the situa-
tion which they had worked up.
They arranged that, after describ-
ing the accustomed approach and at
tack of Indians, they would wait until
the fellow was well asleep. when from
a distance on the plain a fusillade from
a half dozen rifles would be fired si-
multaneously, to be followed by a
series of yells and whoops well calcu-
lated to quail the stoutest heart.
THE victim closed his eyes under the
blanket, and at an opportune moment
the prearranged realistic play was en-
acted.
with the first shot and yell the
much worked up individual bounded to
his feet. Then came a denouement,
wholly unexpected, which turned the
joke on the jokers Instead of drop
ping in his fright, as he was expected
to do, the man leaped toward the near
est pony. The lariat was cut, and the
beast, no less startled than was the
man who mounted him, with bound,
turned and darted into the darkness.