River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-10-21
LITTLE KYUSE, =.
e. THE BRAVE.
THE ORPHAN PAWNEE ON
THE PONY EXPRESS.
there we're no railroads west

freight ON horseback between ST. Joe
and Sacramento. This service was
known a. the pony express Horses
swift and strong and riders brave and
enduring were employed, and relay sta
tions were set 80 miles apart across the
Great American desert.
of course the west was Wild at that
time. many riders were murdered aud
the letters and other valuable articles
taken and destroyed. Indians would
steal upon these little stations. Kill the
keepers and carry the horses away with
them, so that vhen the weary rider
arrived there was no one 10 take his
place. and after gazing AZ the black
ruins for a moment he would push his
tired horse on toward the next sta
ton
vt first it was hard TO find men who
were willing To face these dreadful In
iians for the pay offered by the com
Pany and equally difficult to get men
10 dwell alone In these solitary sta
tons to protect and care for the horses.
Away out in Wyoming there lived
trapper. known only by the name OF
Whipsaw a name given him by gam
bier IN Deadwood.
4 Sioux who had hidcouS scar upon
his face had come to this trapper's
camp ore winters day with a Pawnee
baby. naked and nearly frozen. The
Sioux wanted 10 sell the boy, and the
trapper gave him knife and kept the
child. The Young Pawnee was not
more than three years old when the
trapper took him from the savage.
warmed him. fed him and put moe
casins on his little brown feet.
Two years later Whipsaw went to
keep the station called White HOss for
the pony express. taking the Pawnee
with him The little fellow grew 70
love his white father and seemed to
conceive a bitter hatred for all Indians.
One day some friendly hunters called
~ the station The little relskiu
slipped ont quietly, cut the ropes and
let their horses go. vt another time he
attempted To shoot an Indian who had
stopped at the door. but could not
raise the rife. Like an Indians. ne was
ever alert. The scratch Of n prowling
hear on the cabin door or the cry Of
Zone wolf on a far-off Hill would bring
hear the hoofs of the incoming horses
beating the plains a mile away and
hong before his white master could hear
the faiuteSt sound.
"Kyu~e. kyuse" he would whisper
in the dead of night. He was an alarm
clock for the station. and at his warn
ing the rider who was resting there
would get Ip. throw saddle across the
back 81 his bronco and he ready To
SUatch Ne pouch from the man who
was then gaIlopinC down the trail.
The little PaWuee was never too cold
ar too sleepy 10 20 out aud welcome the
weary rider and pa the nose Of the
spent ste,d. saving softly the while
''kyuse. kyuse."
y Was The bny : great foHdneSs for
horses that caused Whipsaw To call HIN
Little Kyuse"
When they had kept the station q
yea title kvuse was known. bv repu
tatio al least. To every rider on he
a. ire route from -. Joe - Slc-a
meuto. Once he haG warned the men
who were sleeping a. The 60 Din. and
they had gone Cut Just 20 time to save
the horses that were ABOUT To be stolen
by Indians. The story OF the bows do
ings reached headquarters and the pres
ident OF the Pony Express company
sent short. Ugh; rifle to the young
watchman auJ 3. fore Nc was six wears
old he had killed wolf that came 20 the
station while he vas alone
one night Whipsaw woke and found
the boy sitting up in his blankets lis
teuiuC.
"Kyusc?" asked Whipsaw
NO kyusc." said the boy. shaking his
head and looking serious.
sleep" said the man. but the Indian
shook his head.
Wake mp. here. Bob. said Whipsaw:
'->uthiu's gain' wrong"
What is ii" asked the rider, rub
biup his eyes.
can't make out clear" said WHIP
saw. "but suthiu's wrong. This kids
ccckin' his ear an when tell him TO lay
down h. shakes his head.
Whipsaw lit match and looked at
his watch
..Lous time" said the boy. shaking
his heal. Long time-uO kyuse."
Then they knew what the child
meant. IL was one o'clock; the pony
express was an hour late. and the boy
knew that il was 81.
For another hour the two men sat
and waited for a sign from the bov,
who listened for the sound of the
horses feet. Presently the Pawuee
Crawled out, put his ear 20 the ground.
came back and shook his master.
"Kyusc?" asked Whipsaw.
Heap kyu~e," was the boys reply.
aud they understood. II was not the
lone rider. but a hand Of Sioux bent
upon mischief.
Little kyuse seized his rifle. slipped
out. and the two men followed him. To
guard against surprises of this sort
Nhipsaw had dug short trenches. deep
enough 10 hide man, all about the
cabin. and now. TO his surprise. Little
Kyuse planted himself in one OF these
holes. Without a word the two men
took places. one 70 the right. the other
20 the left OF the boy and waited. When
the robbers had reached n little sag in
the desert. some 500 yards from the sta
tlOn, they diSmOunted, and now came
creeping upon the lonely cabin. One
came crOuching 50 close TO Whipsaw
that he could almost have reached him
with his rifle barrel The trapper was
sore afraid that the boy or Bob might
open fire, for how was this child 10
know that he was waiting for the band
TO assemble near the cabin door before
attacking them? But Little Kyuse was
as wise in his first fight as a white man
would be at 2I The clouds were
breaking. and in the starlight they
could see the Sioux. six Of them. near
the cabin door. They liStened-one Of
them pushed the door open. Now an
Indian went in, cane ont moment
later. aud they all fled in at the very