The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-11-16

stars. 1t was perhaps FIVE minutes be-
fore l opened my eyes and found my
self lying on the ground. The Indians,
of whom there were three, must have
heard of me through Gray Wolf, for /
was one of the two men at the post who
could speak the Sioux dialect, and one
of them said to me;
IF you cry out we will kill you. Get
up and come along"
l staggered about as reached my
feet, and one of them took my arm to
help me along. With one leading the
way and the other bringing up in the
! rear we set Off in a western direction,
and We're soon out of hearing of the
axes of my comrades. For a time my
head throbbed and ached so that I
thought my skull had been fractured,
and we had some distance of two
miles before I fully realized that was
a captive. The one holding my arm
was the one who had struck me with
club, and by and by asked Of him:
why didn't you use your tomahawl
instead of club?"
Didn't want to kill you," he laconi-
cally replied "Have heap more fun to
burn you at stake!"
"Who is your chief?'
Gray Wolf chief of all now. He
know you. Go fast now and don't
talk"
The Indians had their war-paint on
and were well armed and had perhaps
been skulking about for two or three
days in hopes of getting hold of a
straggler. After rough walk of four
miles we came upon the ponies and
rough camp, and no time was lost in
mounting and getting away. I was or
dered UP behind one of the warriors,
and they left my hands and feet entire
ly free. While this was a favor to me
it did not tend to add to my chances of
escape. In fact, with an Indian ahead
and another behind, there was no show
whatever At the first move on my
part, I was warned over and over
again, would get bullet through me.
We rode about thirty miles in a north
westerly direction and then reached the
head village on the banks of White
Clay creek. A war party Of one hun
dred and forty men under Gray Wolf
was out, but the warriors, old men,
squaws and boys at home numbered
fully five hundred. AS we rode into
camp there was great excitement and
l looked for personal abuse but I was
safely conducted through the crowd
and confined in lodge in the center Of
the village. 1t was three days before
the band came tn and during this in
terval I had nothing to complain of in
the way Of food or treatment. After
Gray Wolf had toasted and smoked 1
was conducted to his lodge and left
alone with him. AS had seen him in
the guard house he was ragged, I'M
kempt and suffering. Here he was king
of tribe, and he looked it in word and
action. I saw his eyes light up in re-
vengeful way as I stood before him,
and it was two long minutes before he
said:
"They should have captured all your
men as well. We can burn six or
eight at the stake as well as one"
I had been wondering what sort of at
titude to assume towards him. That he
would remember to my credit what
passed in the guard house I did not
for q moment believe. To beg my life
would only be to win his contempt and
spin out the torture. In an even voice.
therefore, I replied:
"Gray Wolf was only a sub-chief
when I saw him last He is now chief
of all, and am glad to know it. Black
| Eagle was chief but not brave man.
He tortured oldiers at the stake instead
of shooting them"
ST was a dog under their feet at the
fort!" he said as his face grew hard and
wicked.
"And you escaped"
Here was an Indian who had been
born to hate a pale-face Every day of
his life he had been told they were his
foes-that he must have no feeling Of
mercy for young or old-that he could
invent no torture too cruel for those
who had overrun his territory and
brought death wounds to his friends
and relatives. At that moment he was
waging a war of determination, aud
outside his tent the young warriors
We're shaking fresh scalps in the air
and boasting Of their prowess. On the
other hand had aided him to escape
from a degrading Imprisonment and to
become what he was. He owed me a.
debt of hatred and one of gratitude. AS
a warrior he would have paid the first
with rejoicing. AS a chief he felt the
obligation of the last. The mental
struggle lasted fully ten minutes, and
there were times when the weight of a
hair would have turned the scales
against me. At length he said:
eyes, I escaped, and it is owing to
you. I heard that they wanted to i'm
prison you in my place. Gray Wolf has
never yet spared pale-face, and his
heart is full of hatred and revenge. 1
do not know what I shall do. 1 will
I take the might to think it over''
AS soon as I was taken back to the
lodge where had been confined there
was great excitement in camp. The
word went round that Gray Wolf want
ed to spare me. Every warrior raised
his voice in opposition, aud the talk"
which I was conferred upon lasted until
midnight I figured it out that the
chief would give me some sort of show
in the morning and then fell into a
. troubled sleep and did not awaken until
he sent for me at sunrise. A glance at
him seemed to show that he was in bit
ter temper.
IT wanted to send you back to the
fort" he began, "but my young men
talked me down. You shall not die of
torture, however. You are to be bound
to wild, fast pony, given a good start,
and if they come up with they will