Iron County register., 1897-10-14
LITTLE KYUSE, ...
-. THE BRAVE.
THE ORPHAN PAWNEE ON
THE PONY EXPRESS.
"HEN there were no railroads west
wv of Missouri or east of California

"THEN there were no railroads west
wv of Missouri or east of California
they used to carry mail and light
freight on horseback between ST. Joe
and Sacramento. This service was
known as the pony express. Horses
swift and strong and riders brave and
enduring were employed, and relay sta
tions were set so miles apart across the
Great American desert.
OF course the west was wild at that
time; many riders were murdered and
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 when the weary rider
arrived there was no one to take his
place, and after gazing at the black
ruins for moment he would push his
tired horse on toward the next sta
tion.
At first it was hard to find men who
were willing to face these dreadful In
dians for the pay offered by the COM
pany and equally difficult to get men
to dwell alone in these solitary sta
tions to protect and care for the horses.
trapper, known only by the name OF
Whipsaw-a name given him by gam
bier in Deadwood.
a Sioux who had hideous scar upon
his face had come to this trapper's
camp one winters day with Pawnee
baby. naked and nearly frozen. The
Sioux wanted to 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 to
love his white father and seemed to
conceive bitter hatred for'an Indians.
One day some friendly hunters called
at the station. The little redskin
slipped out quietly, cut the ropes and
let their horses go. At another time he
attempted to shoot an Indian who had
stopped at the door, but could not
raise the rife. Like all Indians, he was
ever alert. The scratch of a prowling
bear on the cabin door or the cry of
lone wolf on a far-off hill would bring
him from sound sleep. He would
hear the hoofs of the incoming horses
beating the plains a mile away and
long before his white master could hear
the faintest sound.
"Kyuse, 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 up, throw a saddle across the
back of his bronco and be ready to
snatch the pouch from the man who
was then galloping down the trail.
The little Pawnee was never too cold
or too sleepy to go out and welcome the
weary rider and pat the nose of the
spent steed, saying softly the while:
"Kyuse. kyuse."
It was the boys great fondness for
horses that caused Whipsaw to call him
ss'Little Kyuse."
When they had kept the station
wear Little Kyuse was known, by repu-
tation, at least, to every rider on the
entire route from St. Joe to Sacra-
mento. Once he had warned the men
who were sleeping in the cabin, and
they had gone out just in time to save
the horses that were about to be stolen
by Indians. The story of the boys do
ings reached headquarters and the pres
ident of the Pony Express company
sent a short, light rife to the young
.watchman, and before he was six years
old he had killed wolf that came to the
station while he was alone.
One night WhipSaw woke and found
the boy sitting up in his blankets lis
tening.
"Kyuse?" asked whipsaw.
"No kyuse," said the boy, shaking his
head and looking serious.
"Sleep," said the man, but the Indian
shook his head.
awake up, here, Bob" said Whipsaw;
..suthin's goin' wrong"
..What is it?'' asked the rider, rub
bing his eyes.
Il can't make out clear" said Whip
saw. .sbut suthin's wrong. This kids
-cockin' his ear an when ! tell him to lay
down he shakes his head
whipsaw lit match and looked at
his watch.
Long time." said the boy, shaking
his head. Long time-no kyuse."
Then they knew what the child
meant. 1t was one o'clock; the pony
EXPRESS was an hour late, and the boy
knew that it was so.
For another hour the two men sat
and waited for sign from the boy,
xho listened for the sound of the
horses feet. Presently the Pawnee
crawled out, put his ear to the ground,
came back and shook his master.
aKyuse?" asked Whipsaw.