The morning times., 1897-03-09


at a gallop and headed away over the
plains. If / did not run upon some Of
the Indians in the first ten miles then l
should have nothing to fear until day
light came. For the first half hour
was nervous and apprehensive, but the
feeling gradually went away as the
horse settled down to his work, and by
and by 1 felt sure that had passed all
the immediate danger. Detached bands
were roaming all over the country
through which / must make my way;
but once clear of those training the
command there was little chance Of en-
countering others that night. AT the
end of two hours / struck a light to
look at my watch and compass. l had
been riding just two hours and had
been fairly true to the course. 1t had
all been left to the horse, and he had
seemed to reason that in riding to the
northeast we could be bound to ho
other place than Fort Wallace. About
once in two hours, from the first until
daylight began TO tbreak, l halted to
note the time and the direction, and in
the eleven hours / Jtraversed a distance
OF about sixty miles. Tie pace had been
moderate, but steady, and when day broke
and rode into a dry gully between two
ridges for brief rest, my horse was al
most as fresh as when he started.
The plains of the West are by no means
a level expanse, as youmay haveconceived
Tie earth is bl oxen into bridges, like waves
Of the sea, and the monotony is varied
Only thai the distance between the ridges
is greater or less. The soil may be alkali
or the ground may be hidden beneath the
outcrop of rock. AS you mount the slope
OF ridge you hope to sweep the country
with your eye 1t the crest but on reaching
1t you find similar ridge half a mile be-
Aond. Between all these ridges are gullies,
which carry off the rainfall. Into one of
these gullies, six or eight feet deep in
spots, led my horse, and was fortunate
enough to find pool Of water sufficient
for both. While he munched his oatsI ate
my hardtack and pork and had u smoke.
At the end of an hour crept out ana took
careful look about me, but saw nothing
to create uneasiness. When ! went back
found the horse lying down, and so took
another smoke and gave him a fun hour to
rest. ! meant to tide sixty miles to the
hard as we started off, and had just got
" Al
threw up his head, and gave me to know
that there Were Indians about. 1t needed
only one glance to find them. Curiously
enough, party Of ten warriors had been
hiding In the same gully, atout half
mile to the south of NE, and had left IL
al out the same time. Four OF them lad
scurried over the ridge to ride along and
head me off, while the rest followed on be-
hind and made no alarm. The four Indians
were coming through break in the ridge,
and Were only quarter Of mile away
as / got sight of them.
/ turned and saw those behind, and
the only way open was TO put my horse
square for the ridge, which at that point
was rs steep as house roof. He made a
gallant dash, but just as he reached the
crest wolf which W as lying up in bunch
of dried grass at the roots OF a sage brush
sprang up and bit him on the nose. In his
sudden fright the horse fell back lost his
equilibrium, and we went rolling over and
over down the hillside. ! could not kick my
feet clear of the stirrups in time, and am
sure the horse rolled over me three or four
times. | stood ten chances 10 one Of being
killed, but i was not even badly hurt,
While the horse escaped without a scratch
We had lost time by the mishap, however,
and while we lay in tangle after the
roll the whole force of Indians came up
and | was made prisoner before !
could fire q shot Sixty seconds after
flinging themselves off their ponies
was disarmed and securely bound, and
then followed a regular Fourth of July eX-
ultation, They had captured trooper
without anyone being hurt, and they Were
fun of rejoicing. An Indian appreciates
the ludicrous as we'll as the white man, and
the mishap brought about by the wolf was
thing TO laugh over. Taken all around they
were good -natuTed. and though they knew
] belonged to q command which was hunt
ing them down without mercy, they did
not display the vengeful spirit looked for.
Having been captured by detached par
| ty, it was their duty to hand me over to a
chief After half an hour of gloating and
rejoicing, I was moGntedon my own horse
my legs tied fast under his belly. my ell
| bows tied behind me. and when we set Off
| to the north one OF the warriors had his
| horse made fast to mine. could speak the
Sioux fairly well, but this fact repressed
They got it straight that was on my way
| to Fort Wallace from Custer in the field,
and INDUCED in the hope that my capture
| would result II his going no further west
| All were agreed that they had accomplished
| a big thngin capturing me, and that l was
sure TO die at the stake and furnish plenty
Of amusement. After ri tie OF about twenty
miles we came upon a party of sixty war