Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-07-03
AN ASSISTED CELEBRATION.
How Indians in Idaho "Held Up" u Fourth
of July Expedition.

On June 80, 1887, three of us boys,
John Murphy, John Porter and met
under a shed on the banks of the Cana
dian river to plan an expedition for the
Fourth of July. The place where John
Murphy and lived was Mt Darlington,
Idaho. John Porter's home was in
Fort Reno, just across the river, where
his father was first sergeant in X com
pany, Twenty-fourth United States In
fantry.
At the end of our meeting we deci-
ded to go to Silver City, about twenty
miles southeast of Darlington. We
started on Friday evening-unlucky y
day-in blackboard, so as to be there
Saturday, the Fourth.
Ina cracker-box in the bottom of the
blackboard was a goodly supply of
firecrackers, rockets and other fire
works. We travelled very slow, crossed
the South Canadian river, and struck
across the prairie. We had travelled
about thirteen miles when we were
startled by succession of yells and
rifle shots. Looking back we were
frightened still worse by seeing band
of Indians on horseback coming at us
in swift gallop.
"Whipup the horses" yelled Johnny
Murphy. 1 lashed the horses, and
they fairly flew over the even prairie.
All this time the Indians kept on yell
ing and firing. I thought it strange
none of us were hit, for we were in re-
volver range, let alone rifle range.
We managed, however, to keep the
same space between us and them,
neither gaining nor losing. Suddenly
we dashed into grove of blackjack
trees, and fifty yards to our left we
saw a house, and we drove the now
painting and sweating horses toward
it. 1t proved to be an old corncrib.
Out we all jumped and ran into the
crib, leaving the team on the left wing
of the crib. We had no more than got
inside and closed the gap when the
Indians dashed up.
John Porter fired thirty-two
caliber revolver Mt the crowd and
missed, bnt it had the effect of driving
them back. They retired about
twenty-five yards and soon began
shooting brands at the crib. We
thought our time had come, for we
could see no way of escape. But sud-
denly we were electrified at the ap-
pearance of series of strange lights
and then we heard sharp report,
followed by another and another
Looking on our left we saw pinwheels,
rockets, roman candles and firecrackers
going in every direction. The horses
were frightened and bolted toward the
group of Indians, carrying the fire.
works, for the brands had set fire to
the box in the bottom of the buck
board.
Imagine our surprise whel the
Indians commenced to laugh and yell.
Looking closer we recognized IL band
of Indians of Darlington headed by Il
Cheyenne chief named Short Tooth,
who now came forward with his hands
up, called to us and told us to come
ont. knowing him we'll, we came
out, and he told us he just wanted to
see what kind of warriors we would
make. He then complimented us on
being ''squaw' warriors, meaning we
were towards, because we ran like
buf1aloes, so he said.
We got our team and all of us went
on to Silver City together, where the
Indians were to engage in sham
battle on the Fourth.
Although we lost our fireworks, we
had good time anyway.-Edward
Ray, in Chicago Record.