The times., 1897-06-13

the rivers and amid the lakes and sw lamps
OF the South and West, while great flocks
of wild turkeys feasted and fettened on
the hazel aud pecan nuts in Indian Terri
tory and Northern Texas. The mountain
streams were filled with fish, and among
the foothills Of the Rocky Mountains We're
black, brown and grizzly bear in abund-
ance: bands of elk and antelope and herds
OF dee: ranged at VIII along the streams,
while at times the great plains were fairly
covered with vast herds of buffalo as far as
the eye could reach. SO vast were these
herds that was once five days in passing
through what was known then as the great
Southern herd
What said one of my friends, could posi-
bly, have destroyed them? 1t was simple
enough. Up to 1860 only sufficient buff alo
were killed TO supply the demand for hunt
ers use and for buffalo robes. Then some
one made the discovery that buffalo hide
made capital sole leather. Instantly the
demand for hides sprang up. The Kansas
Pacific Railway was ready with transporta-
tion TO the Eastern tanneries. The people
were poor, the buffalo were easily slaugn-
tered and skinned, ana from one station on
tie line of the railroadi it is said that 210 :
600 hides were shipped East In one year.
1t is easily seen what became of the buf-
falo.
AT the time OF which write the Indians
had every advantage in a campaign. They
were well mounted; the plains were full OF
game in fact, they could easily subsst
upon the country-they knew all the trails.
and they We're well armed and had an
abundance of ammunition. Their partial
q 4 4. A.
confident and arrogant, and the construc-
tiCn of the Union Pacific Railroad through
their hunting grounds exasperated them
TO the highest degeee In S6S they started
on the warpath and harriedthe entire North
western frontier. The troops were prompt
ly thrown forward, and the struggle for
supremacy on the plains began. For at least
two years prior 70 the time of this general
outbreak rauch trouble had existed between
the settlers and the Indians. Murders of
settlers by rowing war parties of Indians,
repnsals by the settlers, and engagements
now and then between the Indians and
small detachments of the troops, with vary
ing successes and defeats on both sides had
developed had blood aud no small amount
of hatred between the whites and the ai,-
origincs.
At this late ia V it is useless to discuss the
causes tnatle1 to this state of affairs. That
there were faultsin abundance on both sides
there is little or no doubt but taken in its
entirety il was the advance OF civilization
against barbarisrn, with the result OF the
survival Of the fittest-a harsh, cruel, but
seemingly law, thathas obtained
since the dawn OF creation. Placed in com
mand of a body OF frontier scouts, IL fell to
my lot in this campaign to encounter the
Northern Cheyennes On the Arickaree fork
OF the Republican River in afight that la ST
ed three days They were led by their great
chief, Roman Nose, man who seemed To
embody in himself all that was great In a
savage warrior. A personal description Of
him, written by Gen. j. h. Fry, in his
book entitled Army Sacrifices,'' Is, be-
lieye, the efinestdescriptionof anIndian war
rior ever penned, and | copy it entire. 1t
was written by reporter on the occasion
of a council held between the Sioux and
Cheyennes and Gen. Palmer, OF the United
States Army, at Fort Ellsworth. in S66:
Roman Nose moved in a solmen and ma
jeStic manner to the center OF the cham
Der He was one of the finest specimens of
the uptamed savage, and il would be
a veritable man of war, the shock OF
battle aud the scenes OF carnage and cru
city were rs the breath of his nostrils
About thirty years of age, standing 81 x
feet three inches high he lowered giant
like above his companions. He had a
grand head with strongly marked fea-
lures, Which were lighted by pair Of
fierce black eyes, a large mouth with
thin lips. through which CLEANED rows of
strong White teeth, and a large Roman
nose, with diiated nostrils, like those OF "a
thoroughbred horse, attracted fixed at
tention while broad chest, with sym
metrical limbs. on which the muscles un-
der the bronze of the skin stood out like
twisted wires, were some OF the points ns
this splendid animal. Clad in bucksilin leg
gings and embroidered moccasins, with a
single eagles feather in his soalp-ioek,
and that rarest of robes, W white buffalo,
beautifully tanned, thrown over his naked
shoulders, nc stood forth the grsat war
chief OF the Cheyennes.'
/ met this warrior, "a havebefore stated,
while was in Command of q body OF fifty
frontier scouts, with which had been pur-
suing Indians for more than a week
They had planned an alnbuscade for me.
which had avoided by encamping earlier
than they expected, and accordingly they
attacked me by an attempted surprise at
daylight, while l was encamped On the
bank of the Arickaree fork OF the Republi-
can River. Realizing that they were too
strong for me-they numbered nearly a
thousand warriors-I took refuge on little
island in the midst of the stream, tied my
in To. = no htsch hos hrox m
rifle pits and prepared to defend myself
as best l could
Within the limits OF this article I can
only give the details of Roman Nose S splen-
did charge, andI copy nearly verbatim from
an artcIe written by myself for Harper's
Monthly in June, 1895: I'VE had not long
to wait peal of the artillery bugle,
aud at a slow trot the mounted warriors
came slowly into view in an apparently
solid mass at the foot of the valley, halting
just by the Eiouth of the canyon on the op-
posite Sids; of the river from which we had
emerged the preceding day. l had placed
my back firmly against the little earth
work My rifle lay across my chest, and
my revolver lay on the sand beside me.
Closely watching the mounted warriors,
saw their chief facing his command, and
by his gestures, evidently addressing them
i'll a few impa sSioned words. Then waving
his hand in our direction, he turned his
horses head toward us, aud, at the word of
command, they broke at once into full gal.
lop, heading straight for the island. / was
right In my surTnse. We were to be aaui-
hilated by being shot down rs they rode
over u.s.
''As Roman Nose dashed gallantly for