Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-02-06
Chased by an Indian
How Utah Boy Saved His Scalp His Pony, and
His Freight Reniniscence of the Black
Hawk War.

with me now / could see he meant
mischief, and III tell you | thought thick
and fast. | thought, he wants the mare,
the balance OF the tobacco and the
matches, and II | 90 with him in all
probability he will Kill me II he thinks it
the best thing to do. Think | should
say did, and as we looked into each
others eyes, could see the devil in him
only too easy, and my thoughts ran out
to home, my mother, my fair young
sweetheart at the herd house, my play
mates, and for plan TO escape from
this Indians clutches.
Gas quick rs thought said to him as
quietly united the handkerchief Let
me have the knife to cut you Oh another
piece of tobacco" held out my hand
towards him. Ny GOODNESS threw him
of his guard. As he placed the knife
In my hand, my heels struck the mares
TANKS and shouted 'gon She sprang
forward. The Indian vainly threw out
his disengaged arm TO catch me, but The
sudden saring OF the mare pulled him
from his pony, and he fell to the ground.
In minute he was on his pony's back
in pursuit OF the. He sent two arrows
after me, the first passed to my right
seemingly floating through the air, the
rapid pace OF the mare appeared to les
sen the rapidity OF its flight. The oti er
fell harmless in my rear.
az leaned forward close to the mares
neck, urging her to her best pace, and
as she responded to my voice we seem
ed to fly. and all fear OF being overtaken
was gone from my mind Right before
me was big hollow, and the road led
around its head, while there were trails
that took down and across it. AS
looked back | saw the red devil OF an
Indian plunge down one OF the trails to
cross the hollow, with the view OF head
ing me off.
"Again urged the mare to do her
best, and away we went like the wind,
my new knife clutched so tightly in my
lett hand that it was hurting me, but
did not realize IT. iel; the
motion OF the living machine be-
meath me, as it shortened and stretched
alternately, springing forward with light
hoois and muscles all on the strain.
passed the point where the Indian
should have appeared; and presently
looked back and saw him come on to the
main road again, some three hundred
| yards behind me.
81 checked the mares pace a little,
| and waved my straw hat to him with a
| spirit OF bravado-but was thankful at
heart that was out of his power, and
| in twenty minutes more was in camp,
being scolded for letting that d. 'Ule'
| get away with so much OF the tobacco.
Although the experience | had Just
passed through was laughed at by the
men as a joke; for all that, shall always
believe ran narrow risk Of losing my
| lie at the hands OF that Indian; and that
| the owner of the mare would have lost
her, had it not been for my ready wit,
which also saved my new knife, and in
all probability my scalp.
"The Indians who killed the stage
drivers in Cedar Valley, a year or so
| after this, came aud talked with me and
! my companion herder while we were
with our sheep, and soon after they had
left US we heard the report of the gun,
that killed these men. Why did they
not kill me? Why did they not kill all
the settlers at Provo in 1851, when the
bottom from the old adobe yard to the
dugway was full OF them2 Why did
they not kill our people when they
swarmed into their camps while
crossing the great plains in IS47
and Tor many years aiterwardl
The same answer to any OF these quas'
tons will apply to all. President
Young's policy WON'T was better out
of our small supplies to iced them
rather than fight them, and my offer OF a
second division of the tobacco wa.
following on closely in that line. have
always thought it a good policy and
possibly saved my lie" Here the
narrator stopped.
Mr.. Editor, the history of Utah has
J been written. But there will die GU
with many Of the Pioneer settlers here
incidents that will never be recorded
full OF interest and sparkling with brav:
deeds The veterans of the Blacl
Hawk war, may not fill the romanti,
imaginings OF young girls mind re
garding an engagement, but all that wa
needed was for Captain Pages com
mand, which held position tor over Z
month between Richheld and Glenwood
in Siever county to have been attacked
by a sufficient number OF Indians anC
wiped out OF existence then in story auC
verse they would have received the at
tention we now give to brave Custer anC
his men. A monument to their memory
would have been erected on the spot,
where now the hollows OF the rifle pits
they then dug are no more to be found
And yet these men did their duty well
Let our Legislators think o. this, and
lose no time IN appealing to Congress tC
discharge the debt the nation owes tC
those who still live and who did theil
duty TO their country in those early DAYS
albert JONES