The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-19

glasses to his eyes, and. sure enough, It was
Captain Jaek- his squaw and little girl.
Where are you going, Jack" asked the
had been causing ali the trouble.
Heap hungry" said Jack, deJectedly.
Guess go Clear creek catch fish,
A few hours later the old scout rode INTO
camp with his three prisoners. The capture
put an end to the Modoc war.
Drannan avenged the murder Of the Davis
family, which was a sensational horror OF
the plains thirty years ago. An inofensive
family Of settlers was killed IL cold blood
by a party Of Mexican greasers, who then
MADE on with their cattle. The deed was
laid to the Ute Indians
No" said Drannan, with his usual sa-
g4clty this is the work OF greasers- -
Lieutenant Jackson detailed him a SQUAD
of men and he started in pursuit. He tray
eled all day and about 8 o'clock at night
Black Bess shifted the air curiously
Here's their camp" said Drannan, tri-
umphantly. Sure enough, by the light or
the dying embers the little posse could dis
Germ the forms of the greasers. The caltle
feeding near were those taken from the Ia
Wis ranch.
ready" said the major to the Mexicans,
who pleaded abjectly, as they were sur
rounded. At the end of five minutes they
were lined up and shot.
Drannan was with General Crook at the
disastrous Black canyon fight, when 5000
cavalry and infantry were crowded down
in the canon.
Show me how to get into this canyon
said General Crook to me- the major re-
General I said. 7 can show you the
only place there is that you can take your
men in at, but l can't tell you how to get
EN- out.
IL, get 'em out the way I get 'em in
growied the general and he ordered the
Whole body forward, cavalry first. They
came out at the end of six hours, that is,
few cavalrymen, whose struggling retreat
f Was covered sTffo by the infantry which SUI
BEGAN WITH KIT CARSON.
Drannan started on his career from st.
Louis with Kit Carson in 1S47. He was a
boy of fifteen years old then and soon after
ward he killed his first Indian in South
Park, Colorado. Carson and another trap
per started out, leaving young Drannan in
charge of the dugout, with orders to kill a
deer and cook it for them by night. The
boy had heard old Kit say that if the In
dams came prowling around they would rob
the traps and destroy the camps. While
carrying the deer home on his shoulder he
spied three Indians. With no idea of the
danger, Drannan blaZed away and shot one
of the redskins. Then he lay down quietly
on his back behind log and reloaded his
rifle. Then he fired at one of the two re-
naming Indians, who were looking eau
tiously around, and knocked him over The
third fled with wild whoop. The boy Sc
cured the two scalps as best he could and
hung them over the door of the dugout. He
thought he would say nothing, but wait
to see Kit Carson brush his head against
them as he entered camp that night The
two old trapperS were aStOnished at the
boys story, and voted him full-fedged
warrior.
Drannan was not initiated into the tolls
Of the alphabet until he was twenty-one He
camped that winter with Kit Carson and a
young trapper in Colorado. After the day s
hunting was done old Kit would doze off to
sleep and the young Tapper would read
Robinson Crusoe" by the light Of a pine
knot fire. 1t grew monotonous for Drannan;
Say if you'll read out loud tonight Ill
gather up the pine knots and keep the fire
going" he said one day.
"All right said the other. Drannan was
completely enthralled by Crusoes adven-
George" he said. at the end of the en-;
tertalnment, ~ give you $lVo you
"oh, III do that for nothing" replied
George, and so the lessons were begun out
camp, and Drannan broke in the alphabet
and print as he would a wild broncho. He
has never yet tackled writing.
Drannan gives a stirring account Of his
first meeting with Buffalo Bill at the Plant
ers' House in Denver I'm the fifties.
II was walking toward the hotel with Kit
Carson" says Drannan. when a policeman
came running by. I deputize you to assist
me in arresting stage robbers in the Plant
ers House. he said. knew at once 1t was
the notorious Slade gang brought to bay. |
had left my side arms at the store, but
followed the policeman and soon found my
self in the row, Two of the gang made for
me. I backed toward the end of the hall
defending myself as best ] could, until /
reached the door and could back no further.
I spared with them for some time, when
one Of them struck a vicious blow that
grazed the side OF my face. / threw my
head back and knocked the whole top Of the
glaS door out: Just at that instant Colonel
Cody Buffalo Bill caught me by the
shoulders and jerked me through the win
dow. He then gave me one of his pistols
and said. Come on. pard and Wen clean
those fellows out and did After that
Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill and myself went
a ms