The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-16
HEROIC BOY SCOUT
Capt. Drannan, Dime
Novel Hero, in
Real Life.
INDIAN FIGHTER.
Tells Story Of His En-
counters With the
Indians.

ever made with a train. We got across
without losing a man and had only two
little skirmishes with the Indians.
When l got to the foot of the Sierra
Nevadas, about fifteen miles above the
spot where Reno now stands, tnth
known as the Verdi fork of the Truckee
river, we met Jim Beckwith and theh
babe the emigrants good-hy. jim Beck
with had advised the emlgrants TO go
to the Verdi fork route by way Oh
Beckwith pass. Beckwith and tnen
turned east My intention was to go
back to Fort Kearney to meet another
train Beckwiths intention was TO go
down to where Col. Elliott was SUI
toned to see him on some private BUS
mess. Col. Elliotts quarters then We're
near Reno. We both went to the col
onePs quarters and he asked us to "e-
main all night. During the CONVERSE
ton that evening the matter of scout
and a scouts duty was discussed. The
colonel said he had had hard luck with
his scouts that season as they were all
inexperienced and he had lost quite
number of men. Beckwith asked the
colonel why he didn't hire me as
scout?
he knows the Utes and every track
they make is familiar to him" Sald
Jim.
Now the reader will understand at
this particular time there were no IN
dians in the west who were greater
enemies to the whites than the Ctes;
Wherever a white man met Ute dl
that time, it meant a fight or a run
Col. Elliott finally engaged me to go
to work for him as government scout
I spent the next day in getting my
horses in shape and my saddle all
,,-l Aryt I
ready to start out on the morning OF
the second day 1 went to Col. Elliott
for orders.
"Oh, d-n it, go where you please"
he said, that's the way the balance
of them do"
1 got on my horse and started. !
had ridden fifteen or twenty miles ana
1t was probably o'clock in the after
noon when l discovered five Ute In
dams going directly toward the emil
grant trail. I was on high ridge at
the time, and they were in the valley
north of me. l soon made up my mind
from their actions that there was a
larger party behind them. 1 logged
along and kept track of them by RID
ing to the top of high hill and look
ing over until l saw them go lnto
camp, between shutdown and dark. Al
ter it got dark I rode my horse within
less IIldH d Audl lGl VI q lilAlC u - -
camp, tied him to a lone juniper tree
and crawled up near the camp. l
watched the savages cook their sup
per and finally they got ready to lie
down.
[ could not make up my mind just
what to do for quite While. L dld
not think it would look well for me to
go to headquarters to get assistance
to capture so small a band of Indians.
mind that
could get away with them myself; at
least | was determined to make des-
perate effort. I had my sheath knife
with me, and l had two single barrel
orse-pistols. 1 crawled up until
could see that four of the Indians lay
close together and that one lay alone
four or five PAGES away from the 9TH
| ers.
l decided to use my knife. Just as
| I was about ready to begin the attack
| one of the Indians raised up in sit
| ting posture and muttered something
| that I could not understand. l thought
| it probable that he had heard me, bu1
| I was mistaken, he was only dreaming
! He lay down again and was soon snor'
| ing. Silently l got to my feet and the
first and second Indians never moved
after I struck them. The third requir'
ed a second blow. By that time the
! fourth Indian was on all tours and
struck him three or four times before
I cut him down. l then jumped for the
lone Indian.
When 1 got to this fellow he was OF
his feet. He struck me blow owe
the head with a bow and knocked me t.
my knees. When I came to my feet n
struck me again and knocked me down
| I think he aimed to jump on me, but
grabbed him with my left hand AM
slashed wherever I could hit him. w
had a hard fight, but I got away witt
Il him.
I 1 got my horse and as there was
little spring of water near we botl
quenched our thirst. I then 'stake'
/ nv horse out to grass and sat dow
to wait for the moon to come up abou
III O'Clock. 1 then scalped the Indians
1 gathering up their blankets and ropes
tied them behind my saddle, got on m,
horse and drove the Indians horse
4 ahead of me.
1t was s o'clock in the morning whel
| I got to headquarters. l took my horse
to the corral, turned them owe
to the hostler an dthen started 10 TN
4 colonePs quarters to make my report
Il His first words We're: Where did yo
get those horses?" I pulled the Indi
/ ans scalps from my belt and said tina
had got the horses where 1 got tn
scalps.
saw that the colonel was out
hurnor from some cause, but l could nc
understand why, so I turned away
get my breakfast. While l was eatin
. the colonel sent for Jim Beckwith
d come to his quarters at once. Jim pro
L nounced the scalps Ute scalps, the
. went to the corral and looked at tn
horses and told the colonel that the
were Ute horses.
ii After breakfast I went to the coli
{. neTs quarters for further orders. &C
d Elliott. in the presence of Beckwit
= insisted that I tell all about the scrap
and when 1 had done so he told me thi
IS I would better go to bed and sleep tn;
I dav- l refused, calling attention to Il
nroba bility of another band of Utes
The wake of the small party 1t WI
decided then that myself and thr
n other scouts should go together
started that afternoon, after takll
+ three DAYS ratiOns with us.
sure enough, We found the band
TO- res the next evening 300 strOn
4, canned close to the emigrant trail
e; a. narrow little valley. We drew 10
T. to see who should go back after assis
lance and who should remain and wat
50 the Indians. It fell upon me to rema
~ and watch the Indians.
Next morning, after the scouts HI
y. left me. ] saw the dust rising down
the Humboldt valley in the directi
80, from which the soldiers should
u coming. At this time I had my hor
IN tied in a deep little ravine. so that
Gould not ba discovered by an India