The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-02-15

CO. L saw them drive their herds to
water, aud then turn them out on the
hills again to grazs. looked out over
the country and tried to think how best
to get away with some OF these horses
when night should come, aud how to
take some scalps to repay the wrong
these Sioux had done any people. 1
considered long, and then made up my
mind. ! said to myself: This shall
be the plan; we will do thus; il must
succeed. Late ia the afternoon we put
on our war clothes and painted our
faces. Then unrolled the sacred pipe,
and we smoked and prayed for sue
cess All the signs were right; We
had had good dreams continually.
Some had seen green grass, a sure sign
they would live TO see the summer
Others had dreamed of success in
battle; still others that they had talked
with their wives or relatives, aud so
would live TO meet them once more.
We all felt confident.
"When night came told my party
my plan and they all said il was good.
So when it was quite dark we hurried
down the hill to the river, for we had
not drunk since Intervening before.
After while We cautiously crossed
the river and sneaked into the timber
near the camp. We counted the lodges
and found there were more than a
hundred of them. We waited and
waited and watched the lights in them
die out, one by one, until all were dark
and the people probably all asleep.
Then we eircied around beyond the
hearing of the watchful dogs and
climbed the long ridge where the
horses were feeding. The moon arose
and we could see them quite plainly
by its dim light Soon each Of US had
roped and mounted an animal, and
then we rode about cutting out such
horses as were largest and strongest,
each man for himself, aud in little
while we had all we thought We could
drive. Bunehing them up, we drove
them out of the valley and started west
over the prairie at good speed.
awe travelled hard all night, stop.
ping only to change for fresh horses,
and at daybreak were long way from
the camp of the Sioux. Going down
into the river valley once more, we
sanded trail over the slippery ice,
crossed the horses, and building a good |
fire near the shore, stopped awhile to
eat and rest. Catching fresh horses
here, we started up a long ridge which
wound out of the valley. When al |
most at the top I selected ten men to
stop there with me, and told the Others /
TO go on toward home with the loose
horses, and to travel until sundowD,
aud then make camp aud wait until /
we should overtake them. Here where
We stopped little grove of pines COW
cred the ridge, and We tied our horses
in the centre of it out Of sight Then
we built some breastwOrks of old logs
and stones, and sat down to wait for
the enemy who We were sure were fol-
lowing our trail.
'rhe sun was far in the west when
we saw band of them far out on the
prairie across the river, coming toward
US. Their horses were already tired,
as we could see by the way they whip
ped them. Down the hill they rode,
across the river, stopped little where
we had built the fire and then slowly
walked their horses up the hill toward
our ambush. We waited until they
were quite close, and then all fired into
them, and rushed out sounding the
war cry. Three of them fell at our
first fire, and we shot two more as they
turned and rushed down the hill. We
were happy; We were revenged. We
scalped the fallen enemy with much
joy and secured their weapons. The
survivors were now far below US, al
most at the rivers edge. Suddenly we
saw them stop, turn and come back up
the bill at full speed, singing their war
song. We looked up and saw party
Of their comrades just riding down
over the brink of the hill; We were
surrounded. We rushed into the thick
et, united and mounted our horses and
charged up the hill. The party above
US was the smaller, and the way past
them was the road toward home.
"As soon as we cleared the pines
their bullets began to fly around US.
Our white brother-in-law was the first
to fall. He was quite dead before he
struck the ground. Then Ancient Sun
was shot; next Old Wolf. but now we
were meeting the enemy. Already we
had dropped four Of them out of their
saddles. We shouted the war cry and
rushed upon them. Hi vah The
Sioux are but dogs after all. They
could not face our charge, aud turned
and fed. Some jumped from their
horses aud ran and tumbled of the
steep sides Of the ridge into the deep
couIees; the rest turned and tried to re-
climb the hill. Two more of these we
shot, and the survivors turned off into
the cOulees, horses and all. We rode
on, we reached the summit Of the hill,
we waved our shields at the other par
ty. slowly coming up, and then struck
oIt for home over the prairie. We had
killed many of the enemy and taken
their scslps; we had driven of their
horses; but our hearts were sad. We
thought of our brothers lying dead
upon the hillside.
When Red Eagle concluded his story
old Running Crane unused thoughtful
" for little, aud then said, as he laid
the pipe away: "You did well, my
son. You did the best No one can
blame you Some day you viii go
again and revenge the death OF your
brothers,"
"Ah," said Red Eagle sadly, as he
arose and wrapped his robe about him,
81 shall go again."
Wolf-tail, the medicine man who
had interceded with the Sun to allow
this war party 70 return in safety and
triumph, who had lent them his sacred
pipe and medicine to shield them from
the dangers which beset their way,