The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1900-07-27
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
5 aGO!" An Episode Of Invasion !
By Franklin W. calkins. )
.Ax-AySny.ovceVov.e&eXo

TIME new Ell Dorado was in sight.
Gordon's party of IL tired frt n
tiersmen had mounted the high DIVIDE
which separates the sources OF the
Kunning Water from thoseot the 1ney.
eune. For five weeks the men mao
sboveled drifts. buffeted billiards. and
kent a constant vigil among the in
terminable sand hills. BY means, too,
Of stable canvas, shovels, axes, iron
picket pins and modicum OF dry feed,
they had kept in good condition the
splendid eight-mule team which drew
their big freighter.
In fact "Gordon's outfit" was a model
one in every respect, and probably no
similar body of men ever faced our
snow-bound, trackless plains, better
equipped for the adventure. And now
the muffled marchers cheered as Cap"
Gordon halted them. and pointed TO
blurred and inky upheaval upon the
far rim of limitless waste of white
The famous Black Hil<. veritable
wonderland, unseen hitherto by any
party of whites save the men of Gus
ter's expedition, lay before them.
Two more days and the gold seekers
would gain the shelter Of those pine
covered hills, where their merry axes
would "eat chips" until shelter, COM
fort and safety from attack were Sc
cured. Out of the bitter cold. after
weeks of toll and danger, into warmth
aud safety-no wonder they were glad!
AS yet they had seen no sign of the
hostile Sioux, but their frosty cheers,
thin and piping, had hardly been borne
away by the cutting wind when
moving black speck appeared on the
western horizon.
The speck drew nearer and resolved
itself into solitary horseman. Could
it be that single Sioux would approach
party Of their strength? They
watched the rider without anxiety.
They were so near the goal now that
no war party Of sufficient strength to
become a menace was likely to be gath
cred. They were equipped with an
arsenal of modern guns, with $4,000
rounds of ammunition. and had boosted
they were good TO stand off 300 Sioux"
Nearer and nearer drew the horse
man. his pony coming on IN rabbit-like
jumps to clear the drifts. Speculation
ceased. 1t was an Lntlian-probably
hunter strayed far from his village,
half-starved and coming to beg for
food. Well, the poor wretch should
have frozen bread and meat, as much
as he could eat-they could not stop
to give him better fare.
1t was as cold as Greenland. The
bundled driver upon the great wagon
slapped his single line, and yelled at the
piodding mules. Eleven buffalo-coated,
fur-encased men with feet clad in snow
packs marched at the tail of the
freighter. In such weather their cold
shooting irons" were left in the wag-
on, nor did they deem it necessary now
to get them out.
They were prepared for a begging
Indian. but the apparition which final
" rode in upon the monotony of their
long march seemed to them figure as
farcical as savage. AS the Sioux horse
man confronted them he lowered his
blanket, upcovering his solemn, bar
barian face, and, stretching out one
long arm, pointed them back upon
their trail.
"Go!" he said, and he repeated the
command with fierce insistence.
The big freight wagon ratified on,
but the footmen halted for moment
to laugh.
The Indian stretched his lean arm
and shouted, "Go!" still more savage
ly. 1t was immensely funny. Gordon's
men jeered the solitary autocrat, and
laughed until their icicled boards
pulled. They babe him get into drift
and cool off; asked him if his mother
knew he was out, and whether his
feet were sore, and if it hurt him much
to talk, and if he hadn't brother who
could chin-chin washtado?
His sole answer to their jeering, as he
rode alongside, was go! go! go!" re-
peated with savage emphasis and a
flourish of his arm to southwark.
The footmen were Flooding dozen
rods in the rear of their freight
wagon, and still laughing frostily at
this queer specimen of "Injun," when
the savage spurred his pony forward.
few quick leaps carried him up to
the toiling eight-mule team. His blanket
dropped around his hips, and a re-
peating carbine rose to his face. Both
wheelers- dropped at the first shot,
killed by a single ounce slug. A
rapid fusillade of shots was distrib-
uted among the struggling mules,
and then the Sioux was off, shaking
his gun and yelling defiance, his pony
going in zigzag leaps and like the
wind.
Men ran tumbling over each other to
get into the wagon and at their guns,
The teamster and two or three 9TH
ers who, despite the cold, carried re-
volvers under their greatcoats, jerked
their mittens and fumbled with stiff
fingers for their weapons. They had
not been neryed up with excitement,
like the Sioux, and before they could
bring their guns to bear, the savage
was we'll out upon the prairie.
And when these men tried, with
rife or revolver, to shot at the swift
~ moving erratic mark presented by
the cunning Sioux and his rabbit-like
pony, the cutting wind numbed their
fingers and filed their eyes with wa
ter, the glistening snow obscured
their front sights. and they pelted q
white waste harmlessly with bull
lets.
The anger which ragged in them
when they knew the Sioux had es-
capped scot-free was something fright
full. Six mules of the splendid eight
lay welting in blood; another was dis