River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-06-14

had been /. hay and wood contractor
for many wears in the Sioux country,
and his word was law 10 this little
band.
There was no need TO argue that no
man could have even guessed at the
daring and disaster they had looked
upon. The performance had been
too appallingly simple and easy. 1t
had come as unexpectedly as the flood
of cloudburst or the bursting of a
gun.
While his men stood vengefully
watching the flying Sioux. Gordon
stripped himself of superfiuous wrap
pings. stocked his pockets with frozen
bread and cartridges, slipped on pair
of snowshoes kept for emergency,
frightened his belt, and launched him
self in pursuit.
Horse and rider were again no more
than a speck upon the vast snow
field. Gordon. with an express" rifle
under his arm. took the long. swing
ing stride of the accomplished snow
sheer. In an hour the speck upon the
snow had not grown smaller.
| Al high noon. by the sun, upon a
broad fiat where tall grass held the
snow. Gordon came almost within bull
| let range of the Sioux. An hour later,
among "a tangle of drifted ravines,
! there was an exchange of shots, and
the Sioux's pony dropped in its tracks.
The Indian lodged out of sight, and
| Gordon pushed warily on with grin
of hate under his icicles.
He took up the Sioux tracks, and
noted with satisfaction that the In
dams moccasined feet punched
through the light crust at every other
step In just a little while!
But he followed for an hour or more
among seemingly interminabie tam
gle of gullies without catching a
glimpse of the wary dodger. Then he
| that the artful rascal had escaped out
of range and out of sight upon wind
swept stretch of river ice.
Gordon ground his teeth and swept
over the smooth surface, sweating,
despite the sharp cold. from fierce eX-
ertion. At turn of the river he saw
the Sioux; but there were others, more
than a score of them, mounted and APP
preaching the runner. The mule-kill-
er's camp or town was close at hand.
Exhausted from his long run, Cor
don, in his own language, threw up
the sponge" He hastily sought the
cover of river drifts and scooped him
self kind of rifle pit. Then, with a
pile of cartridges between his knees
and slapping his hands to keep his
fingers ready for action, he waited,
meaning TO do what execution he could
before the end.
There was considerable parley among
the Sioux, and then only single In
dian advanced toward the white man.
This one came on afoot within gum
shot, then stopped and shook his blan-
ket, in token that he wanted to APP
proach and talk.
Gordon laughed. The situation
seemed to him grimly humorous. He
motioned to the Indian to come on, and
kept him well covered with his rifle.
\ moment later, however. he lowered
his gun.
Whatever fate awaited Gordon. he
knew that he stood in no danger of a
trcacherous stroke from the approach
ing Sioux. II was the chief, Red Cloud.
Gordon arose. and the chief came
forward with a hand outstretched.
My young man has killed your mules"
was Red Clouds greeting in the Sioux
tongue.
Gordon understood. Yes" he said,
and will not take your hand until
YOU have done right"
The grave old chief drew his blanket
about his shoulders with a shrug.
Now listen, he said. IF one of your
soldiers had approached IL party of my
soldiers and had killed all their horses,
and so crippled them and escaped. your
people would have made him a big cap
tain. 1t is so. My young man is very
brave. He did as he was told. You
cannot come here and take my country
not yet. | have watched your adj
vance and complained to YOUR soldiers
at White River. When | saw they did
not go out and catch you as our Great
Father has said they should do. sent
my young man to stop you. You will
find your soldiers at the three forks of
White River. Now go!"
And without another word Red Cloud
turned upon his heel and stalked away.
This time Gordon was glad enough
to obey the injunction to go" Three
days later hi little party filed in at the
military camp on White River. and
when. some time afterward, their boxes
of freight had been recovered, not so
much as a blanket or pound of sugar
had been taken by Red Clouds Sioux.