The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-10

tenant Ledbetter. arrived and was drawn
Up N line between two buttes. or kDolls,
and at rest arms awaited the discharge
OF their task.
Crazy Horse and Standing Wolf escorted
by dozen picked Choctaw and Creek
braves appeared on the scene few mo-
ments later. The doomed chiefs were
dec!Sed In all the gaudness Of full war
paint, They glanced neither to the right
nor TO the left as they filed past the
platoon of cavalry and rode straight out
on the open prairie The escort of braves
fell back and sought positions among the
spectators 20 the side and behind the SOL
dlers.
AS Crazy Horse and Standing Wolf halt
ed 200 yards away, they presented pic
ture not 10 be forgotten. Stripped to the
skin, save for breechcloths, the daubing Of
wsr paint upon their dusky skins presented
the appearance OF suits OF crazy-qult pat
tern. The head of each was profuse with
jaaBty feathers. Neither showed the
slightest sign of trepidation, bu: looked to
the printing of his cartridges as carefully
as though charged with bullets. instead Of
mere blanks, and prepared for the death
as calmly as he would make ready for Il
ride In a tournament. Each was armed
with Winchester and two Colts revolv-
ers, all fully charged with blanks.
Upon the agreed signal, a shot from
the pistol of Captain Parker, Crazy Horse
and Standing Wolf, the heads of whose
horses and been turned from the troops,
wheeled their animals about and dug the
spurs into the tanks. The chattering of
the Indians on the hill ceased, the troops
were drawn up at attention, and the faint
beat of the hoofs of the approaching
horses gathering speed with every leap
forward, was plainly audible in the OPP
pressive silence which followed. On
rushed the horsemen. bearing down with
ever-increasing speed upon swift and in
evitable death.
One hundred yards now separated the
doomed from their executioners, who
stood with set faces, silently awaiting the
order to fire Suddenly Crazy Horse
dropped the reins upon his horses neck
and leveled his rife at the troops Stand
ing Wolf quickly followed suit. Above the
thunder of the racing horses arose the
crack. crack crack Of the Winchesters,
punctuated by the blood-curdling war
whoops of the chiefs. loud, fierce. defiant
Seventy five yards still interviewed be-
tween Indians and soldiers. The now
empty rifles OF the chiefs were hurled
aside. Drawing their revolyers, Crazy
Horse and Standing Wolf leaned far down
over their horses pecks to seek as much
protection as possible from the fire of the
troops.
Fifty yards LETT Above the rattie of
the revolver and the war cries of the
doomed chiefs arose the sharp deliberate
commands of Lieutenant LedLetter: Mako
ready Take aim,' An intense indrawins
of breath attended the fatal order: "Fire!'
heavy volley shook the hills and arose
above the din of the whooping Indians. A
moment the smoke hung over the scene.
When il had cleared every eye turned to-
ward where the braves had been last seen.
Crazy Horse lay still. his dead mount over
his body Standing Wolf lay less than
twenty five feet away from the soldiers.
The Choctaw was rot yet dead. He
raised his blood smearod face and looked
at the solders-a glance OF undying ha-
tired and defiance. Painfully he raised has
right arm, the revolver still in his grasp,
and pointed the weapon at the negroes,
who gazed. apparently without emotion,
upon the scene. The revolver cracked
spitefully, as II yoicing the last defiance
of the dying chief; the hand dropped con-
vulsively, and Standing Wolf was dead.
Two more good Indians" laconically
remarked a cattleman as ne turned to his
mustang; and in that he voiced the senti-
ment of every cattleman present.
All night long the squaws remained on
the hill beating their heads and breasts
and wailing the mournful death dance of
the Choctaws In the morning Crazy
Horse and Standing Wolf were buried in
the reservation cemetery. Indian honor
had been indicated!