The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-04

plenty. of grub. The third day out, and
when near the buffalo, they were ;'gob-
bled' by party of Indians and rough-i'
ly treated. Few people realize what
this means. Think, first, of your situa-
.tion-60 miles from a living soul, and in
the clutches of beings who care no more
for your life than does tiger for his
prey A savage bruteI less civilized
than when first found on the shores of
Lake Michigan 200 years before, whose
tribe would feast upon your death and
honor your murderers for heroes! And
as you think" you can almost feel
the scalping knife encircling your head.
'.Unlooked for-least expected, says
Mr. Hagaman, twas their presence, and
imagine our discontinue, our astonish-
ment on seeing them rise up out of the
ground, as it We're, less than half a
mile in front of u.s. Formed in two
lines, with military precision down they
come upon us with the fieetness of the
wind! Their bows are strung and the
arrows fixed, and the lancers pOiSe their
lances. The rifiemen bring the breeches
of their guns to their shoulders and raise
the barrel to a firing attitude as they
come near US. Accompanying these ac-
tons is that terrible savage Yell that
has no equal among human beasts as
evidencing fiendish hate, and who
would not be frightened? To say was
not frightened would be lying, but not
an Indian knew it. Did they, at first,
intend to kill US, or did they intend only
| to brighten us2 No one knows No one
/
intention I believe that, had we given
them the slightest affront or shown the
least fear, they would have dispatched
us at once. We went home without
any buffalo meat; and much less grub
| than Wa took with us.
There was a peculiar sort of a per
son. near neighbor of mine. who was,
for that early day, possessed of rare
was egotistical, and the bump of self
esteem constituted the greater part OF
his Uranium. You fellows said be,
i didn't manage it right. If you had you
would have had no trouble: the Indians
are all right And then he laughed
tantalizing laugh! Joe Berry was a
good fellow though, for all that. and in
my extreme friendship for him, and my
great confidence 90 had in his ability
to do the right thing on such an ocea-
sion. led me to almost hope l might see
his wonderful knowledge of Indians and
his courage tested. l was derned near
willing to again risk my own scalp for
the fun it would afford me- I never did
like vain boasting, any more than !
did the common braggart 1 planned
another hunt Immediately, invited Joe
and he accepted. My German friend,
who was with me on the other occasion,
had had plenty of dem buffalo hunts.
/ | and John NJ. ThOrD, another ne1ghDor
made the third party Each had his
own team of oxen, and I chose for our
route the same as we went over before.
We camped on the creek where we had
=
unmistal1able evidence that they had de
camped but few days before. The
) next day, late in the afternoon we
f crossed the Solomon and camped neal
that famous 90 .Wagonda spring
did some scouting while my companions
: were preparing supper, and saw whal
my eyes declared. to be an Indian, but
; my Judgment said it was not. Left Il
doubt 1 did not mention the incident &c
: my comrades The0next day we loaded
Z our wagon with the choicest of buffalo
t meat and made ready to start for home
the next day I had been in peculiar
. frame of mind all the tirne-that is,
Z wanted to be 'gobbled' by Indians, didn''
: want to be 'gobbled. afraid we wouldn
: be. ana devilishly afraid we were going
o. to be On the whole. l was quite willing
f to lose one lecl1 ofiIny hair just for thf
= fun 1 would have seeing my knight!
friend Joe work Inc red devils right
Between the vest branch of Lime
stone and the east branch there was al
{ island prairie, a rloYsly9splace,- where
fancied would like to live and end m.
days, and just as we reached the centel