Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-26

~ 49, -A.H 'RA' '1Aa N'H '
expect any Stations from the Great Father
II, he said. they would settle down and be
have themselves like good Indians, then
they might lock for food from Uncle sam,
but not before. Pointing TO the canno
on the parapet Of the fort he stated further
that unless they left the locality forthwith
he would blow them and their horses to
flinders.
Parade of Two Regiments.
This last statement did not make much
of an impression on the indians. who left
the fort fully intending to attack 1t, but a
little vancouver which the colonel executed
soon after that convinced them that IT
would not do to tarry longer in that neigh
borhood. The way in which he managed
ii was like this. The barracks were a Ions
building running almost the full length OF
the enclosure, and from their station on
the hills the Indians could see everything
that went on within the fort. one hour
after they had left the colonel ordered the
garrison out for dress parade, each and
every one Of us having instructions as to
how to act and what to do while the parade
was in progress.
THE line Of march was along the front
Of the barracks, and things we're so ar
ranged that in passing this building those
nearest 1t would fall out in a manner that
could not be noticed by the Indians on
the hills, hasten through the building.
and, reaching the other end on a dead
run. would slip out again and fall in line,
and thus continue in endless chain fashion
around and around. giving anyone on the
hills and looking down onto the parade
ground the impression that two regiments
we're passing in review instead OF foIr com
panies. We kept this endless chain revolv-
ing for nearly an hour. and the longer we
kept up the deception the greater grew the
commotion among the Indians on the hills
surrounding the fort.
AT first you could see that they did not
pay much attention to our dress parade, but
as one company after another continued to
pass in Uninterrupted succession they began
to get interested and 10 take note of what
was in progress in he courtyard BY the
time the parade was Dver the entire outfit
had gathered 10 the number of over 5000
strong watching us from the tallest Il he
three hills Ike a crowd OF spectators 1T a
circus. The effect on the Indians vss nag
.cal. They began taking down and packing
up their tepees and by nightfall The whole
outfit Lad left.
Drove Cattle Through BufaIOes.
Subsequently this same band went to
Fcrt stevenson, near the Yellowstone park,
where they stole several thousand head Of
cattle, upon which the soldiers and settlers
we're depending for their winters supply OF
meat. Al a result. the commander OF Fort
Stevenson had to send over to Fort Wads-
worth for another supply Of beef to make
up for what the Indians had stolen, and
my company was sent along TO escort this
herd Of over 1000 head Of cattle to Fort
stevenson. The Indians hung on our TANKS
from start TO finish and w passed through
a region that fairly swarmed with 5utfaloes.
At times we drove our cattle right through
herds that ran up into the hundred thou
sands, the animals opening to right and left
of us as we progressed.
/ "At night we put out a double line OF
pirkets. The officer who was stationed in
the center Of the camp used to call the
! piskets By number every BALI hour. oae
night. in calling out to the pickets around
the camp, No. 10 failed to answer, and
we knew. OF course, that something was
wrong in that quarter. Ordering out the
reserves. the patrol officer proceeded on
the double. quick in the direction Of where
No. 10 was stationed, and just before we
reached him we heard a shot. fastening
up to where this Vidette. a man OF the
name OF Brown, was stationed, we found
him lying nat on the ground, but unhurt.
He said chat he had just shot an Indian,
who was trying to steal upon and kill him,
and that the reason he had not answered
was that he did not want to let the Indian
know where he was located.
Search in the grass at the spot where
he stated the Indian had fallen revealed
a big coyote with a bullet through its
brain. Brown had mistaken the animal
for an Indian, and We had the laugh at
his expense. Nevertheless, it was very
fortunate tina things happened as they
did, for on our return to camp we captured
an Indian who had slipped in between
the lines and whom we caught in the act
Of cutting the lariats to which our horses
we're tied, with the object OF stampeding
them (you see, my company was a mounted
infantry organization.)
THE day before we reached Fort Stew
enson we came quite Unexpectedly upon
the very Indians who had stolen all tho
cattle at the post. They we're camped in
a ravine and wholly unaware Of our pres
ence in the neighborhood. We reconnoi-
tered the place, leaving our cattle under
a small guard, swooped down on the un
suspectlng Indians. killing many. putting
the rest to flight, and capturing all the
stolen horses and cattle. We thus entered
Fort stevenson the day following with all
the cattle and horses they had lost in the
raid some time before, but bringing with
us an additional thousand. In the engage
was a famous track animal. having won
northwest" rs