The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1903-12-24
CHASED BY
DANITES
copyright, 1903, by c. z. Lewis. ]

and MOrmOn1Sm government freight
train which had reached Fort Bridger
and unloaded and was about to depart
again met with disaster. AS the mules
were being driven in thunderstorm
broke and stampeded the herd. A par
ty of us We're out looking for them
when we came to pass about 200 feet
wide. Suddenly the mules came down
as II running for their lives, and on
the back of one, riding man fashion
and holding her rifle in her right hand
and clinging with her left to neck
strap made from the skirt of her dress,
was a young woman-Aary johnson.
We drew aside to let the herd pass,
by we should have been dumfounded
by the queer sight.
"Danites! Indians. Look out" she
shouted And we turned our heads up
the trail just as body Of horsemen
came into view.
A quarter of mile in the rear of us
the pass narrowed suddenly to twenty
feet, and we fell back without delay
and dismounted. The other party had
halted at sight of US instead of charg-
ing, and before they advanced we We're
pretty we'll fixed to hold the pass
| There were q score Of stunted trees
growing on the rocky sides, and these
were uprooted and thrown down, and
every rock which could be moved was
tumbled into the pass. In ten minutes
we had it blocked. The girl came up
| from our rear just as one of the Dan
ties advanced with flag of truce.
She gave us her story in few brief
words and then crouched down behind
the breastwork to help US defend it.
The messenger claimed her as his law
full wife. He was very gentle in his
speech at first, but after finding that
we would not give the woman up he
declared that his force numbered
twelve Indians and six white men and
that none of us need hope to escape
death. What he said about numbers
was true, as the pursuing white party
had come across band of Indian hunt
ers and enlisted their services. We
knew what to make ready for when the
flag Of truce man departed.
The entire force charged us on foot
Every man of us had a pair Of Colt:
six shooters besides his rifle. We placed
the rifles within reach of the girl an(
used only our revolvers. She fired the
first shot from her own weapon, ant
her bullet killed a white man SO stone
dead that he never moved foot aftel
falling. An Indian was also killed by
one of us, and those We're the only
dead, but several of them must have
stopped and broke before reaching tn
breaStwork
The next move of the enemy was al
attempt to stampede their horses owe
us and to follow at their heels and talk
advantage of our bewilderment. w
presently suspected what they were III
to and gathered quantity of DIR.
horses and give them a rush they fire.
their guns and uttered dreadful yells.
At the first alarm we set the leave
ablaze, and as the horses saw the wal
Of fire they stopped short. We poure
our bullets into them as fast as possibl
: as they huddled together not over fit
feet away, and l do not believe tina
over three of the animals got away III
2 hurt. 1t went against the grain to do i
l but it proved to be the turning point i
the fight If not our salvation.
= Some Of the Indians were in our rea
I but without our suspecting it. tt
Dantes had probably promised them
few pounds of powder or an old rifle
help recapture the girl, but they ha
5. not counted on any one being killed {
h wounded or losing his pony. The re-
skins at once drew out of the fight, ar
e there was nothing for the DANTE par
5. to do but haul off, One white man h;
4 been killed and three wounded. Tv
= Indians had been killed and fo1
u wounded. These figures got from {
Indian year later.
70 After an hour had passed witho
- any movement on the part Of the en-
It my one Of our party went forward
j. reconnoiter and found the fellows b;
4 retreated. There were seven de;
= horses in the pass. 1t was not UNI
we had left the pass, secured our null
. and gone into camp for the night tn
we knew the name of the young wol
an who had galloped into our hand
= She had made fair progress on b
~ way through the pass, but as she WI
on foot and her pursuers were on hors
back they rapidly overhauled her. s.
'e had come upon our fugitive mules
\ they were feeding, and as they h
u had their run she had no difficulty
approaching them. She reasoned til
ne they belonged to camp near by a
" had just mounted one when she hea
or the yells Of the Danites half m
away.
I'D The girl was quiet and gentle spoke
ri and to see her blushing under our ga
We and twisting her fingers about ca
IS. other as she told her story you could