, 1903-03-25

return there and find him dead see
that he was %decently buried and Spots
wood agreed to this.
This was in the middle of July, 1867.
Joe had been at the station about a
week when one early morning as he
started for the stable to care for the
stock he heard a war-whoop. and
looking over the hills saw about a hun
bred Indians coming at full gallop for
the station.
1t was a scene not to be described.
Those who follow the quiet, peaceful
ways of life can have little or no con-
ception of such a situation, and even
the pioneers Of the Indian days" re-
gard this as n of the terribly historic
moments of all the west.
Strange as it may seem, Hurt show
ed no fear, but with cool and ~calculat-
ing determination hurried into the
stable and waited until the Indians
were within fifty yards of him before he
finally turned lose" on them with his
old double-barreled government rife.
Joe had not followed hunting for moth
ing, and he vas a sure shot. He killed
two Indians and brought the entire
band to a halt in even an instant. But
he kept on shooting, and an Indian
fell every time he pulled the trigger un-
til the red men. surprised and awed fell
back, and Joe's rifle kept the bullets
flying anthem until they were complete
ly out of range. The government rifles
were used by all old hunters in those
days and were good for a man every
shot at three quarters of a mile.
TIE fight was soon over and the In
dians were SO busy caring for their
dead that they never returned.
In this fight Joe Hurt killed fifteen
Indians and ten of this number were
shot at long range, and most of these,
the Indians carried off with them as is
their custom wherever possible; but
there were five dead bodies in the very
"barn-yard," and these the Indians did
not have time" to get.
Joe took a horse and rope and went
out amoung the dead Indians and soon
range were ''snaked" into the ranch.
At ten o'clock the stage due from the
Platte did not arrive, nor could Joe
get sight of it on the plains, and he
then came to the conclusion that the
Indians had raided the Pine Grove
station. He was powerless to render
any help, and he waited impatiently
for the stage from the west which was
due at four o'clock.
Four o'clock came but not the stage,
and then Joe was satisfied that the In
dams had raided all of the stations be-
tween the Platte and the head of Bit
ter creek which was the case. They
had attacked all of the stations at
about the same time, the largest force
striking the Bridger Pass station where
they met their worst defeat. In this
raid they had killed one man at Darrell
Springs and n at La Clede on the
head of Bitter creek. The stage had
laid over on Bitter creek and east
from Bridger's pass the Indians burn
ed Pine Grove station, but the stock
tender escaped by hiding in the brush.
Joe did not know of these events,
but he guessed them well. On the next
day no stage came and he thought OF
starting out in the night and going
down to the Platte to see what was the
matter, but he feared that If he left
the Indians might return and burn the
station and steal all of the stock, and
he therefore concluded to stay.
In the meantime, S%pottswood sup
posed that Joe was killed like the 9TH
ers and he engaged an escort of sold,
iers and arrived from the Platte or the
third day after the fight.
His Joy was %unbounded when he
found Joe alive and the station safe;
but when Joe led him out to the cor.
rail- and showed him under some hay,
the five dead Indians. the soldiers and
Spottswood "all went up in the air"
For his valiant services the stage
company made Hurt a present Of $500
in cash, and he was the lion of the hour,
and all of the stage men. passengers
and emigrants idolized him for his
bravery. He staid with the stage com
pany for a year, and had several other
encounters with the Indians, but he al
ways fought them of. During this
year at Bridger Pass station he killed
twenty-five Indians that he knew OF
and perhaps there were many he killed
of which he did not know.