The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-06
THE MINNEAPOLIS JOURNAL.

Of this astonishing figure we saw eight I
or ten Indians on ponies and in war paint,
straining toward the north, with the lur
ding black mass not 500 feet behind |
them. Even while we looked we saw one
of the poles fall, and the Indian rider
leap to his feet and run, only to be drawn
under In moment and disappear from |
sight.
I'm the thrill and horror OF the pros
pect, did not re gard my Immediate sur
roundings, until we suddenly rushed upon |
a large body Of Indian horsemen were rid |
ing at gallop westward on the north |
side Of the track. Long Blanket and his !
braves, caught in their work of tearing |
up the track, were trying to get beyond
the range Of the stampede
1.-THE trestle was some fifty feet in |
length, and apparently stretched across |
the almost dry, bed of what once had been
small river. The str1ngers and ties at
the highest point were not more than ten
or twelve feet above the ground. Upon
these the engine and two cars stood, the
the grade eastward. All along the train
I heard shouting and stern orders as the
thunder of the stampede grew in volume
and rolled toward us. Whether the rush
ing sea Of frightened animals would sweep
the track away and go over it, leaving
US dll lIelCSS, OE tWOulu DTeak ana e0Qy
around us, no man could say. I was
hanging out from the gangway, quivering
in every nerve, while Lyons face looked
white and strange he leaned from the
window Of the cab, his dry lips moving as
he watched the gray horse and child COM
ing toward u.s.. Suddenly a wild cry broke
from him, and his grimy fingers knotted
involuntarily. It's Katie, Joe! My God,
it's Katie!' he cried.
"A kind Of fire swept thru me at that,
such leap Of the pulses as had never
felt before. I sprang down upon the ends
Of the ties and reached my hands toward
her. shouting in sort Of frenzy; then,
suddenly, as by inspiration, the only pos
sible course Of action was revealed to me.
slipped down between the outer ends of
the ties and hung full length from the out
side stringer. I saw that Katie was guild
ing the jaded mare straight toward u.s.
In truth, her eyes had been fastened upon
her fathers smoking engine for more than
a mile.
AS hung there, with my face toward
the oncoming ocean of hairy forms, felt
Lyons hands gripping my wrists and
heard him appealing to God for help. AS
all that horrible mass came laundering to-
ward us could see Katie kept the lead.
She was lying low and close over the
mares neck, one hand wound in the ami
mails name, the other clutching the rein
Her hair was blown back and her face
looked small and white. The mare looked
slim and wet and strange Her nose was
stretched out, her eyes were CLASSY and
red, her lips scarlet and open. At her
heels the pack of wild horses came gallop-
ing, with names blowing and heads out
| stretched; behind them that rushing wall
of frenZied buffalo The painting of the
strange multitude Of unreasoning brutes
was horrifying, rising like an indescribable
gasp thru the thunder of their hoofs
| tho IF cfo
perhaps 500 feet away, saw a stream of
| fire leap out from every car along the
train, the howitzers crashed, and again
the carbines roared. Instantly the wave
of buffaloes seemed to double under the
base. then roll into the air like a kind of
black and indescribable ,billow. In that
maze Of tumbling forms saw the Indians
who had chased poor Katie sink, crushed
by bullets and swallowed up in the re-
mOrse]ess mass. I saw this with a glance,
for the white, upturned face Of Katie was
not fifty feet away, and both Lyon and
myself were shouting to her to stand UP
and jump. It was an awful moment.
saw it all as vivid as lightning, yet some
how 1t had the color of a dream. In Ka-
ties eyes could see terror mingled with
resolution as she got to her feet on the
horses back. An instant she wavered
then Strengthened up, and as the painting
mare shot under us she jumped. For g
second saw her pale face and Wide-oper
eyes flying toward me thru the air, ther
her arms shut about my pendent body
with q, shock. My arms seemed torn IRON
their sockets by the blow, but Lyon was
holding my wrists like a wise. In a mo-
nent he loosened his grip, and, bending
low, caught the girl by the arms and drew
her up. BY his aid then scrambled bach
upon the ties.
"All about us roared a living storm
Dust covered the scene like battle smoke
Thru it we saw the incessant flashing O
carbines along the train; east and wes
a vague brown torrent of brutes poured
across the track. Under us the press anc
struggle Of hulking forms choked the pas!
a.ld shook the bridge. When the all
4 cleared we saw that the work of the sol
diers had divided the mighty pack; it wa!
flowing north and northwest in two darl
streams. Before us were swaths of slair
t bison; piles of the bodies lay against thu
train, and somewhere in that appalling
slaughter lay Katie's pursuers.
:. L'.Weak and trembling, I climbed VI
into the engine cab. Lyon sat on the foo
2 and across his lap lay Katie, limp ant
painting. 'Mommy-1ittle Dan and jim
we must go back! she was gasping. al
3 the folks are in the roundhouse-the In
/ dams are there! was going to the for
5 for help!
3 Lyon placed her on the fireman
cushion, and jumped to the reversing leve
y and threw it over, opened the throttle an
g whistled off brakes There was a clank
s ing Of couplings, and the train starte
t eastward. In a few minutes Pope an
Y the conductor came scrambling over tn
t foot of the tender. -:
So "'Where are you going?' they de
v manded.
o ""To save my wife and babies, erie
t Lyon. Black Calf and his brutes are a
d Ludder; they've got the folks shut up Il
|, the roundhouse; therell be a massacre
: That's where we're needed then
d cried Pope.
e Lyon pushed the 40 hard and at tn
end of the hour the military train dashe
into the division station AT sight Of u
=, Black Calls forces broke and fled, fol
!, lowed and stung by showers OF bullet.
=. The soldiers began unloading the
- horses at once, and mounting for tn
y chase The overjoyed prisoners poure
u out from the great doors of the engine
). house and fairly overwhelmed us in the
'. gratitude. Mrs. Lyon came running tc
- ward 40 to tell Lyon that Katie ha
u probably persisted, when, to her amaze
g ment and joy, her husband jumped I
IS the ground with Katie in his arms Whs
e followed I could hardly describe, 70
6 tough chap tho was I couldn't see yer
re plainly for the tears that filled my eye
,e I only knew that Katie had a receptio
q fit for princess.
ID What became Of White Bess? We
le sir, she was found next morning stane
H. ing feeble and badly used I'M n, q o,l