The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-12-27
OKLAHOMA INDIAN
FIGHTERS BATTLE

a lanky pioneer, known as Coyote Jack
He had gained his title OF a former in
dian hunt, when the whole party being
shot lean. old coyote and cooked 1t In
| axle grease. Jack was better known
amongst those present than /, and 80,
after joining me. he urged my claims
| Three Joined us anu at last, three more.
The captain aroused himself enough al
! this TO say that every fool of US would
| be killed and ought to be killed He
! then called such about him as would lis
ten and protested against my insuoordin-
alton against the probability of my story,
my coming IN a stranger TO supplant him.
My men figured their guess, but Jack and
! l urged them TO save their ammunition
for better game.
Time. the all-important thing, If an
inferior number were going to try to take
the thieves. was being lost. We waited
! for no further party, but got our horses
and hurried up the mountain.
! Within two hours from the time / left
the mountain, we were looking down on
| the stolen horses. and the sleeping reds
! But now the sentinel was out of sight.
| This concerned me for a moment. until L
discovered lariated pony near the Sleep
ers, and an additional form among the
| numbers
! Let me say here that the Indians al
| though wary and alert when he thinks
! there is the slightest hint of an occasion,
is prone to take his sleep after fatigue
| at all other times. These marauders had
! on previous similar occasions, been but
slightly rewarded for their vigilance. And
now, with at least a twenty -four hour
start on such luke-warm pursuers as
these whites had been, a good hiding
place and near a half-week's labor and
watchfulness pressing their eye-lids, it
was not unlikely they should yield to
sleep.
At any rate, the whole thirteen lay
sleeping soundly in the shade of the will
lows Down the leeward side of the
! mountain we hurried across the stream
ard into the open. between the sleeping
savaSes and their horses eight full Win
chesters against eight determined Shout
ders
My orders had been to shoot the first
eight beginning at the Ieft-end of the line
man for man-in the order in which we
approached them. provided they did not
awake before the signal TO fire. In case
they did awake, of course, it must be an
open fight, as it must be anyway, with
the remaining five, after the eight were
out of the way.
Stealthily, with hand on triggers, we
approached the sleepers. When within
two rods distance we halted, and eight
H.,
we pressed the triggers, an unearthly yell
and a shot rang out behind us. One Of
our number staggered forward and fell,
discharging his gun aimlessly in the air.
Involuntarily we glanced backward to
see a solitary Indian horseman dashing
away from US. He had been a sentinel
toe. and had withdrawn into a shady
gulch out of sight of his companions
from which he emerged just in time to
see his fellows lost and to discharge his
fatal parting shot Fortunate, indeed,
was it that one little band was made up
OF experienced frontiersmen else some
had given a costly attention to the sur
prise from the rear. As it was. we only
glanced in that direction and then were
at the work in hand Only one of the
feet This was the camping sentinel who,
In the turning of head, was uo and
dashing for the lariated pony, crying to
Jack, who was on my right not to let
the Indian escape, l sent a load through
big buck who had gained his knees and
had his gun half-raised from the ground
The others in front died, each grasping
for the weapon at his side.
The fleeing sentinel gained his pony
and. evidently hoping to cut the lariat on
the run. mounted. While in the very act
however, Jacks Winchester, sent a ball
through him. The Indian who had es-
capped us. we did not follow. He was
lost to US in the mountains before We
had finished his companions. Being alone.
we knew he would undertake nothing,
but to get back to the reservation.
Our poor companion we found quite
dead. The ball entered his body just TO
the left of the backbone and passed en-
tirely through his left side. Just where
he had fallen. we dug a grave for him.
FOR like the most of US. If he had any
family or kin. no one knew it.
BY the middle of the afternoon we
started back, driving the big herd #
horses and taking with us everything
the Indians had excepting a few blood
soaked Navajo blankets.
You may be sure we avoided contact
with Captain Cook and his men-as care
fully as VIC expected to avoid division
of the reward with them We Travelled
all night and early the following fore
noon. came into Susanville. Here we
drove the herd into corral and sent word
for the owners 10 come and reclaim their
property.
Among the number Of horses were thir-
ty-four large draft animals belonging TO
a Dutch freighter who had offered s2eD0
for their recaptu-e We charged s. apiece
as a reward for the other horses. except
in two cases. the one belonging 10 an old
man who had nothing but the three
horses Of which he had been robbed: the
other. little girl, whose pony had been
taken
AZ the end Of two days there were IS
horses unclaimed. belonging to none OF
The settlers in that region. These With
the guns. saddles. blankets. etc. that
had belonged TO the Indians. We divided
among ourselves In addition there was
Just S55i reward money for each q rs.
VIM. g. SMITH MISSING.
He Is Brother Of the Late Mrs. Chss-
/. Fair.