The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1904-04-21
The
Man Of Resources
Bv FRANKLIN WELLES CALKINS

worse still, when daylight came, we
found ourselves surrounded by a wal
party Of thirty-fv or forty Crows.
1.-The rascals were lined up on the
prairie on two sides, and when we
stood up on the creek bank, they yelled
all manner of threats at US. There was
no doubt of their intentions. They were
after our goods and guns, and incl
dentally our scalps. I had brought
four Spencer rifles for myself and men,
and the Crows were armed only with
bows and arrows and q few old muz-
zle-loading guns.
I'VE held a little council Of war, and
finally decided to make some bull-boats
for our goods and take up our march
as quickly as possible down the creek.
There had been rains on the noun
tains. and there was water enough in
the Medicine Dance to float the vide
bottomed skin tubs of the Sioux.
while I watched the Crows Little
Chief and Bat fell to work cutting viii
lows and making frames for the boats.
AS they had some half-tanned bull
pelts and plenty Of. thongs, there was
no difficulty in building the craft. In
an hour they had their first bull-boat
loaded.
"By mid-afternoon we had our sup
plies afoat-ive boats lightly loaded
and tied together. Then we took up
our march, Bat cordelling the boats,
and Little Chief and I walking on
either bank of the creek. There was
but little timber along this stream
only patches of willows. There was no
covert that we couldn't have driven the
Crows out of in a few minutes, so we
did not fear an ambush.
1--WE believed that, at least until help
came, they would attack us only under
cover of night, and so we pushed
ahead as fast as Bat could pull the
boats. When beaver dams lay across
the channel, either Little Chief or my
self would help lift the tubs over Our
progress was discoura gingly slow The
Crows followed us leisurely, quite like
an escort of cavalry.
"At night we camped where the
banks of the creek were bare of vese'
tation, but offered pits where we could
command the level flats on both sides.
"a little after midnight we were at
tackled. The Crows came with g. rush,
and for a moment I thought we were
done for; but our sharp fire and good
cover discouraged them, and they clat-
tered away. Our shots knocked over
two ponies, but if any Of their men
were hit at this time they succeeded in
concealing the fact.
I'm the morning we took up our
march again, with the Crows follow
ing like two flocks Of buZzards.
Toward noon; they rode on ahead,
and about three-fourths Of them dis
mounted and took possession of the
creek channel. But we had plenty of
ammunition. and we bombarded every
turn of the banks and every bit of Will
low or timber cover, and so drove
them out. We wounded one Indian in
this fight.
"That night the Crows camped as near
to US as they dared, and danced and
pounded their tom-toms all night. They
hoped to keep US awake and wear us
out, I suppose. But We took turns on
guard, and slept just the same.
"The next day we haG two sharp
skirmishes in the creek channel, and
in the last we disabled three Crows.
This fight would have encouraged US
greatly, but Immediately afterward the
hostiles sent q runner to the west.
bat and the interpreter now thought
that our only chance of escape was
to crawl away from our camp in the
night, each man for: himself, and find
hill cover.
II knew my helpers oounseled wisely
but I hung out for another day or two
of bull-boating, and they agreed to stay
| with me. I think Little Chief was
persuaded by the prospect of knocking
over more Crows with his rifle, which
1 now gave him as present. He was
a keen fighter and a brave man.
THAT afternoon our progress was
very slow and cautious, for timber
had thickened along the stream. and
we had to feel our way through the
groves, promptly shooting at every
flutter of q leaf that could excite sus
picion.
Toward night we passed m aban
doned village site. where wild pump
kins were growing. Some were ripe
and Of great size, and Bat put two
or three of them into his bull-boat, tt