The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-04-06
Inc
Man Of Resources
BY FRANKLIN WELLES CALKlNS

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 wide.
bottomed skin tubs of the Sioux.
while | watched the Crows Little
Chief and Bat fell to work cutting will
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 aloat-fve boats lightly loaded
and tied together Then we took up
our march, Bat cordelling the boats,
/ and Little Chief and [ walking on
| either bank of the creek There was
bat 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, 50 we
did not fear an ambush.
1--WE believed thai. 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 discOuraginGly slow The
Crows followed It's leisurely. quite like
an escort of cavalry.
"At night we Camped where the
banks of the creek were bare of vege-
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 q rush,
| and for n 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
We're 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 threefourths Of them dis
mounted ana 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 campedas near
| to us rs they dared, and danced and
pounded their tom toms all night They
hoped to keep Us awake and wear us
nn 4 UttF tp. f,,,.,
| guard and slept just the same.
THE next day we had two sharp
| skirmlshes 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 n 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.
Il knew my helpers Couascled wisely,
but | hung out for another day or two
of bull-boatlng and they agreed to stay
with me. | think Little Chief was
persuaded by the prospect of knocking
over more Crows with his rifle. which
| now gave him as a present, He was
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 10 feel our way through the
groves. promptly shooting at every
| nutter OF Il leaf that could excite sus-
| piciOn
Toward night we passed an abnn-
Goned village site. where wild pump
klns were growing. Some were ripe
or three of them into his bull-boat, to
make Il change from our meat diet.
"That night we camped within n
shelter of natural rihe-pits made by a
short curve Just below a short curve
Of the creek just below a grove of
young ash. We kept close to this tim
Der. so that we could take to 1t quickly
II attacked by the Crows, and n deep,
dry ditch protected our position per-
fectly from horseback rush out of
the woods.
I'VE had one OF the pumpkins for
supper. and while Bat was cutting Il
up an idea came into my head. When
; we had finished the meal It was dark,
and ! asked Little Chief 60 find the
! Crow camp for me.
While he was gone I made n Jack
. o'-lantern OF the shell OF the biggest
pumpkin. Then | shaved the end Of
a dry ash pole to a broom head. and
filled the splints with elk tallow melted
by a fire brand. put the smooth end
| OF my pole through the top OF my
Jack -o'lantern and through a hole In
the bottom till could fasten II with
the shavlngs torch inside. / then tied
/ a crossplece to represent outspread
arms, and was ready for my trial.
! "Bat watched my work curiously,
and though said nothing. he under
stood my purpose
"Hph, be said, dnalIy. me, l have