Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-09-28
A Real Heroine

copyright, 1904. BY T. e. Mcclure.l
In May, 1887, when the Indians were
raidinR Kansas in half n dozen differ
ent directions. they attacked, among
scores OF others, the frontier cabin Of
Charles Thompson md killed him and
his wife md carried off little jimmie,
their tenSyear-old son, into captivity.
There was a daughter, Mary, eight
cen years old. who was fortunately
away from home, but two weeks later
she donned mans attire and set out
on horseback In the hope Of rcscuing
her brother single handed. She had not
been riding two hours when she found
that twelve mounted warriors had
taken her trail.
The girl was riding straight into the
eneiny's country. and at shutdown she
decided to go nj farther. As she
reached the creek flowing around the
east base Of T~hompson's fort. which 10
a hill stumbling by itself. she threw her.
Self OF her tired horse and took a long
drink and then led the animal to the
crest Of the hill. Fortunately for her,
there wal O sink or basin ut the top,
with many loose rocks lying about,
and in a short time she had done all
that a soldier could have accomplished
under the circumstances. AS the In
dams came up they spread out to EN-
circle the hill. but kept back out Of
rifle range. They had run their quar-.
ry to earth and knew that she could
not escape them.
From dark to dawn the heroine was
not disturbed, and she afterward re-
lated that she slept fairly we'll. She
had a soldiers canteen full of water.
plenty of provisions and ammunition
and was not greatly dismayed over the
situation. When morning came the Ia
dams demanded her surrender. giving
her much praise and promising to e.
cort her to one Of their villages in safe
ty. This they would likely have done.
as it WINS IN keeping with their orders.
but she did not propose 20 become q
captive while able to Are O shot from
rifle or revolver.
At a given signal the twelve, who
we're under the command OF q SUBJ
chief named Little Horse. rushed for
the crest Of the hill. being on foot.
They gained It to find the girl strongly
intrenched and after a fight Of two
minutes were driven off with the loss
of two warriors killed and one wound.
ed. This last was the chief himself.
So we'll was the girl intrenched on
the crest Of the hill that 1t was deemed
unwise to attack her again. and the
band sat down to starve her out. Tor
two nights and three days she held the
fort, wounding two other Indians and
escaping their bullets. and then the
redskins withdrew, and she went her
way in peace.
From May until November Mary
Thompson secured the plains and dodg-
; ed among the hills, with her life and
! liberty in peril every hour Of the twen-
ty-four. Fhe village in which her broth
} er was held captive moved many times.
I but she always located it anew and
watched for her opportunity.
1t came one night with the setting in
Of winter. In the midst Of a raging
blizzard and after she had been hiding
In the hills for three days. she entered
> the village and crept from lodge to
lodge and finally found her brother
fast asleep between VI Indian boys.
II took her an hour to do II. but she
D managed to wake him up and set him
: out OF tHe lodge without disturbing tho
! others. Her horse had 20 carry double.
> and they were sixty miles from the
' nearest tbtt. 50 ssrese was the storm.
however. TIA. after SsG,ns ten miles
they vert INTO hiding in n rav!ne to
wait for A change.
1t was <httty hours before the storm
ceased. ard the Indians at once began
" to scout around to pick up the trail.
Tho snow lay two feet deep on the
- ground, and with the horse carrying
double there seemed no show Of es.
u ape A start was made az coon al
u the weather cleared. and the pair had
, made q distance Of Ave miles when
y they looked back to see the Indians
= on their trail.
The same blizzard had caught two
e companies Of the Seventh cavalry ont
e OH a scout. and they had been com
PEELED TO camp In n Of the ravtneS
and wait for the break. The pursuing
. Indians were within half a mile OF
the girl and her brother and would
" have overhauied them In ten minutes
more, when the cavalry suddenly ap.
. peared In view.
There were thirty-two warriors In
10 the pursuing band. and they were cut
q OF before they saw hi soldiers. When
they saw that escape was hopeless
they disnounted and took cover and
put up a good light but only one OF
u them lived to get back to the village
"a while the cavalry had only two OF
three men wounded on eheir side. One
Of the Indians was Killed by the girl
20 herself before the soldiers got fairly
into action, and he made the sixteenth
red man she had slain since leaving
10 home In search of her brother.
70 Among the Indian exhibits In the
Smithsonian institute At Washington
g and the Museum Of Natural History
q In New York are souvenirs OF thai
r wipe-out, and among the Indians
4 met after that war wss Crooked Nose
c. the only survivor Of the battle. he
E. was free to say that had the girl and
ID her brother been captured that dog
they would have been put to the tor