Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-09-24
y THE OLD COMANCHE. y
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

been rumbling mp from all parts OF
COmanche Count in oklahoma. to a
gospel rendezvoC, ON Cache Creek. The
camp was teenling with modern Indian
life. The smoke was rising from fifty
little camp fires; the innumerable dogs
were fighting; the squaws were chat
tering as they prepared the evening
meal: the men We're attending to the
horses; the children We're racing and
laughing. An old Texan was talking
to the missionary, who was intensely
interested in the story.
I've seen the time when we gave
the Comanches bullets instead of BIZ
bles." he said 1T was in the war Of
the early seventies. | was one of the
Texan rangers, and we fought the
ComancheS to the finish. We fought
them out of Texas, and then the troops
did them up at McClellan's Creek, in
the Territory. Conanches could fight
In those days. | saw some brave In
dams die, one old chief in particular.
l always feel sorry when | think of it.
I'VE Texans were fighting our own
war with the Comanches. The troops
were in the Territory, chasing the
Staked Plains band of ComancheS
but we stayed in Texas, and fought
Comanches and KiOwas wherever we
found them. Well, one day we found
them too thick. About twenty of us
got cut off. and had to take to the
buttes to save our horses. We kept
the redskins off until we reached the
butte, and leaving our horses there. we
rushed back Il long gul-range from
them, and then lay down in the tall
grass and kept the Indians off with our
rifles until help came. This saved our
horses, and fortunately we lost only
two men.
The Comanches would ride within
range and fire upon us. but we could
shoot from Il perfect rest; and we emp
tied many saddles.
zone Conanche had white hair. and
when he would whirl his horse round
and come riding low, with his gun
ready to shoot, the rangers would call
to each other, Look out for old grand
daddy. He shoots close There was
something unnatural about the old In
dams riding. and Jack jefferson. who
laugh, The old buck is so stiff that
he can't ride slick
"One time the old man came on a
| little too far. Jack pulled up his gun.
| We saw the Indians horse rise and
| plunge and we knew that Jack hadn't
missed.
"'IIe's coming on cried Jack, And
sure enough, he was running straight
! for us, low and swift, over the long
grass, the old man Juggling in vain at
the rein, and trying to turn his mad
dened pony.
"A dozen rifles We're raised to stop
him, but Jack, all wild with fight and
fun, yelled, Don't shoot. Hes coming
in. He's my meat
"The old Comanche came on. while
the other Indians in the distance were
shooting and yelling like demons. But
he made no attempt to fire. He sat
straight up on his horse, and as he
came close we heard him singing.
zone hand was clutching his empty
rifle. His eyes We're fixed straight
| ahead. He was riding to his finish,
singing the death chant of the Conan
che warrior. 1t was "A skeery sight.
Jack raised his gun. but just couldn't
| shoot, and nobody else wanted to. The
crazy pony passed almost over our
heads. Then all of a sudden he
Strengthened up in the air and came
down head first on the ground-In-
dian under. as the horses feet rose up
| in the somersault
"'Why didn't the old fool slide OFF,
yelled Jack. as we both crouched with
our rifles ready in case the Indian
should rise again. But no Indian
showed up, and the horse lay perfect
ly still.
after bit the Comanches drew of
out of range and Jack and | walked
over to where the dead horse lay. Shot
the pony through the head" said Jack,
and as we came up and saw Che limp
and lifeless body of the old COmanche,
Jack turned to me with a strange choke
in his voice. Partner. he's broke his
neck, and he was tied onter his horse
| That night. after the preaching serv-
ice. the missionary. with a dozen of the
| leading men of the Comanche tribe.
some old men, with war records, sat
round the fire Through the Interpreter
the missionary told them the tale of
the white-haired Comanche. Their
eyes glstened, and a deep cultural
"IIa-ah." followed each sentence
When the story was done, there was
long. solemn silence. and the inter
prefer turning to the missionary, said,
They say its So"