Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-21
Misesllansuus 8radins,
DEATH OF coMANcHE CHIEF.

DEATH OF coMANcHE CHIEF.
Story of Indian Warfare In Northern
Texas.
All day long wagon after wagon hat
been rumbling up from all parts o.
Comanche county in Oklahoma to
gospel rendezvous on Cache creek
The camp was teeming with moderr
Indian life. The smoke was risint
from fifty little campfires; the innu
merable dogs were fighting; the
squaws were chattering as they pre-.
pared the evening meal; the mel
were attending to the horses; the
children were racing and laughing
An old Texan was talking to the mis-
sionary, who was intensely interest
ed in the story.
1--WE seen the time when we gave
the Comanches bullets instead Of
Bibles" he said. 'Tt was in the war Of
the early '70s. was one Of the Texas
rangers, and we fought the Conan.
ches to the finish. We fought them
out of Texas, and then the troops die
them up at McClellan's Creek, in the
Territory. Comanches could fight ir
those days. l saw some brave Indians
die, one old chief In particular. I al
ways feel sorry when I think Of 1t.
1--WE Texans were fighting our owr
war with the Comanches. The troop:
were in the Territory, chasing the
'Staked Plains band of Comanches
but we stayed in Texas and fought
Comanches and Kiowas whenever 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
buttes, and leaving our horses there
we rushed back a long gun range
from them, and then lay down In the
tall grass and kept the Indians of
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 a perfect rest, and we
emptied many saddles.
"One Comanche had white hair
and when he would whirl his horse
around and come riding low, with his
gun ready to shoot, the rangers would
call to each other, Look out for old
grandaddy. He shoots close There
was something unnatural about the
old Indians riding, and Jack Jeffer-
son, who was shooting next to me
said, with a laugh, the old buck is
so stiff that he can't ride slick
"One time the old man came on q
little too far. Jack pulled up his
gun. We saw the Indians horse rise
and plunge, and we knew that Jack
hadn't missed.
He's coming . on cried Jack.
And sure enough he was running
straight for us low and swift, over
the long grass, the old man tuggine
in vain at the rein and trying to turn
his maddened pony.
"a dozen rifles were raised to stop
him, but Jack, all wild with fight and
fun, yelled, Don't shoot. He's COM
ing in. He's my meat
1.-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 sing
ing.
"One hand was clutching his
empty rifle. His eyes were fixed
straight ahead He was riding to his
finish, singing the death chant Of the
Comanche warrior. 1t was a skeery
sight. Jack raised his gun, but just
couldn't shoot, and nobody else want
ed to. The crazy pony passed almos
over our heads. Then all Of a sud
den he Strengthened up in the air ano
came down head first on the GROUND
Indian under, as the horses fee
rose up to the somersault.
why didn't the old fool slide on?
yelled Jack, as we both crouched
with our rifles ready in case the In
dian should rise again. But no In
dian showed up, and the horse lay per-
fectly still.
After a bit the Comanches drew
off out of range, and Jack and
walked over to where the dead horse
lay. Shot the pony through thu
and saw the limp and lifeless body o
the old Comanche, Jack turned t(
me with strange choking in his voice
Partner. he's broke his neck, and N
| was tied onto his horse"
That night after the preaching ser
vice, the missionary, with a dozen o
| the leading men of the Comanch'
tribe, some old men, with war records
sat around the fire. Through the in
old white haired Com IS a.gstif
terpreter the missionary told then
the tale Of the old white haired Com
anche. Their eyes glstened and
deep gutteral "Ha, hal" FOLLOWED
each sentence.
When the story was done ther
was a long solemn silence, and tn
interpreter, turning to the mission
ary, said: They say it's so."-Youth'
Companion.
fS England once imposed tax ol
bachelors, but the custom was un
| nonular and was done aWay with.