The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-02-23
HEROlSM THAT DESERVES
PLACE IN UNDYlNG
HISTORY.

the Loup Fork in western Nebras-
ka, in search of stray stock, when
he was fired upon from a. grove
by Indians, who had broken away
from one of the agencies Of the
west. Weber was hit in the calf
of the leg, in the side and racked
across the shoulder. and his horse
was also wounded. AS soon as the
shots were fired nine mounted In
dians dashed out, and Weber put
his horse on the top of his speed
and headed for the ranch of Chas.
Moss, about four miles up the river
on the same side.
For the first mile Weber had no
hope, for the Indians were close
enough to use their revolvers and
arrows, and his horse was a com.
mon animal. A score or more of
bullets were fired at him and fully
20 arrows tipped past him, but the
wound his animal received, aided
by the continual shouting of the
redskins, made him pull out like a
born race horse. He soon began
to widen the distance, and when he
dashed up to the ranch Weber
was a full half mile ahead. His
shouts as he neared the place gave
the alarm, but to his dismay he
dashed up to be informed by Mrs.
Moss that she was the only one
about the place. her husband and
his man having gone away an hour
before.
What arms have you got?" he
asked, after explaining the situa-
ton.
"a Colts revolver"
81 have a Winchester rifle. We
must hold 'em off until aid comes.
Help me Off"
The woman assisted him to
alight, and he gave the horse a
slap that sent the animal up the
trail. Some of the Indians pursued
but of no avail. The first white
man whom the horse encountered
would know that something was
wrong and that his assistance was
asked for down the trail.
The house was a primitive affair,
divided into two rooms, with only
a lower sash in each window. The
only point from which the Indians
could approach with shelter to COW
err them was the east side. They
could approach this side within
revolver shot by creeping up a ra-
vine Weber realized that if the
nine charged together from this ra-
vine, with only fire fom a single
window directed at them, not more
than two or three could be stopped.
He therefore insisted upon taking
his position outside the house,
without even a twig to shelter him.
His back was to the logs and the
ravine in front. For fear some OF
the Indians might approach the
house single from one direction,
the woman was instructed to first
fasten all the doors and then pass
from window to window and main
tain an active observation. She
was a woman of 35, who had been
tenderly reared in an eastern state,
and had been in the west for two
years. Yet, when brought face to
face with the terrible menace, she
was heroine.
The Indians must have known
that Weber and the woman were
alone and that he was wounded,
but they did not dare make rush.
They crept up the ravine, as was
expected, or started to, when Web
Der saw that their ponies had been
left within range of his Winches-
ter. He opened fire at once and
dropped three of them to the grass
before the redskins discovered
what he was at.
From the house to the ravine
was natural slant, the ground be-
ing covered with grass and entire
ly clean. Weber sat there, as
plain a target as man could de-
sire for his pistol, the blood from
his wound soaking into the ground
and his eyes watching the ravine
with the knowledge that he was
one of six. No Indian could fire at
him without raising his head above
the bank. and the first head up
got bullet through it, and one red
skin tumbled back a corpse. This
was caution to the others, and in