Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-09-26
THE OLD COMANCHE.
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gospel rendezvous on Cache Greek. The
camp was teeming with modern Indian
life. The smoke was rising from fifty
little camp fires; the innumerable dogs
were lighting; the squaws were chat
| tering as they prepared the evening
meal: the men We're attending to the
horses; the children were 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. ut was in the war Of
the early seventies. l was one of the
Comanches to the finish. We fought
them out Of Texas, and then the troops
did them up at McCleIlan's Greek, in
the Territory. Comanches could fight
| in those days. l saw some brave In
dams die, one old chief in particular.
l always feel sorry when l think Of it.
eve 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 a long gun-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 a perfect rest; and we emp
tied many saddles.
Zone Comanche 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 closet There was
something unnatural about the old In
dams riding, and Jack Jefferson, who
was shooting next to me- said, with a
laugh, The old buck is so stiff that
he can't ride slick
Zone 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.
"He's coming onr cried Jack, And
sure enough, he was running straight
for us, low and swift, over the long
grass, the old man tugging in vain at
the rein, and trying to turn his mad
dened pony.
"a dozen rifles were raised to stop
him, but Jack, all wild with fight and
fun, yelled, Don't shoot! He's 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 were 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 a bit the Comanches drew off
out of range, and Jack and 1 walked
over to where the dead horse lay. Shot
| the pony through the headn said Jack,
and as we came up and saw The 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 J"
| 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 glistened and a deep cultural
'Ha-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 it's So"