The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-11-08
How One Grizzled Warrior Did
Battle Strapped to His
Horse.
BULLETS DlSPLACE BIBLE
These Were the ecivilizins. Influences
Drought TO the conancnes In Early
Days by Governments Scouts
and Others.
From the Youths Companion

All CAY lODE Wd5Oh aASSA 4
been rumbling UP from all parts OF Co
manche county, in Oklahoma, to 9 gospel
rendezvous on Cache creek. The camp
was teerling with modern Indian life. Tne
smoke was rising from fifty little camp
fires: the innunerable dogs were tghtlng'
the squaws We're chattering as they pre-
pared the evening meal; the men We're
racing and laughing. An old Texan was
talking to the missioaars. who was IN
teasely Interested in the story.
i've seen the time when We gave the
Co,nanches bullets instead of Bibles" he
said. 1T was in the war OF the carry
seventies. I was one OF the IeXas rang
ers, and we fought the Comanehes TO the
finish. We fought them out of Texas,
then the troops did them up at McClei-
lan's creek, in the territory. Commences
| could fight in those days. ! saw some
brave Indians die, one old chief in par
tlcular. / always feel sorry when ! THINK
of it.
1--WE Texans were fighting our own war
with the Comanches. The troops We're in
the territory, chasing the 'Staked Plains
band of Comanches: but we stayed IN
Texas and fought Comanches and klowas
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 10 save our horses. We kept the
redskins Oft until we reached the buttes.
and. leaving our horses there, we rushed
back of a long gun range from them ana
then lay down in the tall grass ana kept
the Indians off with our rifles until help
came. This saved our horses, and fortu-
nately, we lost only w men.
At a Disadvantage.
."rhe Comanches would ride withip
range and fire upon Us, but we could
shoot from a perfect rest, and we emptled
many saddles.
zone Conanche 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 eaeh
other. Look out for old grandaddy. He
shoots close There was something un-
natural about the old Indians 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
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.
" 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 Juggling in vain at the rein and
trying to turn his maddened pony.
"a dozen rifles were raised to stop hfm,
but Jack. ali wild with fight and fun,
yelled, Don't shoot. He's coming in. He's
my meat
..The old Co,nanche came on, while the
other Indians in the distance were shoot
ing 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 empt rife
His eyes were fixed straight ahead. He
was riding to his finish, singing the death
chant of the Comanche warrior. 1t was G
skeery sight. Jack raised his gun, blu
just couldn't shoot, and nobody else want
ed to. The crazy pony passed almost Owe
our heads. Then all of a sudden h
Strengthened up in the air and came dow
head first on the ground-Indian under
as the horses feet rose up in the somer
sault.
Strapped to Horse.
"sWhy didn't the old fool slide off
yelled Jack, as we both crouched, Wit
our rifles ready in case the Indian shd3k n
rise again. But no Indian showed up, an
the horse lay perfectly still.
After q bit the Comanches drew off gu
of range, and Jack and I walked over t
where the dead horse lay. Shot the pom
through the head!' said Jack, and as w
came up and saw the limp and lifeles
body of the old Comanche Jack turned t
me with a strange choke in his voice
Partner, he's broke his neck, and he wa
tied onto his horse"
That night, after the preaching service
the missionary, witt a dozen of the LEAD
ing men of the Comanche tribe, some oil
men, with war records, sat around tn
fire. Through the interpreter the mission
airy told them of the tale of the white
haired Comanche. Their eyes ~glistenet
and a deep cultural "Ha, hal" followe
each sentence.
When the story was done there was
long, solemn silence, and the interprete
turning to the missionary, said: ''T.he
say it's So"