The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-05-26

Monday, and Sundays mail was to be
distributed too.
Hark! All! there is the postmans
whistle, and Jip, the Professors shep-
herd, runs off to get the mail, but he
does not get it. The postman brings it
to the door himself, for there is letter.
The Professor takes the mail and makes
himself comfortable before the fire and
opens the letter. It read thus:
"J--, Fla.-Professor johnson:
Dear Sir-Hearing you were writing
historic novel, l send inclOsed clipping
from diary kept by a relative of mine
during the Indian War. The names of
the personnel / have omitted for personal
reasons. If the clipping is of any use
to you 1t may be used in any way. From
well-wishing friend"
After the Professor read the note he
picked up the piece of paper that had
fallen out of the envelope, and began to
read 1t. 1t began thus:
November 80, 1885. I have not made
any entry in my diary for some time,
owing to the fact that we have been on
scouting expedition down the banks of
the st. Johns. Sixty of us, under Capt.
Nj, were sent out to locate band
OF Indians that were troubling the peo-
pie around Magnolia Ford Bluff. After
we were out about two weeks we received
message from Block House No. 10, on
the right side of the river going up. 1t
ran thus:
"Block House No. 10, Nov. IA, 1885,
Capt. NJ. Dear Sir: A party of
about fifty mounted braves, under Black
Snake, are headed south on the left side
OF the river. They will possibly reach
you few hours after receiving this.
Stop or detain them as long as you can.
"Col. j."
After Capt. NJ read the letter
he said: "Boys, I've received message
from Col. !, and he says Black
Snake and fifty braves are moving south.
We are to stop them, and we will"
We cheered.
He then gave us his orders He or.
dered fifty of us, l among the number
to cross the st. Johns and form a kind
Of picket line extending out about mile
ON the side Black Snake was expected
We were stationed about two hundred
yards apart, and if one of us found In.
dams we were to follow them to camp
and then call in the other men and re-
port.
1t was about 10 o'clock when we were
stationed. Until no sound broke the
almost oppressive stiffness, but just after
that several shots were heard up river
Nothing occurred until shutdown. just
as the sun set noted mounted Indian,
who apparently was looking for a place
to camp. l moved little nearer to
where he had dismounted, and saw by
his trappings he was q Creek Indian.
He got O lot of wood together and was
lighting a fire when l heard horse
neigh little ways up river. The In
dian went on with his preparations just
forerunner of a band-probably Black
Snake himself-and it was his friends
up stream. With this idea in mind |
crawled along until pretty near to his
camp, then hid. had not been in my
new position minute when band of
mounted warriors came galloping toward
my hiding place. / was sure they were
friends of the Indian making camp, and
would therefore stop, / couldn't tell
who the chief was, but / decided before l
saw his countenance that it must be
Black Snake and his famous "White
Horse" white Horse" was milk.
white stallion that Black Snake caught
when young and trained him to his use.
white Horse" was racer, too, and he
had won many honors for the Creek In.
dams, "a well IA wampum and--en.
emies. The instant the band reached the
Indians camp they dismounted and fixed
their horses, then prepared their bough
cots with blankets on other boughs form.
ing kind of "lean.to" wigwam.
waited for some time to try and find