The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1906-01-10

that is needed oftener. When I had
anything to do with the pack trains
III after years ] always carried at least
one axe In q leather sling and spade.
While riding through the rain today
we were continually passing small
lunches or cattle. They belonged to
ranches away east of us and had wan-
dcred out here.
Nearly every COW had a different
! brand, some had none at all. They
were still tame and would let a man
ride close enough to examine them,
but further west could be found thou
sands Of them that we could not get
within a mile Of; they had been born
wild. Crawford would examine every
bunch we passed; he wanted to see if
any Of them had his brand on, he said
This was what had brought him and
us here; he had seen no Indians, but
wanted a cavalry escort SO that he
! could come out here and look up his
and his ncighbors' COWS.
! These men would not think Of COM
| ing out here alone. If they did they
would have no trouble in seeing all the
Indians they wanted.
| noticed the Major watching Craw-
| ford while he was engaged in taking
| the census Of these COWS, and I knew
that if Crawford did not find Indians
in a day or two he would hear from
the Major. The Major had risen from
the ranks and could swear not only
like the rrovcrbial trooper, but like
half a dozen Of them. He dare not
curse al enlisted man, and never did:
he wou!d stand a chance Of being
rt-Eartialed If he had, Cr else have
to give the man he had cursed an
apology in front of his troop. 1t was
given to me by another officer in the
presence of the Colonel once, after |
har reported this officer for cursing
me. But the Major could curse
teamster or citizen guide, and he often
did, and | expected Crawford to get
the full benefit Of the Majors expe-
rience in the line Of cursing before he
was week older. When in camp
Crawford kept down among us Ho
would not go near the Major unless
he was called, and we kept him busy
flowing about the Indians that he had
killed. I had found out from him that
he had been in the Confederate Army
of Northern Virginia, Lees army, and
had been in the Army Of the rotC-
mae at the same time, SO I got him
started telling about the time that
we urS had fit YOU unS," and VIC put |
in some hours fighting the War Of the |
Rebellion over again.
The weather had cleared up this
aftcrnooH and gave the ground |
chance to dry. had been thinking !
that | would have 10 sleep tonight
seated on my saddle with my back to |
tree; | often had to sleep that way.
We carried no bed blanket; we were !
not allowed to nut one on the horse;
| would not put it Oh anyhow; | never
carried anything on him | could, do
without; | did not want to make
pack mule out Of him, then ride him.
It had been good weather when we
left the post and no one had an over
coat along with him. | had a rubber
cGat, though few were worn then.
Soon after dark tonight we were
gathered around the fire and Crawford
YVES giving us al extended account Of
the Indians he had killed before the
war"-he had not got to the ones he
had killed after the breakup yet.
When he was about in the middle of
on post outside of the horses fired a
shot. We picked up our carbines and
r;;l out to form q line out beyond the
herd. Crawford had followed me with
his rifle and / thought he had fallen
in line until heard noise behind me
as | stood in line in my place on the
left Looking around | saw Crawford
down on his knees here among the
horses, with his hands pressed to-
gether; he was busy praying.
| wanted to tell him to postpone
that prayer and fall in here and shoot
a few more Indians but | was not in
command. There was n sergeant here
who ranked me, and had | begun to
give orders he would soon let me know
that he was here. The Major had not
got out here yet. He had been outside
OF camp somewhere when the shot |
was fired, and came running out now
and almost fell over Crawford. What |
he said to Crawford need not be re-
peatcd here. His remarks would have
to be principally In dashes if they
were recorded. None Of them could be
mistaken fer a prayer, though
We satisfied ourselves that there
were no Indians out here now, nor
had there been any here lately. The
sentry had fired at bunch Of COWS
without challenging. as he had been
told to do; IT was dark. and he could
not see them. We went back to the
fire and tried to get some more Indian
stories from Crawford, but I had hurt |
his feelings on the way in by telling
him that we generally fought our
Indians without the aid Of a chaplain,