Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-07-06
A BRAVE
lNDIAN

You can say what yea mind 70
about the nerve of the redskins, but
don't say it when I'm around" thun-
dered Col. B Seeming a story,
the cowpunchers crowded nearer the
Tancbman.
The room of the adobe shack was
blue with tobacco smoke; just the at
mOsphere that seemed to inspire the
old man.
i have followed a flock of canvas
backs down the Poteau for miles, wait
ing for them to float within range,
and I've watched with increasing heart
beats a battle between the dogs and
black bears in the Mississippi cane
brake, but this was my first and only
experience with a wildcat" said the
colonel, between puffs of his corn-cob
pipe, by way of introduction.
1T was in southwestern Arkansas
in the days when you got to st. Louis
by riding third of the way astride a
br0nchO, another third in a stage
coach and the rest of the way in a
train which the natives would scorn
if it was run over the Jenny Lind coal
branch to-day.
Red Blanket had been my chum
ever since our fathers had smoked the
pipe of peace and had agreed not to
murder each other oftener than once
a week 1t was during the big Chero-
kee payment when Uncle Sam unload
ed several millions of his treasury
notes on the members of that tribe,
ard every Indian was rich; that is,
until the tradesmen from the fort col
lected their Notwithstanding &C
counts.
Red Blanket and l took advantage
Of the excitement to slip off into the
hills for a quiet hunt. We took only
our guns and ammunition. Neither
had been educated to carry a kit full
Of eatables when we set forth for big
game. And | don't remember ever
having missed meal, either.
I'VE hunted all day with fair sue
cess and were searching for a good
place to camp for the night when we
encountered the wildcat. Boys,
have had some terrifying experience
in my time, but they were as tame as
a euchre party at church festival
compared to this one"
Il pride myself on my keen ears,
but if it hadn't been for Red Blanket
] don't think I would be here to repeat
this yarn My first inkling that any
thing was wrong came when the In
dian deliberately tripped me. l fell
alongside a log under the branches of
a big tree.
Don't move, I heard him say.
Before l had time to roll over and
demand an explanation, l heard a
whir-r-r through the air, followed by
a shot and a gleeful cry, if an Indian
is capable of such an exclamation.
"The whir-r-r chilled the very mar
row in my bones, and / believe my
heart stopped plugging for an instant,
but the shot caused me to jump to my
feet. Something fuzzy-like brushed
my coat as | rose from the ground.
/ followed Red Blankets gaze to the
object.
Struggling in its final agony was
the monster. Ordinarily they are not
very big, but this one was about the
size OF a young panther. Boys, as you
know, I'm not much given to demon
strations, but when l realized what
had happened, l just hugged that In
dian kid
AS he deXteroUsly skinned the cat,
ne told me that he threw me down
when his eyes met the cleaning balls
of fire of the feline, crouched in the
tree, ready to spring, he thought, upon
my head And | always will believe
that he acted none too soon
THAT whir-r-r through the air con-
WINGED me that the beast would have
torn my eyes out had l not hit the
ground when | did. What do you
think of that Indian, standing up
there as cool as an iceberg and send
ing a ball into the very center of that
cats heart as it leaped for me?
"A good shot? You bet it was, and
It took nerve, too. to hit the mark