The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-06-20
: Black WOIf'S S Bad Heart

by-Night had started out in the belief |
that there were only about 5000 white |
men in all America, and as soon as he
could get them together he would fin
ish them off, but after many years he
came to have better understanding.
When the first blades of green grass
were seen on the southern hillsides
word was sent out to the subchiefs to
gather in council. All responded but
Black Wolf. He was fiery tempered
young man Of twenty-five 1t had 50
happened that he and his band had
taken all the scalps gathered in during
the year past, and he was ambitious,
fearless and great hater. He wanted
war all the time. He had plans to
round UP all the white soldiers and
make a grand finish of them. Let the
Cheyennes perform some daring deed
and they might count Oh an alliance
with ut least three other tribes. Black
Wolf claimed to be i'll and asked for
few days delay.
On the bluffs on the north bank of
Medicine creek the white soldiers were
building a fort. 1t was within the
Cheyenne territory and was another
insult to them. Black Wolf had seen
the men at work the previous fall
During the winter work would have
been suspended, but now that spring
had come the white men would be busy
again, and again the white topped wag-
| ons would roll across the plains.
Those wagons, as he knew, contain
ed flour, meat, firearms, powder and
bullets, blankets. cooking utensils.
clothing and many other things needed
/ by his tribe. If he could run off five or
six of them. with perhaps half hun
dred mules and horses, the wealth OF
the tribe would be restored twice over
The feat would be daring ore, and
one to challenge admiration and bring
about alliances. Walk-by- Night would
no longer cover his face and talk Of
peace, but his voice would be for war
and his face painted to strike terror to
the hearts of his enemies.
1t was a golden opportunity for Black
Wolf. He had less than aifty warriors
In his band. but all We're enthusiastic
and sure of success It was a ride of
seventy-five miles from the camp to
the bluffs where the fort was building.
but this was less than Two days rifle.
even on the half starved ponies The
medicine man made his medicine and
pronounced it good, and away rode the
young men. The soldiers were busy,
and wagon train was crawling over
the plains. The Indians could not have
asked for the situation to be bettered
They lost little time in pushing in The
last six wagons We're cut off by bril-
liant dash, seven Of the escort killed
and the six drivers saved to be tor
turel ut the stake later OIL. The sol
diers turned out from the new fort and
gave chase. but were beaten back Six
double mule teams and twelve led
horses were among the fruits Of tile
| capture, and under the covers of tie
wagons was wealth beyond compare
That was a proud moment for Black
Wolf when he brought his prisoners
and plumber safe to the main camp.
II have heard it said that the Chey-
ennes had become a tribe of women
he said. with forty-two warriors l
have captured what you see before
you. Let that be the answer. l have
heard 1t whispered that we must make
peace and so upon the reservation to
escape hunger and cold. In the wagons
here are enough food and blankets to
last us for years. If forty-tWo of us
have done this, what cannot 1,G00 of
) us do? There are 500 white men 1T the
: new fort. Are we to leave them III
peace, or are their scalps to hang on
our lodges:''
, by Black Wolf before he was through
, with his speech, and he carried the
5 crowd with him. Walk-by- Night con
: cluded that he had made a big mis-
: take and straightway repented of it
while the squaws chanted and the war
> riors Dragged and staggered. The vii
: lage now numbered 800 people. Some
Of the bands had not yet come in. Five
Of the wagons We're unloaded. and the
hopes of the redskins We're more than
: realized. There We're pork. beef, sugar
D coffee and flour by the barrel. There
: were bacon, hard tack. beans, peas, ric.
/, and tobacco. The six wagons We're in
1 taken from the five made a great heap
s The contents of the sixth We're left fol
e inspection on the morrow.
r BY and by, when all speeches hai
!. been concluded, hunger satisfied ant
3 the crowd had got hold of enough whis
]. ky to give everybody whooping oli
time, some of the younger bucks begal
e firing their guns. One of the teamster'
$ called out to them and tried to ex
> plain something. He was given slal
d on the face, and the revel went on
o Ten minutes later one of the bullet
!. fired by a mad dancer penetrated th'
d box of the wagon, and there instantl.
followed an explosion that shook th
earth for thirty miles around 1t ha,
been the last wagon in the train.
J. was loaded with dynamite for blastin,
y down a portion Of the bluffs, lh
4 blast struck the hills to the west an,
% came back To strike those on the east
J. 1t dug n hole In the earth thirty fee
!, deep and a hundred feet long. 1t sen
el hundreds of bodies high in air. and
!. flung hundreds Of others about lik
II feathers.
"a Walk-by- Night was dead Blac
"a Wolf was dead One Horn and Grea
10 Thunder were dead. The power Of th
81 tribe was broken forever, and the so
1 Riers even pitied the miserable rem