The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-12-26
NE POWDER HORN TRAIL.
An Mdian Agents Account of q Wild
Stampede and Narrow Escape.

began quickly, SAID MCLau8nlln.
ION the fifth morning after the stage
HAD set me down found my once
besieged by Indians armed with
breech' leaders
1T was rather startling, despite
the friendly faces they turned upon
me, for / was new to the business.
An interpreter fastened to explain,
however, telling me that the cattle
contractors, who we're holding
bunch on our reservation, had sent
word to the Cheyennes to come on
and begin killing, as they were hum
CRY for some fresh beef.
Nov, I'd been out to see the same
bunch of cattle two days before, arm
| ed with authority to accept or re-
/ ject. / found at least half OF the
| 1000 head quite unfit for beef, and
had sent for q government inspec-
| tor to relieve me of responsibility
in the matter 1t would be some
days before could expect him over
from the next agency.
Il explained to the Interpreter
| curtly and briefly that the cattle
| were not yet accepted, and that no
killing could be until should give
the order. The Indian drew off glum
| and angry, and l went into my OF
fee where i was busy with my clerk
all day.
EARLY the next morning l was
aroused by Pratt, my own 1nterpre-
| ter, with the unwelcome information
| that twelve or fifteen poung not
heads among my Indians had gone
| out to kill some beeves, saying tnat
they did not propose to starve when
/ their own cattle were feeding on
their lands.
"With Pratt / saddled and was on
+! Immediately. The cattle had been
grazed on Powder Horn, some eight
or ten miles to the westward, and
we were soon in the river valley
| The cattle were not there. We had
| started to make circuit OF the feed
| ing ground in order to find, which
way the stock had been driven, when
we saw our Indians riding down off
a nearby hill These rode toward
us halted at fifty yards, and made
signs with their hands like hostiles
] seeking a parley. Then one of them
advanced.
| Father said he, something
strange has happened. Our cattle are
| gone and man Is tied up on the
hill there. We did not touch him.
| II looked for Pratt for enlighten-
ment.
| " 'Rustlers,' he said laconically
| II babe him order the Indians to
show us the way, and three minutes
later I was bending over one or the
! late herders of the contract cattle
| The man lay on his back among the
| sage bushes. bound and gagged
yengeful and heartless piece OF busl-
less.
my Indians had not dared to set
him free until they reported the mat
| Ter to me. | lost no time in cutting
! Tie strings that held him, and aftef
| lie had emptied canteen or waite =,
he told me that he had be imp
| cd while night herding i'y Il band Oh
men dressed as Indians ana t@ft AZ
ir-y Cheyennes had found nm .ie
, had left the other two coN-We1l fot-
90 in their blankets. One Of them ne
| Thought to be all rignr, but 'il'
;nther had been with the nutht Only
q month.
Did you send word TO the II
ans to come and kill cattie'
ask ed.
1.-The man looked at aie i'll nn-
feigned establishment. No he said.
TT wouldn't have any authority Tor
that
"The man was evidently honest.
He was vet too stiff to walk, and |
asked an Indian to dismount. ! then
helped the herder, who gave his
name as Hallett, up on the Cbeyen-
mes pony. We rode to the camp
where he had left his fellows. The
place was deserted, and the case be-
came as plain as the nose on one 8
| face.
/, "The new hcrder who had hired as
! Bill Swcetzer from Niobrall range,
| was one of gang of ruI'crs Woo
| had been keenly watching this bunch
of stock They had bided their lime,
and finding as they had doubtless
/ expected that there would be 10
trouble about their acceptance. had
sought to make it appear that IN
! dams had run of the herd They
! had boldly sent word to the Oh
ennes to come on and kill the cat
tie. that the Indians report of loss
might be discredited by Their agent.
. They must either have forced
Big Alec to go with EN-, o. else tLey
would have done him up and he's
some where around here and Hal
lett.
Well, | said. let's strike the
trail, and there was no dissenting
voice. Two Indians whom ! had left
to search the ground for Toe man
called Big Alec, and one whom |
sent on foot with a messa se - lay
clerk were much disappointed at be
! ing left out of the chase.
las it was our party Vas ma ie
up of three whites, Pratt, Wallt II
! and myself, and nine young Chey-
epnes, all well mounted. The trail OF
the stock led toward the Powder
Horn mountains. which ioon'ed up
some eighteen or twenty miles to the
/ westward.
We took il leisurely not wishing to
catch up with the thieves uhtil they
should enter the foot hills where we
hoped to take them by surprise,
There were at least six Of the rust
lers by HaIlett's account, and / was
by no means sure what dependence
could be placed on my Cheyennes,
who were all young men, untried
rs fighters.