The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-12-30

l shot my first Indian. He was a
chief. l knew that from his
headdress. His name l never
learned. Here is the story:
My parents, with their seven chill
dren, had moved from Iowa to Kan.
sas three years earlier. My father
had taken up u claim in Salt Creek
valley and built a comfortable home.
But he was not to enjoy the good days
that seemed to be dawning for us.
Kansas just then was torn by the
slavery feud, and in the bitter strife of
the time my father, after making an
antislavery speech at a nearby post
traders store, was mobbed and his
life threatened. On this occasion n
of my fathers irate audience-a man,
Charles Dunno by name-stabbed my
loved parent In the side. At the time
of the attack l stood unarmed over
my wounded fathers body and tried
with childish strength to fight off his
assail.:nt; but though he escaped with
lie n him f,on the place where he
was assaulted, he subsequently sue
cUlab.a t. his injuries, and in the fol-
awning ollllS ne uICO. HIS CdldLlly
deprived my mother and our family
Of a worthy and esteemed head Of the
household, his death being an incident
In b horrid %internecine strife that
eventuated in the tragedies Of the civil
war. | was then ten years old.
could ride any horse alive. I had a
knack of shooting straight, and I knew
something about herding cattle. I
thought these qualities might earn me
a living. They did.
= A firm Of overland freighters-Rus-
sell, Majors & Waddell-were at Leav-
enworth. One Of them. Mr.. Majors,
had been n friend Of my father. I
asked him for n job MS extra" on one
of his wagon trains. The pay was $40
a month"; fortune It seemed to me
then. The work was the sort usually
Entrusted to n grown man, and it
meant not only perpetual hustllng, but
a lot Of danger as well, for the plains
in those days were. anything but free
from Indians. This latter thought
frightened ever my brave mother.
Boylike, l was delighted at the idea.
Mr.. Majors said he would take me
on as extra for n trip. If I did
well ! could have a regular job. I re-
solved to do miracles as an extra.
The train" was made up Of twenty
fve loaded wagons. each carrying
1000 pounds. each drawn by six yoke
OF oxen and guided by n 'bullwhack-
err" Il driver with n long, loud cracking
whip. Then there was a bunch of
loose cattle, On this occasion the
train was made up Of only three
wagons, and we were driving a large
herd of beef cattle to Fort Kearny for
the use Of Colonel Albert Sydney John
ston and his command. who were on
their way to Salt Lake to fight the
MOrmons. l was only one Of several
extras. Though We always set guard.
no Indians had appeared.
One noon, however, when we stopped
for dinner and were loating about on
the grass waiting for the pot to boil
we heard a scathing volley Of shots
from a copsc. Some bullets and a
dozen or more arrows whistled into
camp. Everybody had jumped up at
the first shot. But three Of our men
tumbled ovcr at once. as II they had
been trippcd up. Then q number Of
things happened almost too quickly to
describe.
Two bands Of Indians were Eu,lop-
ing toward us. One band stamDeded
and ran OF our cattle. while the other
crushed" us. Our men gave them a
warm welcome and sent them back on
the run. But the fight was not over.
The braves" only cantercd out of
range. There they We're joined by 9th.
ers. They o~utnumbcrcd us eight or
ten to one. We could not hope to
stand against such a multitude. We
bolted for the South Platte river with
the savages at our heels and found
shelter behind the steep banks. From
there we opened fire again and drove
the following redskins once more out
Of range.
Frank Mccarthy. our boss, said oul
one chance was to follow the Platte
river to Fort Kearny. keeping out OF
sight under its banks. So the thirty,
1--WE mile march began through knee
deep water and quicksand. Half a day
Ne kept it up. | was dead tired, but Il
was no time for rest or complaining
Just the same. by nightfall my short
legs wouldn't keep up with the process
sion. l dropped back, little by little
still plodding or as fast US my aching
feet could move We thought we hai
given the Indians the slip. but I still
lussed my short, heavy rifle. 1t wa.
a muzzle loading mississippi Jaeger
and carried 4 slug and two bucksho
to each charge.
The noon had risen, and l was try
ing to catch up with the rest. Sudden
~, in front of me and at the top Of tn
aigh bank. l saw against the moor III
head and high war bonnet of al In
dian chief. He was ben double, Th'
men ahead could not see him. but h
had his gun leveled at them | knew
If he fired he could scarcely miss a
that range. Some n Of my friend,
.,,% no li11oC hoH ho1ta1 NJ Sirh