The Cairo bulletin., 1908-07-03
THE CHASE
of the 4
CHEYENNES I
BY Buffalo Bill.

visit 10 the Northern Cheyennes. up
Robinson. They would burn, kill
and pllIage all along the route. both
going and coming.
A detachment of cavalry was told
off to stop the Red Cloud Agency
picnic | IVES chief scout. My side
partner was Frank Powell. better
known by his Indian nickname of
White Beaver. We were no. on the
trail of the Cheyennes. White
Beaver and | were riding far ahead
OF the troopers, when, near dusk,
Se came upon tracks not half an
hour old.
sent White Beaver back to bring
up the troops, while | dismounted
and followed up the trail on foot
1t led as ! expected to a sheltered
valley on the banks of the Republic
can River
| crawled up to the top of one OF
the banks that hid this valley, and
looked down. There, in the dusk,
/ saw a much bigger band of savages
than had TO looked to find. But /
had little time to investigate
Theii pickets were on the lookout.
Almost as soon as my head appeared
over the bank there vas Il shot, and
a rife bullet sent up puff of dust
from the ridge not n yard from my
head
! had my rifle unslung and began
to shoot, not only to stop their rush.
but 20 10. the oncoEd cavalry
where | was The Indians replied
with a fusilade but 1t is hard to hit
dimly seen head peeping over a
a;stant bank by dim light. while
there was so many of them that |
nad mech better luck was not
hit although bullets whizzed uncom-
lortaby close to my ears.
| had downed four of the Indians
and two or three OF their ponies
" hen the cayalrymen dashed up. AS
the troopers charged the Chcyennes
ran for their lives. We killed few
and captured several more. but the
rest got away.
There was hurried consultation!
S-me % the officers we're for campo
ing overnight and picking up the
chase next day.
'lf you do said l. you'll follow
their trail tomorrow by the smoke
OF burning cabins and ranch build
ings"
So alter them we vent. And at
dawn we came upon them at the ford
o. Frcnchman's Fork. Then we at
tackled. II was no. hrusl while II
lasted. For those Cheyennes fought
like cornered rats. TIE man who
says Indians can't fight is mistaken.
They won't willingly offer battle
against what looks to them like bad
odds or even chances. They like a
sure thing That Is why some peo-
pie call them cowardc But no one
Who knows them will share in such
belief.
But they were no match for Uncle
Sans trained cavalry, We got four
teen Cheyenne scalps and captured
more than two-thlrds of their horses.
This meant that more than two
thirds of the bant must return on
foot all the long journey to their
agency.
But the survivors wer, glad
enough l think to get away at all.
They made a Decline for their own
agency, and the Pnnusl visit to the
Northern Cheyennes was postponed
Indefinitely. II ever a picnic was
successfully broken up that was the
one.
White Beaver during the fight re-
ceived a lance wound In the leg that
laid him up for some weeks. There
was grcaser (Mexican) in the camp
ShO h-teu him because White Beay-
r. had once blocked the greas,r's at
and had thrashed him for the t.
tempted theft.
One morning as was riding into
amp from a scouting trip | saw this
sreaser cook sneaklng into White
Beavers tent. | knew he had no
right there. So l followed on the
run. / saw there was trouble break
ing.
| reached the tent just in time to
zoe the greaser holding a red hot
frying pan full of bacon fat and
bacon) above White Beavers wound
ed leg. He was about to pour the
scalding fat on the wound. White
Beaver lay there hell less. too proud
t. call tor help against a mere
greaser
With one hand I grabbed the cook
by the shirt collar. With the other
1 snatched the frying pan from him.
Then. pulling his collar backward.
emptied the whole sizzling mass
bacon fat and sll--down his back be-
tween his shirt and his skin.
The greaser howled like a burned
dog and went out of camp IN about
three jumps. We could hear him
yell for mile or more. None OF US