Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1911-05-13

his face, q strange wild stare was in his
eyes and fierce, frightened expression
in his countenance. He had uttered
three of the most startling, unearthly
yells had ever heard and as looked
at his wild expression said, Tom, what
is the matter?" His features relaxed
their rigid stare and smile spread over
his face as he said: "We were COM
pletely surrounded by wolves and 1 was
soaring them away" congratulated
him upon his supreme effort and assured
him that there was but little doubt in
my mind that be had not only succeeded
in soaring the wolves away from our
camp, but every other living thing that
was able to run or fly for many miles
around.
In the morning we took the ponies
and went after the two deer bad killed.
| When l picked my gun up found the
front sight was gone. 1t had become
loosened in some way and had been
moved to the left when was making
such wild shooting had never known
of its being loose before, consequently
had not given it thought. | made an
other sight and could afterward do as
good shooting as ever.
March had been an ideal month, with
just little snow, generally dry and sun
shiny. The oxen and ponies had actual
ly gained in flesh, but on the third of
April the worst snow storm of the win
ter began. The wind was quite strong
and piled the snow in heaps. We were
beginning to look for Gordon. We had
figured that he might have secured an
outfit and returned lightly loaded by this
time, but instead of Gordon, Red Dan
and Williams with a couple of boys in
blue came to camp through binding
snow storm. They were mounted on
cavalry horses and informed US that the
company was out at the foot hills, about
twelve miles distant, where they were
waiting to escort US out of the hills.
They stopped over night with us and
gave the first news we had of the out
side world for about six months. These
troops were from Ft. Laramie and were
a company of cavalry under the COM
mand of Capt. Mix. We were also in
formed that this was the third expedi.
tion that had been sent out after us. The
first was a company from Spotted Tails
Agency where the band of Indians had
reported that we had met on the Chey-
enne. This company it seems took our
trail and followed us some distance into
the hills. Here they abandoned pursuit
as their rations were limited and they
did not know how much farther they
would have to travel to overtake us, so
with just rations enough to return on
they retraced their steps.
The next was a company of cavalry
from Red Clouds Agency. They reach.
ed the foot hills in the vicinity of Har-
ney's Peak and were probably not more
than twelve or fourteen miles from US,
but they could not enter the Hills al
this point with team or pack. 1t was
during the extreme cold weather, while
We were building our cabins, that they
had arrived at the foot hills and found
themselves completely shut out by g
wall of rock. From their own reports
most of them were quite badly frozer
and not knowing just where we were 10
Gated they were compelled to abandon
the undertaking and return to theil
quarters. These expeditions calculate
the distance to be travelled and the mum
ber of days to make it and their ration
are issued accordingly, consequent!
neither company had started out will
sufficient rations to perform the task lait
out for them and it was simply time ant
energy wasted.
This company in camp at the foot hill
waiting to take US out, had started wit
twenty-five days rations from Ft. Lara
mie. They had been nineteen days o.
the road and had just reached the foe
hills. Several extra officers had accom-
panied the command simply for the nov
city of the trip and instead of putin
Red Dan in as guide Captain Mix too
the lead and according to the report {
, most of the boys it was crooked ira
from start to finish. The officers had a
got drunk as soon as they could CONVEX
iently do so and continued in this cor
dition until notified that they were g
ing to run out of rations. He then pr
Dan in the lead and he took thel
straight to the hills where French Creel
that runs by the Stockade, comes out
the Hills
We were requested to pack our effec