The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-03-05
FACED DEATH TO RESCUE
WHITE WOMEN CAPTlVES
Thrilling Story of General Adams's Visit, With
One Companion, to Indian Camp in
Wilds of Colorado.

to angrily protest against what others
advocated.
my Interpreter, young Indian
boy who was very devoted to me-
pulled nv sleeve, and in the darkness
T could see that he shook like lea1.
oh. Adamus,' he gasped, they say
best kill Adamus-Adamus orlne
white soldier, kill white squaW, too.
I laughed, not very heartily admlt'
and broke into the discussion IN
Spanish.
"'You say you will kill Adamus'
do YOU? Well, that's all right; you
can kill me if you want to; l am
soldier. and a soldier expects to die
in the discharge of his duty; l have
been a good friend to you fellows
and you know it; now if you want
to murder your friend, we'll and good'
there is nothing to prevent you. l
can only die once, and am as ready
to die now as any other time. But
for YOUR own sakes I want to tell
YOU one thing. The soldiers of my
people are as the leaves on these
trees. If you kill me or harm your
captives, my countrywomen, the
great white father will send his SOL
diers and leav, not one of you alive,
'I rose as I spoke. and placed my
back against tree, determined to
sell my life as dearly as possible. 1t
was a critical moment.
Count Doenhoff's Silent Eloquence.
SILENTLY Count Doenhoff came and
stood close at my side. Alone in that
forest of blackness, the only white
men within perhaps fifty miles, one
hundred miles from civilization, we
were absolutely in the power of those
savages, who might torture us and
put us to a most excruciating death.
believe if 1 had wavered my life,
and perhaps that of the count, would
have paid the penalty. For a full
minute they sat smoking and looking
at me. Then a murmur went from
one to the other, 'Adamus heap brave,
Adamus no 'fraid.'
''Then, long association of obedi-
ence to me, and, 1 really believe,
their genuine affection for me, pre-
vailed over the dictates of their
savage natures, and again they Of
fered me the pipe of peace. Again I
shook my head and refused, saying,
No, I cannot smoke with you until
you promise me to give up your cap
tiyes and allow the ringleaders of
this revolt to be punished as they
deserve
"This again raised a stormy dis
cussion, and angry and suspicious
looks were cast in my direction.
War Nhoops Break the Silence.
"a few angry war whoops cut the
deep silence of the night, and voices
were raised loud in fierce discussion.
In the midst of it, and when it look
ed IS if my friends were getting
the worst of the argument, bent
and withered old squaw, the mother
of seven chiefs, rose painfully to her
feet, and leaning on her staff, with
her stiff, dry gray hair blowing about
her peaked, wrinkled face, pointed
heg shaking, bony finger at the dis
putants and said in Spanish, Think,
you chie;s, what you are doing.
Adamus is the friend of the Indian,
the friend of Ouray. If you kill
Adar>us or hurt the white squaws
you will have to settle with Ouray
for It. and he is your great chief
who will show you no mercy. You
are few, Ouray is great and mighty,
he is the white mans friend, and if
You kill Adamus Ouray will send HIS
chiefs to settle with you, and your
tribes will know you no more
i do not know how it is among
other Indian tribes, but among the
Utes the aged are held in the very
highest respect and receive the great
est care and attention. AS this aged
mother in Israel ceased speaking and
sank with a weary grunt once more
upon the ground, the chiefs talked
once more together, and I could see
that my cause was gaining.
Agree to Surrender.
after some moments they turned
to me, and their spokesman said
that they would give up the women
and allow the ringleaders of the re-
volt to be arrested if promised them
that they should not receive white
mans punishment (be hanged.) |
replied that l could make them no
such promise.
81 am not here to make promises