Omaha daily bee., 1915-05-09
Stories of Nebraska History
ny A. Z. SHELDON

, "a unmplng on the bank Golfer said
Indians. aud wanted TO 80 back. Potts
said, buffalo" aud kc,t on. \ Few
more strokes OF the paddle and they were
surrounded on both shores 10y hundreds
OF Blackfoot warriors. who made signs
to the traprers to como to them. since
they could not cssuuc Golfer turned the
canoe toward sporc As they came 10
land az Indian seized Potts rifle. bu.
Coitey. who was very strous man.
wrcstcd Il from him and handed IL Go
Potts. The latter killed an Indian with
H. but was h.msclf shot full OF arrows
The Indians now took Golfer stripped
him. ana began To. talk about how they
would kill him. At first ,hcy were go ug
to put MIN up as "a mark 10 be shot a.
but the chief desiring %. have -reatcr
sport, asked Golfer ii ne could run fast
Golfer understood enough OF thcir Tan
gueBc to tcH him that he was very
poor runnu. although he was one Of tho
svifiest runners among the hunters.
Then thc chief took him out on the
prairie few hundred yards and turned
him loose to run for his life The Indians
gave their war-whoop and started after
him. Golfer ran straight ACROSS an open
plain toward the Jefferson river, sis
miles away. The plain was covered with
cactus, and at every jump the bare feet
OF the naked man were filled with cactus
thorns ON Golfer ran swifter than he
hao ever before run In his life with those
hundreds OF Blackfoot warriors after
him. Hc had ran ncarw half way across
the plain before ne darked TO look back
over his shoulder He saw that he had
far cutrun all the Indians except one.
who carried "A spear and was not more
than hundred yards behind him.
\ faint hopo now rose In Golfers heart.
hut he had run so hard that blood gushcd
from his nose and covered his body. lie
ran on until within n mile OF the river,
when he heard the steps OF the Indian
with the srear close behind him and.
turning his head, saw he was not more
than twenty yards away. Golfer stopped
suddenly. turned around and spread out
hts arms. The Indian. surprised. tried to
stop also but was so exhausted that he
fell 20 the ground and broke his spear
Golfer at once picked up the point of the
spear and with Il pinned the Indian tn
the earth. He then run on while the
other Indians came up to their dead COM
radc and yelled horribly over his body.
Golfer, using every moment, soon gained
the shelter OF the trees on the bank and
plunged into the river
\ little below was an island. at the
upper end OF which was great raft OF
driftwood in the water. Golfer dived
under this RAFT and after some trouble
got his head above tho water betwecn
large logs which screened him from view.
He had hardly done this when the In
dams came down the river bank yelling
like fiends. They hunted the shores.
walked out on the rah of drtftyeood over
Golfers head. pulling the logs and peer
ing among them for hours. Once Coltcr
thought they we're about TO set the raft
on fire. Not until after dark, when the
indians were no longer heard. did Coitcr
daro to venture from his hiding place Iic
swam down the river long distance
then came out on the bank. He was
alone In the wilderness, naked. without
weapon and with his feet torn 20 pieces
by the sharp cactus thorns. lie was
hundreds of miles from the nearest trad
ing post on the Yellowstone, in a country
OF hostile savagos. But he was alive and
fearless and strong.
A week later he reached the trading
post sunburnt and starving. but saved.