Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1915-07-09
AHunter' sBluf
By NJ QUAD
By M. QUAD
copvright, 1915, by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

- snorting hunters numbering thir-
ntered the elbow of Texas between
Naxico and the Indian territory.
While the Comanche Indians were
,,+terlv hostile at that time they had
1oop sadly reduced by smallpox and
[1riyen to the north, and old frontiers
,,,on stated their belief that the party
would not even see one.
had been invited to make one OF
The party but was detained for cou-
nla Of days. l then mounted my horse
land picked up the trail ana Followed
flor having no fear that l should run
|onv danger in thus riding.
- had come noon of the second day.
md 7 had met with no adventure. l
mad halted and watered my horse and
mas ready to move on, when heard a
"Yi, VI, yi!' on my right, and turn
cd around to see five Comanches COM
,ne out Of the timber on their ponies.
Thev were just half mile away and
had evidently discovered me.
Whom q man rides for his life the
greatest fear is in OVERRIDING the mat
ter | had been five years ON the
mains and had pretty fair stock of
nerve. and | rode to favor my horse.
As the sun began to sink In the
west they sought to shorten the diS-
tonce between us and bring me into
rifle shot. but word to the mustang
checkmated this.
Had been able to keep the trail aft
or 2 o'clock l should have counted on
finding the party by sundow1f, as we
we're getting over the ground at rap
i'd pace, but at about that hour came
to a rough, stony district, where the
4 massage of the horses had left no trail,
H and | went ahead at random, planning
70 keep my distance from the river. 1t
was to be a starlight night, and as
soon as dusk came l urged my beast to
n faster pace and bore more to the
left. When l believed l had gained
quarter Of mile swerved sharply to
the right, rode for forty rods and then
dismounted and gave Custer the word
to lie down. We We're both fiat on the
earth when the party Of pursuers swept
by. and the thud, thud, thud Of their
ponies feet came very plainly to my
ears.
L. | had a cold bite In my havcrsack,
and after disposing Of it stretched out
and went to sleep, hoping had given
the red men the slip. | opened my
eyes the next morning in astonish-
ment. Seated III circle about me
were the five Comanches, while their
ponies were feeding with my horse.
Law on my back with my hands clasp
ed under my head. and such was my
establishment that | could not move.
Fortunately for Lie they took this for
nerve looked from man to man.
and finally said in Comanche:
Had | known you were Comanches
should not have run away. l thought
4 you were Chickasaws on stolen horses.
4 l shall be ready to go rs soon as
have eaten. | want to see the Co
manche Countrywide vast plains-the
Canadian river-the mountains full Of
caves and watcrfalls-your chief,
Thunder Cloud"
One Of them asked me If / belonged
to the party ahead. and told him no.
q He asked me how | dared start out
alone for the Comanche country, and
81 told him that had trapped the noun
tain lion and cut out and eaten his
liver while still alive. and therefore
q feared nothing living. l could see that
they were badly puzzled, and in
creased their wonder by saying, as !
Ifnished my breakfast:
Come. 1t is time to go. We have
N a long ride, and | am anxious to see
your country"
When we set out, two in front and
three behind and no Indians were ever
more puzzled. In later years | met
one of them and he told me that their
plan was to torture me as soon as
awoke. They were beat out of this by
III my queer remarks, intended just for
that purpose. Several times during the
day l expressed my Impotence at ouI
SLOW pace and asked them to get on
faster, and when we went into camp
saw that l had them off their guard
After eating l sat apart from them tC
smoke and mediate and to give them
an opportunity to compare notes. Just
When the five got their heads together
to discuss something they did not wist
me to hear l arose and stepped back
ward out of the light of the fire, and
believe / was hundred feet away
when they missed me.
heard them scatter and beat about
and while they were hunting for mi
crawled along and got my gun.
crept away from the circle of the fir
and then got the shelter of tree. Thu
indians beat about for a good hal
hour, and then all came in, chagrinet
and disguised. I lifted my gun ant
81 look fair aim at the leader. He wen
4 down as my rifle cracked and was fol
lowed by second and q third befor
the surviving two could comprehen'
What was going on. Neither stoppe,
for his gun.
stood guard all night. and whe
morning came was satisfied that tn
4 Two who had escaped had no idea O
returning. After scanty breakfast
eaught up the six animals, packed u
everything of value, and then l heade
" the southeast for the river, and at
st..l~A IL J..