The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1917-05-04
A SCOUTS
ESCAPE
BY M. QUAD
Copyright, 1915. by the Mcclure
Newspaper Syndicate.

followei the close of the civil war
was attached to various western forts
and camps as scout and dispatch rider
and in that capacity had my full share
of adventures. 1t was my fortune or
misfortune almost at the outset of my
career to strike the Sioux a blow
which made them forever after hungry
for my life.
1t soon became known among the
Sioux what had happened, and every
branch of the tribe swore to have my
life. A reward of ten ponies was Offer
ed to any one who would kill me and
twenty If l were taken alive. was
advised by every one to clear out of
that locality, but | refused to go till
the long expected war finally broke
out. and / was attached to moving
column.
| / was finally made q prisoner under
singular circumstances. / was return
ing from the flying column to Fort
| Wallace with dispatches. / had set
out soon after dark and made q good
|
settled On the plains. 1t wouldn't have
bothered an Indian to keep the points
of the compass, but after turned and
twisted among some dry ravines had
10 own up that / was lost My horse
was just as badly off. When | gave
him his head he came to stop. The
only thing to do was to dismount and
wait for daylight. l was sitting on the
ground. not feeling bit sleepy, and
my horse was lying down when band
of thirty-seven Indians. all mounted,
walked right on to me through the fog.
| heard the footsteps of their horses.
but could not locate them in the fog
until too late. When | leaped up it
was with the thought that | might
make a break for it on foot, but before
could turn they were all about me.
J and in another minute | was made
prisoner.
The Indians were as much surprised
as l was, and it was broad daylight
before they identified me. Up to that
time they had treated me fairly well.
When 1t was known I was the scout
whose life they had so long thirsted
after half n dozen bucks tried their
best to tDmahawk me on the spot, but
were restrained.
| When their anger had cooled down
there was as much rejoicing as If they
! had captured fort. Six warriors were
called out as guard. and soon after
sunrise I was put In their charge and
started for a big Sioux village on Deer
! creek, between the two forks of the
! Republican river l was. of course.
| disarmed Then my elbows were tied
| together and my feet tied under the
horse, al d for fear the horse would
run off with me he was led by Iariat
When we reached the village | was
put In tepee and my arms unbound.
1t was the third day after my cap
ture before | was disturbed. Then.
most of the warriors having returned
to the village on purpose to witness my
death, l was led out at o'clock in the
afternoon to undergo the preliminary
to actual torture. This is running the
gantlet.
l got ready as well as | could. and
when the signal came | sprang away
! at the top of my speed. Blow after
J blow fell upon me as the savages shout
! ed their delight. and. to my great sur
| prise. | at length reached the end
There fell In a heap. and they gave
me ten minutes to brace up for the
run back. made only half the dis
! lance this time. being struck such q
blow over the head with Il club that |
sank down unconscious. When | had
recovered my senses they returned me
to the lodge, where | lay for many
hours, expecting to be taken out any
I moment for torture. They would have
finished me but for the fact that the
wife of Little Feather. who was in
another village fifty miles away. had
not yet arrived She wanted to be in
Mt the death.
The squaw arrived soon after mid
night My ankles were tightly dashed.
and | could not sleep
Half an hour after daylight the vii
age was astir, and at sunrise n suuaw
brought me some breakfast, and the
lashings around my ankles were cast
off. | learned several years after that
IL was lhlenueu 10 oDllSe me to run the
gantlet again. | was eating the meal
the squaw had brought when a sud
den excitement arose outside There
was great shouting, followed by
cheers and the report of firearms. and
the next minute the 200 frontiersmen
VINO had been raised in Kansas and
Nebraska as an independent force
charged into the village. 1t was a
complete surprise to the Indians. but
not for long. 1t wasn't five minutes
before the fleeing warriors rallied for
defense, but before that time | was
safe. AT the first alarm | sprang up
and ran out of the lodge full against
one or the guards, and as | ran | was
fired at two or three times. was
with the h0rsemen in minute or two
and after q bit / got rife and took
an active part in the hot fight going
on. We were driven off after couple
OF hours br we got every pony in the
herd and burned all the lodges, and
they had many a dead warrior to
mourn over.
IL was singular that in after years
I should moot tha so,,o - 49,,