The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1920-05-06
XIV.
A Field Of Massacre.

To my mind, seated on that island
In the morass, a map spread before me,
a hundred miles of travel had not ap-
peared a very serious matter, but I
was destined to learn my mistake.
The close proximity of the men seek
ing to Overtake ns-as evidenced by
that rifle shot-awoke within us a
sense of imminent danger and drove
us forward through the fast gathering
darkness at a perilous pace, especially
as our mounts were not of the best.
We rested for an hour at midnight,
on the banks of a small stream. The
sky had lightened somewhat, and we
could perceive the way fairly well
when we again advanced, now travel
ing through a more open country, a
prairie, i"nterspersed with groves of
trees. Daylight overlook us at the
edge of a slough, which bordered a lit
tie lake, where in the gray dawn, Tim,
by a lucky shot, managed to kill a Grip
pied duck, which later furnished us
with a meager breakfast. In the Sc
curity of n nearby cluster of trees, we
ventured to build a fire, and, sitting
about it, discussed whether to remain
there or press on. 1t was decided to
remain where we We're and rest.
I need not dwell on the details Of
our flight. They remain in my memory
in all c%learness, each scene distinct,
each incident a picture engraved on
the mind. My map proved utterly use
less, confusing me by it's wrong loca-
ton of streams, and it's inaccuracy in
the estimation of distances. We must
have wandered far to the north from
u direct course, led astray in the
dark, and by u desire to advance
swiftly. For there 0 came to us
warning signs that we were indeed
being pursued; and some evidence
also that we were even within Indian
territory.
The savages had left their unmis-
taxable mark for our finding. 1t was
in the early twilight of the second day,
the western sky already purple with
the fast fading colors, the prairie be-
JAN uS oAAo"AiS AL polSACS VI SICCA
and brown. To our left was a thick
wood, even then grown gloomy and
dark in shadows, and slightly in ad-
vance of us Kennedy rode alone, hope
full of thus dislodging some wild ami
MAJ. l could see the CLEAN of the pis-
tol in his hand, held in instant readi-
ness, cooked and primed. Suddenly he
drew rein, and then, turning his
horses head sharply, advanced eau
tiOusly toward the miniature forest,
leaning forward to gaze intently at
something unseen from where we were.
He halted his horse, which paved rest
lessly, and sat m~otionless, staring
down into a little hollow Immediately
in front of him then he turned in the
saddle, and beckoned me.
"Cum over yere, Cap" he called, his
voice sounding strange. mo, not the
gurls; you cum alone" r.
l rode forward and joined him, only
to stare also, the heart within me al
most ceasing to beat, as 1 beheld the
gruesome sight so suddenly revealed.
There, within the confines of that lit
tie hollow, almost at the edge of the
wood, lay the dead and mutilated
bodies of eleven men, in every distort-
ed posture imaginable, some stripped
naked, and showing CHASTITY wounds;
others fully clothed but with the cloth
hacked into rags. 1t had once been a
camp, the black Goals Of a fire still
visible, with one man lying across
them, his face burnt and unrecogniza-
BILE. With the exception of one only
a mere boy. who lay a few rods away,
as though brought down in flight-the
entire group were together. almost
touching each other in death. Beyond
question they had been soldiers
militia volunteers-for while there was
only one uniform among them, they all
wore army belts, and a service insignia
appeared on their hats. Tim vented
his feelings in a smothered oath.
Militia, by Godw he muttered
grufiy. "No guard set; the bloody
Injuns jumped 'em frum out them
woods. Those poor devils he'd
no chanel. Amt tibet it, Cap?"
mo doubt of 1t the whole story is
there. None of them ~alive?'
Il reckon not-cudn't be hacked up
like tibet, an most O. 'em skelped.
Them reds never left a d. gun be-
hind neither. Why, say, this affair
must a took place this we're very
maunin', bout breakfast time"
He stood up in his stirrups, and
swept his eyes anxiously about in
every direction. Is I
"Good Lord! maybe we better be
gittln' long out O. we're right smart.
Thar amt nuthin' ter stay fer; we
can't help them men none. an only the
devil knows whar them Injuns hav'
gone. Yer git the gurls away afore
they SEE whut's yere-down yonder,
inter the valley
! took q more glance at the sight,
fascinated BY its xery horror. then
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