The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-10-19

= MIN. i WO luulduSs OudTley anu III
r brother, rushed toward the plac
g where he was lying. Charley pulle
from his blanket a large pistol @
the dragon type and attempted t
( shoot him in the head. His wife pro
g tected his head with her body an
/ begged Charley to kill her first. Eacl
r time that Charley attempted to ge
/ around in position that he coult
| shoot Cowan, Mrs. Cowan would
| place her body between them. Be
J coming angry, Charley grabbed he
by the arm and attempted to pull he
away from him, but having one o.
her arms around his neck she pulled
him into a sitting posture. Charley's
brother, who up to this time ha6
made no attempt to interfere, pulled
la short Colts revolver from the folds
of his blanket, leveled it at Cowan's
head and fired. Cowan saw the
flash and the smoke issuing from the
end of the gun and then remembered
no more.
Cowan Wounded Again
When he became conscious it was
quite dark in the timber but he could
see the reflection of the sun upon
the trees higher on the hill He was
lying on his back and upon the OPP
posite side of the tree from where
he had been when he had been shot.
His face was covered with blood and
! he felt the top of his head and found
wound, and was convinced that the
bullet had followed along under the
scalp without doing a great deal of
damage. The back ofshis head was
badly swollen and had several jagged
wounds upon it. Every ring was
still and after some difficult 5e was
able to raise himself and see r@und
him. A short distance away from
where he had been lying was small
thicket of jack pines and he decided
that he would try to reach them. AS
he raised himself by the aid of the
limbs of the trees he heard noise
and above him and looking in his
direction he was an Indian who evil
IDENTIFY had been sitting upon his
horse but who had now dismounted
and was in the act of leveling his rifle
at him. He threw himself forward
toward this clump of trees and at the
same time the Indian fired. The
bullet struck him in the small of the
back, ranging forward and breaking
his hip. He fell upon his face and
in doing so he bumped his nose and
it commenced to bleed. He cautious
ly looked in the direction of where
the Indian had been but did not see
him.
Thinking that the Indian would |
soon come down to where he lay to
make sure that he was dead, he had |
given up hopes of ever getting out
alive when he heard a noise and,
glancing around he beheld party |
of four young Indians driving band |
of about twenty-five loose ponies
ahead of them up the trail He lay |
very quietly for fear that they would |
discover him and while he was in this
position four bands of ponies driven
by young Indians passed him and
went on up the trail. He did not
move for some time after they had
passed. Then he decided that he
would have to reach the lower basin
If he was to be rescued.
He hadn't had any water for about
"a hours and his tongue was becom
ing very stiff, SO remembering that
it was about mile to where they had
would try and reach that stream.
Crawling as best he could as long as
he could see he worked his way
the timber by the side of the
trail toward the place where he knew
water to be. He crawled until the
moon went down and it became too
dark to see, then he rested until day.
light when he resumed his crawling.
When he reached the stream, which
was about twenty-five feet wide and
perhaps ten inches deep, he crawled
into it and refreshed himself and
rested for some time. Then he crawl
I'd back upon the bank and removing I
his trousers and tearing a strip of
underwear that was not bloody he j
to dress his wounds and
% wash his face. He was greatly re-
'reshed. After resting for an hour {
,r so he proceeded, keeping near the
rail but concealed in the brush.
Encounters Indians Again
After he had proceeded in this )
manner for a couple of days, crawl :
ng until he was exhausted, resting :
md then proceeding he heard the }
ound of an approaching party. r
crawling into the shelter OF tree !
hat had fallen he cautiously raised =
Iimself by holding onto the limb un-
il he had a view of the trail about :,
5 yards away. Soon white man :.
ode into view and he was filled with
oily at the sight of him because it :
1eant that he was rescued. He had
ust opened his mouth preparatory
0 calling for help when he heard the
of Indians and that yell
led in his throat. Soon several Ind =
ms came into view, riding close be- =
ind the white man and he concluded =
nat it was the rear guard of the Nez I,
erces tribe and that the white man :;
as captive. He remained concealed :
)r at least an hour after they had =;
assed and then he proceeded to y
rawl in the direction of his former =
amp. Two days later he reached the
ght of the camp and after resting
e crawled to the place where they
ad been compelled to abandon the
agons. The harness had been cut
L. tod or