The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-04-12

something dark move across the ira
in front Of me. / thought it was tn
bear, and was getting ready to fir
when six Indians jumped from tn
brush on each side of the trail.
Immediately lost all interest in tn
bear. Six to one is a big handica'
in a fight for ones life n / kney
that / would be in luck if l got ava,
alive. / got into a c%oulee, and wa
making the back trail for the cam
when the Indians found me. The,
all came out in the open. 1 got be
hind a tree and counted them. Their,
were forty of them. They separated
into two parties, one of which follow
ed me and the other attempted to gei
between me and the camp.
Il made my start running. A
spent arrow hit me in the back OF
the neck but the thickness of my
buckskin shirt saved my life, though
the arrow made an ugly wound. ]
unslung my Henry and turned loose
on my pursuers.
1T was the Indians first exper-
fence with a repeating rifle. My first
shot killed an Indian. Then, think
ing they would get me before / could
reload, they rushed. / was shooting
strong, and getting an Indian with
every shot when they took cover. Two
of the boys in the camp heard the
shooting, and came to my rescue. We
managed to drive the Indians off, and
get to camp, but they followed and
for three days we could not light a
fire, as we did not want the Indians
to locate US. After we had been
without food or fire all this time we
put our guns and powder on some
logs and swan the Musselshell.
I'VE found that we were not much
better off when we had gotten across
the river. The Indians seemed all
about us. But they had a wholesome
respect for the work of my Henry
rifle and kept under cover. We
lodged about the timber for a couple
Of days. Adam Armstrong, one of
boys with me, exposed himself
N the open and was mortally wound
I'd. We had to stay with him. He
lied later in the day. Finally, after
We had been without food or fire for
TX days we managed to escape and
ret back to Fort Peck"
Kills Two Indians
So Cochran decided that the life
# a wolfer afforded altogether too
excitement. He drifted down
o Fort Union and on to Randall,
where he associated himself with
Ellis, trader and freighter.
Ie was watching Ellis stock one
lorning, when in the gray dawn the
n 1I0ru ny III. o1fao 80 LN.- |
resence came in the shape of a bull
1T which wounded him in the leg. A
econd shot wounded his horse. A
bird struck Cochran in the side. His
orse, maddened with pain, a about
90 yards and dropped dead. Two
indians yer sneaking up to scalp
cochran when his Henry gun got into
ction again. He got both of them.
hat was enough for the rest. They
smained out of gunshot and Coch-
ans comrades rescued him. He
ent to the hospital for eight months. {,
.e had then been in Montana seven
ears, had made and lost a fortune, (,
nd when he came out of the hospital
he had was his Henry rifle. He !
it yet, and says as it has saved :
. ~ I'LL oONO4o OStoDlOhCy uC n
inks more of it than anything, liv-
or inanimate, in the world. q
Cochran was held up by the fam =
is Semmers gang of highwaymen .
Id went with the posse which was n
.Lccessful in shooting up the band h
Id killing Sommers, the leader. The q
who were not killed in :
is fight went to Canada, and the g
,rthern country was rid of a crowd
at had robbed travellers for years.
Lauds Pike Landusky 0
Then Cochran became a partner of L
e famous Pike Landusky, who later /,
Is killed by one of the Curry boys, t,
e crime which started the Currys
their careers as highwaymen.
any hold that Landusky was a bad
IN, but not Cochran. He says he :,
IS the best and squarest man he e
IS ever associated with. =.
Cochran's ability to shoot quick
d true, and his tried courage made -
u in demand as a shotgun messen- 10
in the days of the armed stage -
ach. His duty was to sit up beside h,
, driver and use a sawed-off shot -
on any highwaymen who might ~
lay to stop the coach and rob the
ssengers. 1t is recorded of him =
1T no matter what the odds against 4
were, he always tried, and ban
S were inclined to give any coach
was guarding a wide berth and n
hit of way. His reputation was :"
n that passengers would wait I'M =
the coach of which he was guard q
s scheduled to depart. His last 4
venture of note was when he ac-
npanied Howard as a scout to the 70
of S~nakecreek. L.