Year: 1877

back to the OVerhanglng cllH, ana was qulCe
we'll protected from the bullets. Some Of the
Indians were on his side of the valley and
some on the other, and they could not exact
" locate him. The bullets struck the cliff
above him and the bushes beneath him, but
he was quite safe until some of them could
gain position opposite and above him.


The fire of the Indians slackened for three
or four minutes while they planned, and then
grew warm as warrior worked his way along
through the bushes and rocks not more than
fifteen feet below where the Canadian was
hiding. The Buckeye read the plan, and his
eyes were constantly scanning the hillside op-
posite. The Indian was just getting into po.
sition for plunging shot when discovered
by the miner at bay, and the next instant he
received ball from the Henry rife through
the head. He rose up, lifted his arms, and
then fell forward and rolled down to the
grass. There was terrible yell from the
savages as dead warrior crashed down, and
then deep silence fell upon the valley.


The Canadian admits that he was too
frightened to make the least movement. He
expected that Indians were working around
to positions above him on both ridges, and he
drew himself into as small space as posi-.
BILE, and kept his eyes on the brave man op-
posite. All the chances were against the
Buckeye, and he knew it. It was only
question of time when the savages would se-
cure positions from which they could riddle
his body with bullets. After the silence bad
continued unbroken for FIVE minutes, he
caught the only plan Offering the least hope
of success. Reasoning, undoubtedly, that the
Indians were by that time making their way
up the ridges, and that the valley was clear,
be made ready to descend, and dash of down
the valley, hoping to secure start enough to
ensure bis escape. He laid his rifle one side,
tightened bis belt, removed his hat, and then
taking revolver in either hand, he slipped
of the ledge, and in another minute was in
the valley. There was yell from above as
soon as he struck the grass, some one having
been left to watch for such move. The
Buckeye dashed away at his best pace, fol.
lowed by whoops and shouts and screams and
the noise of Indians crashing throug b the
bushes, as they dropped into the valley. He
was either intercepted or overtaken before
running forty rods, as he halted and opened
fire with bis revolvers. Lennox heard him
shout fercely and defantly, as if determined
to die game, and the crack crack crack of
bis revolvers could be plainly detected from
the reports of the rifles. 1t was two or three
minutes before the firing ceased, and then the
silence was broken by walls and laments from
red men, proving that the miner had sent
more than one of them to the happy hunting
grounds. In q short time the squaws and
children came down the valley, and the la.
ments were renewed. Lennox saw boy
have one Of the Buckeyes revolvers and 8
squaw carrying the other, but he saw no scalp
or dead body to prove beyond question that
his comrade was dead. However, there is
no doubt about this, as he has not been heard
of since. Lennox scrambled further up the
ridge as the Indians began to return up the
valley, carrying their dead and wounded, and
it was not until two days after that party
of six men from our camp. out in search of
the missing, ran across him in the hills, al
most dead from fright, fatigue and hunger.
His statement is undoubtedly correct in every
particular, and it may be some little consola-
ton to the friends of the nameless Ohioan to
know that he died as only brave men do
a Black Hills Letter to the Cincinnati En-
quirer.