Year: 1879

During the month of March, our mining


camp in the Black Hills, had mystery


which the sharpest could not unravel. Tools


provisions, gold-dust, clothing, cooking


utensils and other truck were stolen away


in spite of the closest vigilance. There be-


ing no other camp within three miles, and


the inhabitants of our town being above


suspicion, we had puzzle on our hands.


All the thieving was done at night, andarti-


cles were carried off even with double row


of guards around the camp. \ ravine,


having two or three feet of water in il, and


crossed by bridge, divides our camp, and


it was at length concluded that the thief


came and went by this dark road. One


night in April guards were posted along the


ravine, which then contained thirty inches


of ice-cold water, and the night was a freez-


ing one. Soon after midnight an alarm


was raised, and the guards fired upon some


man or animal coming down the ravine


into camp. At least twenty bullets We're


fired, but the unknown got away. Next


morning evidence was found indicating that


the mysterious stranger was an Indian


named ''Gen. Scott, who had been driven


out of our camp at the close of winter for


stealing, and had been frequently seen on
the hills above us. N- white man would


have dared the ravine and its rush of ice


water for what he could steal, but it was


elieved that .'Gen Scott" would. and that


he was the thief Preparations were, there
made for running him down. No one in


camp went to work. but all turned out for
sort ef Fourth of July, il beipg known
that General Scott had fight IN HIM


Twenty -one miners, all well-armed. turned


out on the huut. Half a mile above camp
we struck the Generals" trail, or the spot
where he had descended and ascended tine
ravine. At this point two of the missing
camp-kettles were found. He had stolen
five altogether, and four of them must have
been taken from pure cussedness. The
trail ran back to the timbered hills, and was
easily followed After slow and careful
hunt for a mile and a half, we suddenly got
news of the General He had discovered
us, knew our mission, and was bound to
have the first shot His bullet p!oughed a
furrow along the scalp of miner named
Chalmers, from Pittsburg, knocking him
over. IL was evident that the Indian ex-
pected no favOrs from us, and after his shot
there was no intention of granting him any.
The fellow had his camp under ledge of
rocks, but, wi:ile il was Il good place 10
shield him from the weather, it became too
hot for him when twenty men, each taking
his own position, opened fire. The Indian
WAS game. He opened fire with a revolver
driving three men to cover, and the next
we knew he was crossing a valley for the
shelter of the timbered hill beyond. The
Indian knew the risk he ran, and rs he flew
across the valley he zigzagged his course to
embarrass the ritlemen ready to fire. When
called upon to halt he uttered a defiant yell
but was the next moment struck and brought
down. When he fell me rolled into sink
hole and was again at bay, having a freshly
loaded revolver in hand. The wells of the
miners were answered with shouts of de
tiance, and it was plain we had not yet won
The fight. After brief consultation five of
the miners made a flank movement TO gain
A point overlooking the sink-hole. This
point gained, they could pick off the Indian
with their long range rifles. This left fif-
teen men in a body, and while most of them
were sitting down the General suddenly 4
rose up and advanced upon us hobbling
on his wounded leg. He knew
his fate and was ready to die game. He /.
was within pistol shot before any one moved
and he blaZcd away as fast as ne could fire, 4
wourding young man, Charles Judson, of
New jersey, and knocking the hat from an
others head. Even as he went down, his /
finger pressed the trigger once more, send


ng bullet among the clouds. Any com
punctious of conscience over the ''Gener- |
ais" death were wiped out when we came
% investigate his camp on the ledge. Here
we're proofs that he had stolen from his own |
ace as well as ours. He was, doubtless, an .
outlaw from his tribe, or he would not live /
hus alone, and the two white mems scalps ,
n his camp told of cold-blooded murders on .
-ome lonely trail across the hills