Year: 1870

The overland mail coach was dragging its
way slowly through the binding aud drift
ing snow over the vast plains of Colorado.
1t had reached a point known as Pole Greek
Ranch, situated upon the southern bank of
the Platte River, perhaps forty or fifty miles
above Fort Sedwick. When it halted
darkness had fully set III. The ranchman
came out with his light, and the weary pas
sengers were about to leave their cramped
positions, when that terrible sound, the war
whoop of the Sioux broke the stiffness Of the
night; and in an instant after, fifty dusky
forms were seen dashing to and fro, brand
ishing their bloody tomahawks and striking
all who came in their way.


The coach had been crowded with passen-
gers, about half of whom were women.
There were also two infants i'll the party,
Fathers fought desperately; but they all fell,
although they sold their lives dearly. The
guard appeared almost inyincible; but they
were small in numbers, and they did not
long survive. The ranchmen proved them
selves no towards; but they, too, were soon
numbered with the dead. Then came the
burning of the ranch, after barrels of whisky
had been brought out, and one of those hor
rible scenes of revelry over the burning pile
and around the scalp ped dead followed.


For sometime after the coach left Fort
Sedwick Station it had been closely followed
by team" consisting of a common wagon
covered with canvass, which was drawn by
pair of mules; but as the road became
heavier with snowdrifts the small animals
could not keep pace with the six fine stage
horses, and so they were left in the back
ground.


This wagon was occupied by three persons
"a man Of twenty-five, a woman who could
not have been more than seventeen or eigh-
teen years of age, and young infant.


As they found they could not keep pace
with the stage, the woman said, and rather
impatiently, 81 am sorry we are left behind.
We may lose our way or be attacked by the
savages.


ono, replied the man, ''for, although we
are both strangers in this country, we could
not have a better guide than the telegraph
poles. And as for the Indians attacking us,
they are great deal more likely, in my
opinion to be on the lookout for the stage
and attack it.


"How much further do we drive to-day?"


81 can't well tell But from the distance
we had to travel at noon, should say that
nine o'clock in the evening ought to bring us
to Pole Creek"


"And three days more will bring us to my
fathers house in Denver. Good old man,
weary of hunting, he builds a fine dwelling
house in the city, says it is for his children,
and sends for us | have not seen him since
was a child; but am sure | shall love
him.


1t was something like an hour after dark
ness had set in, that the lonely travellers saw
the air becoming red ahead of them. Bright
er and brighter grew the light, until they
could actually see the flames as they shot
up in the snow-filled atmosphere. Then
nearer approach revealed the true state of
affairs; and to sa.e himself and family, the
young man at once turned the heads Of his
mules over the bluffs and away from the
river.


Then came weary ride of two hours,
during which time close lookout was kept
for light. At length one was discovered, +,
and nearing it, the party found themselves
at the base of a steep bluff, or mountain
which, unlike the other portions of the coun-
try, appeared to be thickly wooded.


Leaving his team together with wife and
child, almost entirely concealed by the over
hanging branches of tree, he began his DIFF
ficult ascent for the purpose of ascertaining
what the light he saw meant. In a few
minutes he was within few feet of the place.
He was satisfied the glimmer he saw did not
come from cabin; and as near as he could
calculate it came from a rocky cave.
Up to this time the young man felt sure
that he had not made the least noise, for the
snow was soft Neither could he we'll be
seen, for the snow which covered his entire
person rendered him the same color as every
thing around him. And yet he heard a
dog gowl and voice say, Keep your dis