Year: 1871

Little do we OF this section know Of
the terrOrs Of a winter 1000 miles from


b ere on the Missouri, The Sioux


City Journal Of the 18th gives q
graphic account OF the sufieTings and
experience Of lonely traveller in that


desOlate region:


on sunday last there arrived in our
city the worst used-up specimen of a


Texan cattle driver We ever saw. His
name is Thomas DOrmitt. He had
come from Fort BUiOrd, twelve hun
drad aud TWENTY-FIVE miles, on foot.
The following is the story of his awful
tramp through a wild Indian country,
I'm the dead of winter:


He left Buiord in the latter part Of
October, without a dollar ia money.
His desire was to reach Texas. When
he started out on his long journey
the weather was very pleasant, and
the weather prophets at that place
predicted a very mild and open win
ter. He accepted their predictions
and began his Journey for the States.


After travelling about two hundred


miles a fearful snow storm overlook
him. and he became beWildered and
nearly perished in the storm, which
continued for two days. When the
storm ceased he came from his shell.


fpr-s hole in the embankment--and
started back for BufOrd.


But after going about one mile he
stopped and argued the question with
himself whether it was better to die
ike a coward on his retreat, or 90 on
and die like a hero. This question,
he SAYS, was a difficult one to decide.
He knew the route back to ButOTd,
and also knew that he was midway
between BufOrd aud Rice, but
be was uncertain Of the route
TO the latter place, and yet the
inducements to keep on were
strong. for at Rice he had a friend and
at BaiOrd he had none. On the whole,
he considered the question evenly
balanced, and to decide his course he
res0rted 10 the child's method OF set
ting up a stick to fall as it would, de-
termined 20 pursue the direction il
should point. He set up the stick and
balanced L on its end as well as he
could. It stood still for a few sec
onds. as If partaking OF the mans
doubt. and then fell toward the
states. Accepting the decision,
he started on for Fort Rice.
The undertaking was an awful
one, and be had little hopes of ever
making that place alive, and he had
not had q mOUthtul TO eat for iOrty-
eight hours. Together with fasting
and the effects of exposure, he found
himself terribly weak, and not as
brave as be was wont to be. To die
he considered would be a privilege,
and he was several times tempted to
shoot himself But when it came to
the point his courage wouldn't stick,
and hope would again assume control
Of hi mind and he would continue
his weary p.Odding.


On the second day after the storm,
as night was approaching, he sought
some place Of shelter TO remain uHtil
morning, and thus discovered a hole
in an embaDEmeut, q short distance
FROM the road upon which be was
travelling. He determined to rest
there for the night. As he was crawl
iug into the aperture, on his hands
and knees. he put his hand upon the
cold face OF a dead Indian, who lay
near the mouth OF the hole. At first
he was startled, and thought to leave;
but on second thought he concluded
that, as he was not afraid Of live In
dian, be surely wasn't afraid of a dead
Indian. Accordingly he began TO
drag the defuUct brave from the hole
70 make room for himself On reach /
ing the OUJride Of the cave with the
dead Indian he discovered q deep
wound on the left side OF the body be- |
low the ribs, which he concluded was
caused by the horn of a buffalo, and
from the effects OF which the big brave
must have died. This opinion was
strengthened by the fact that he found |
a large piece Of frozen buffalo meat in
the hole, which, it is unnecessary to /
say, was devOured without much Ger
em0ny. His sleep upon this night
was very much disturbed. Either the
presence Of the dead red OF the amount
Of buffalo meat he put into his stOm-
ach caused terrible attacks of night
mare. He was several times scalped !
and tied to the stake, and more than
once Tampled nearly TO death by
herds Of buffalo.


The morning came at last, and he
CraWled out, scarcely believing in his
own identity alter such tOrtUring
dreams. He took a last look at the
dead Indian and went on his way, not |
knowing how soon he should sleep
again, not 10 Waken. About noon of
this days tramp he shot an antelope, /
and then he believed the good Lord
was indeed on his side. Cutting out
what meat he could comfortably car
~. he took up his line of march with
q stronger faith in the accomplishment
Of his undertaking.


fT7fra ln1ar1nG NJ rHiE do no g1l.rf VFrff h.
out anything Of note transpiring, as
did the succeeding day, until late in
the afternoon when he met a party Of
four Indians, who took what little
meat he had left, and sent him on his
way far from rejoicing. About an
hour before dark. and but a few miles /
from Fort BerthOld, a large black !
bear was discovered sitting right in |
the path which he was travelling.
Bruin looked at the Texan and the
Texan looked at brUin, both standing
like posts. The Texan did not want
to shGOt unless he was certain Of doing
good execution, for a shot would only
provoke an attack, which he was ia
poor condition TO Withstand. He pre-
feTred 20 await the action OF his bear
ship. A few minutes more and the
bear left, and our hero went on reach ]
ing Fort BerthOl6 a short time after
dark, when he rested and recuperated |
q couple Of days.


Daring his journey from BerthOld to
Rice the weather was fine and game
plenty, consequently he enjoyed COM
paratiye comfort. Immense herds Of
buffalo, antelope and elk were seen
between the two places.


At Rice he found his friend had left
for the States. He remained there,
however, until he had somewhat re.
covered from the effects Of his tramp,
when he stole a government mule and
put out for Fort Suuy.


The mule proved Serviceable to
uofut within fifty miles Of Sully, when
the poor creature dropped dead on the
road. from over-eXertiOn. He had
made two hundred and fifty miles in
three DAYS and a halL There was no
thing along the route for the mule to
subsist upon, and therefore our travel
" concluded that he must make good
M. a Of the animal for the first few
devs which, none viii dispute, he
mi T-bo n. van had frosted his hands
end Fsef y, quQh not seriously, and he
yros 1-,rs oTifa de lighted when he safely
raac5ad eC Forf s7ully. The remaining
portion of the q. stance to this city
was accomplished with comparative
ease. He caught a yi0e from Sully to
Fort Thompson, and after that the
distance was so short between the |
ports that he could easily carry what
provisions he needed.


He reports the Indians about Sully
in q very destitute condition, ana !
some Of them, he says, are likely TO |
~. sr, nnan tEn -. q i..lll.- Of the