t%>*<y 
 
 II f ! 
 
 
 
University of California Berkeley 
 
 THE PETER AND ROSELL HARVEY 
 
 MEMORIAL FUND 
 
 8853 
 
ffe 
 
Yours Truly, 
 DENNIS COLLINS 
 
The Indians' Last Fight 
 
 OR 
 
 THE DULL KNIFE RAID 
 
 BY 
 DENNIS COLLINS 
 
COPYRIGHT RESERVED 
 
 BY 
 DENNIS COLLINS 
 
 PRESS OF 
 
 THE APPEAL TO REASON 
 GIRARD, KANSAS 
 
PREFACE 
 
 The work of writing a book is one that requires a 
 vast amount of knowledge, natural ability and educa- 
 tional advantages, to produce something that is reliable, 
 as regards information imparted, unimpeachable author- 
 ity, and, at the same time, a power of expression that 
 will present the matter to the reader in a manner that 
 will convey the proper meaning of the author. I would 
 not have undertaken the present work, were it not that 
 I was encouraged by the friends of former days who felt 
 confident in my ability to portray the scenes to be de- 
 picted in a fitting manner. I should probably be able 
 to perform the task before me with greater success if I 
 had some of the advantages of what is called Higher Ed- 
 ucation, but, I set out on my journey through this new 
 domain, encouraged particularly, by a statement made by 
 a certain ex-President, that he did not believe in all the 
 "Ph V, and "Ch V, that are in common use in our lan- 
 guage; that he believed in a plain, intelligent expression 
 of ideas that conveys the full meaning of the speaker or 
 writer,, without any unnecessary verbiage. 
 
 My own personal qualifications for undertaking the 
 task before me, might be considered too inadequate to 
 many. True, I have not had the advantage of a Univer- 
 sity Education, but with a solid foundation of learning 
 laid in the little school of boyhood in Canada, supple- 
 mented by a wide course of reading through all the years 
 I have spent in the West, I feel that the difficulties be- 
 fore me are not too great to be overcome, especially as I 
 have the example of so many men before me who have 
 become self-educated by an earnest application of time 
 and energy to the opportunities presented. If I have de- 
 veloped any facility of expression, I must attribute it 
 
6 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 to the wealth of good books I have had the good fortune 
 to have at my disposal at various times. 
 
 Another motive that has impelled me to undertake 
 the task of presenting the "AVest" to the general reader, 
 is that there has been so much written about it that is 
 not veracious, and that many have a false notion of what 
 the term really means. I shall endeavor to set before the 
 public a true account of many of the recent happenings 
 in the vast country that lies west of the Mississippi, that 
 they may have a better idea of its history and its people. 
 I have read in numerous Magazines and Journals, ac- 
 counts of the habits and customs of the Western People 
 in general, and of the cow-puncher in particular, with a 
 full description of tire Indian at peace and at war, that, 
 from the reality, it would be impossible to recognize any 
 of them. I am quite satisfied that the authors of the so- 
 called narrations did not have an opportunity of study- 
 ing the subject at close quarters, and, consequently, were 
 not in a position to do the topic justice. As a consequence 
 of this unreliable mode of narration, people who do not 
 know, imagine that the cow-puncher was half-man and 
 half-horse, or, if not so bad as that, pictured him as a 
 ranting, roaring, rollicking, bloodthirsty, oath-emitting, 
 unconstrained son of perdition, whose chief occupation 
 was murder and rapine, and whose avocation was herd- 
 ing cattle. As for the Indian, he was supposed to have 
 no other qualification for attention than murder and pil- 
 lage, totally depraved, and beyond the scope of all civil- 
 izing influences. Such ideas are based on imaginary au- 
 thority, and are as far from the truth as it is possible 
 for any narrative to be. I shall endeavor to set before 
 the reading public a proper appreciation of both the In- 
 dian and the cow-puncher. Both had faults, but, in view 
 of their surroundings and circumstances of life, they 
 both will bear comparison with those who have had all 
 the advantages of the higher education, and the influence 
 of civilization. On-e thing that will always stand in their 
 favor is that they were "men," and played the game of 
 
OR /THE DULL KNIFE RAID 7 
 
 life in "man" fashion. Smallness, or rather, pettiness 
 of character was entirely lacking in their general scheme 
 of life; that remained in the big cities of the East. 
 
 Having spent more than thirty years among the cow- 
 men and the Indians of the different tribes, from the Da- 
 kota line to the Panhandle of Texas, I feel that I am not 
 presuming when I say that in that time I have acquired 
 considerable knowledge of both classes of men, their 
 habits, and ideals, and I trust that the present narrative 
 may be interesting to all my old comrades of the " Plains" 
 as well as instructive to the friends of my boyhood days 
 in the "Land of the Maple Leaf." I have the further 
 hope, that if any of the readers of this little work con- 
 template coming west to grow up with the country, they 
 may find the difficulties of the way overcome, and the 
 rough places made smooth. They will find a generous 
 welcome awaiting them from the whole-souled men of 
 the Great West, and will discover that their lot has 
 fallen on pleasant places. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
I N D E X 
 
 
 
 I 
 
 *age 
 
 PTT APTTTT? 
 
 T 
 
 I-rOYl OT*Q 1 1^ ATI i~\ li"1 A TIC 
 
 Q 
 
 V/'Xljnl JT HA IX' 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 JL 
 II 
 
 Santa Fe Trail 
 
 C7 
 
 13 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 If! 
 
 Freighting on the Trail - - 
 
 17 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 IV 
 
 No Man's Land 
 
 22 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 V 
 
 Cattle Round-tips - 
 
 26 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 VI 
 
 Good Men and Bad - - - - 
 
 28 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 VII 
 
 Catching Wild Horses - - - 
 
 41 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 VIII 
 
 Why I Came West 
 
 52 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 IX 
 
 A Cow Boy Love Affair - 
 
 63 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 X 
 
 Entertaining the Hobo - - - 
 
 69 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XI 
 
 The Man From Missouri - - 
 
 76 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XII 
 
 Organizing in Self Defense 
 
 81 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XIII 
 
 A New Venture or Hard Times 
 
 95 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XIV 
 
 Returning to Kansas, The 
 
 
 
 
 Phenomenon 
 
 127 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XV 
 
 Postmasters of Early Days - 
 
 137 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XVI 
 
 iVT A C G 1 & Tl li T* ) 7 O 
 
 144 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 -V V X 
 
 XVII 
 
 Savages on Warpath 
 
 _L JL t 
 
 167 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XVIII 
 
 The Whirlwind Raid 
 
 187 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XIX 
 
 The Indian Sun Dance - - - 
 
 195 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XX 
 
 The Adobe Wall Raid 
 
 210 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XXI 
 
 The Dull Knife Raid 
 
 231 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XXII 
 
 The Great Awakening of the 
 
 
 
 
 West - 
 
 262 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XXIII 
 
 P. H. Sheridan's Arrival - - 
 
 269 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XXIV 
 
 Capture of Comanches and 
 
 
 
 
 Kiowas -------- 
 
 276 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XXV 
 
 California Joe's Weakness - - 
 
 283 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XXVI 
 
 A Period of Unrest - - - - 
 
 292 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XXVII 
 
 
 301 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XXVIII 
 
 Trouble With the Northern 
 
 
 
 
 C;ll P VPT1 Tl Pti 
 
 319 
 
 
 
 
 OXw 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XXIX 
 
 Observations in Conclusion - - 
 
 321 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 General Conditions. 
 
 Someone has said, and I think very truthfully, too, 
 that one-half of this world doesn't know how the other 
 half lives, and if he had added that one-half did not care, 
 he would have hit the nail on the head. In order to ver- 
 ify this statement, go to the frontier of any new country, 
 and you will readily see that the progressive, or pro- 
 ducing class, is too busy and too much interested in try- 
 ing to make a little home, and in providing the necessa- 
 ries of life, for himself and family, to stop and inquire 
 into the cause of such conditions which surround him. 
 He is busy, very busy, with his own affairs. He must dig 
 a well, build a dugout, and plough the sod to roof it.. He 
 must make a storm cave, as it is one of the essentials in 
 Oklahoma and in Kansas, as a cyclone is liable to make 
 a visitation, and he himself and all that he has, may very 
 likely be nothing more than a memory. A storm cave is 
 a very valuable asset, as it gives the family a place of 
 safety in storms, and is a very great factor socially, as 
 the neighbors, if there be any close enough, are most 
 likely to drop around should there be a threatening cloud 
 in the sky, for the sake of mutual encouragement and 
 consolation. I have seen twenty-two persons in one cave 
 that was no larger than eight by ten feet, and all seemed 
 to be satisfied; at least I was. 
 
 At one time, of the early settlement of Western Kan- 
 sas, Indian Territory and Western Texas, there were no 
 mail routes established except between the military posts, 
 Fort Dodge, Kansas, Fort Elliot, Texas, Camp Supply, 
 Fort Reno and Fort Sill, I. T. About this time, 1870, 
 Dodge City, Kansas, sprang into existence, and became 
 the Mecca for the cowmen of the Southwest, and like 
 
10 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 Rome, all roads led to it. If mail was wanted, or trading 
 was necessary, one had to go from fifty to seventy-five 
 miles for the purpose, and in no case less than twenty, 
 as the S. F. R. R. had a land grant of twenty miles on 
 each side of the roadway, and one could not homestead 
 inside of that limit more than eighty acres, and that is 
 why settlers who wanted 160 acres went farther out. 
 
 In making those trips two neighbors usually went 
 together, leaving their families in one place until their 
 return. Their outfit for the journey consisted generally 
 of a few blankets, a shot gun, a Winchester, a coffee pot, a 
 frying pan, tow lariat ropes to picket out the horses, and a 
 box of axle grease. The time required for the trip from 
 three to five days and sometimes longer, owing to the 
 distance and condition of the roads. There were no 
 hotels on the way. In fact, there was nothing but the 
 open prairie, and when it came to camping out time they 
 picketed out tire horses, gathered some buffalo chips for 
 a fire, made coffee and flapjacks, fried some bacon and 
 then satisfied their appetites with the fare at hand. Sup- 
 per over, they discussed prospects for the future and then 
 rolled up in their blankets for a good sound sleep with 
 nothing to disturb them but the howling of the coyotes 
 that were around looking for something to eat. At times 
 something would stampede a herd of antelopes and in 
 their mad flight they would create a noise like the roll of 
 distant thunder. One thing that was in the favor of the 
 camper-out was that it seldom rained and any dust that 
 was made on the trail was blown away, leaving the way 
 as clean as a pavement. The wind generally blew from 
 the South for four days at a time, or thereabouts, at a 
 rate of about forty miles an hour, and then returned at 
 the same rate from the North. 
 
 On a trip of this kind, one became the messenger and 
 delivery boy for all the neighbors. It was mail for one, 
 paregoric for another, Epsom Salts for a third, and to- 
 bacco, coffee, sugar and other commodities which they 
 were in need of at the time the journey was undertaken. 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 11 
 
 The return of the expedition was looked forward to with 
 as much interest and anxiety as is the return of the Cu- 
 nard steamer at the port of New York. Each day found 
 the children on the hillside watching and waiting for the 
 return of the dear ones, and night was made hideous by 
 the howling of the family watchdog wailing over the ab- 
 sence of his master. The neighbors, too, shared the gen- 
 eral feeling and called several times a day to see if any 
 tidings had been received of them, or if there was any- 
 thing they stood in need of. 
 
 The next step in the way of progress was to sink a 
 well. This was a necessity of the first degree, as the early 
 settlers were compelled to haul water from the distant 
 creeks, or rivers, in barrels, and the quality of the supply 
 was not very high class. The presence of a well near at 
 hand would solve the problem and at the same time save 
 a lot of time which would naturally be required to bring 
 it from a distance. The task was the work of two men, 
 as the well had to be sunk from one hundred to one 
 hundred and twenty-five feet before water could be found 
 that would meet the needs of the situation. One man 
 could not do the work alone, so a neighbor lent his assist- 
 ance. By means of a derrick and a cheap mule purchased 
 for the purpose they raised the water when the well was 
 dug. The animal was left at the well and each man that 
 went to draw water was to see to it that his muleship did 
 not suffer from want of attention. 
 
 The above were only a few of the difficulties that the 
 pioneer encountered in his endeavor to get a start in life. 
 Those who came to the country in '79 or the early 80 's 
 found difficulties in abundance. As it rained very little 
 during those years, their means were soon exhausted, and 
 a great many were forced through necessity to abandon 
 their claims and return East in search of employment. 
 All would have been compelled to go were it not for the 
 carcasses left by the buffalo hunters who had taken noth- 
 ing but the hide and the hump. Buffalo bones were worth 
 about $14 per ton, and the pioneers that remained gath- 
 
12 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 ered them up and hauled them to market at Dodge City. 
 It took from eight to ten days to gather and market a load 
 of bones. This source of revenue, while not very remun- 
 erative, served as an opportunity for them to keep body 
 and soul together. By the time the bones began to dis- 
 appear entirely, they had succeeded in getting some land 
 in a state of cultivation and raised a fair crop of millet, 
 sorghum and Kaffir corn, crops adapted to the dry clim- 
 ate. Besides these things, a few chickens and a cow or 
 two relieved the situation a great deal. Most of the old- 
 timers who had the courage to stay, or rather lacked the 
 means of getting away, are today in good circumstances, 
 and the land that was then almost a desert, is now as 
 productive as any in the United States. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 Santa Fe Trail; How It Was Obtained; Freighting, Etc. 
 
 The man who enlists in the army under the influence 
 of patriotic speeches delivered by some great orator, ac- 
 companied by a brass band, has no conception of the 
 nerve, energy and enterprise that was required of the 
 first man who popped his bull-whip over the backs of his 
 oxen at little old Westport on the banks of the Missouri 
 River, and shouted to his men, "Come on, boys, we are 
 bound for Santa Fe." There were no mile posts before 
 him to direct him on his way, and no scouts in advance 
 to warn him of impending dangers. There was nothing 
 before but the open prairie, trackless as the ocean, but 
 onward he pressed across the unmarked plains, over hills 
 and canyons, across creeks and rivers, until he reached 
 his destination. His whole route lay through dangers 
 from hostile tribes who, if not on the warpath one day, 
 were liable to be on the next. Everybody was supposed 
 to sleep with one eye open, otherwise he would be likely 
 to wake up in an unknown land, while his poor habitation 
 of clay would be left minus part of its thatch. Such were 
 the conditions confronting the heroes who opened up the 
 trail and made it possible for the immigrants to take 
 Horace Greeley's advice to "Go West and grow up with 
 the country." It is true that there was a great profit in 
 the freighting business in the early days, but the difficul- 
 ties and dangers were proportionally great. The Indian 
 was not the only risk there was the prairie fire, the 
 Texas fever, and numerous other dangers confronting 
 one at every step. When the Texas fever seized the cattle, 
 
14 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 as the ox teams were called, the game was up. I knew 
 one man who drove into Dodge City with over a hundred 
 head of fine work oxen, and in less than six weeks he did 
 not have enough stock left to pull the empty wagons out 
 of town, such was the fatal results of the Texas fever. 
 
 The prairie fire could be handled in most cases if it 
 caught in the short prairie or buffalo grass. All that was 
 necessary was to start a back fire, drive onto the burned 
 space and wait until the head fire had passed. But if it 
 caught one in the river, or creek bottoms, where the grass 
 grew from four to six feet high, the only hope lay in flight 
 with the chances very much against one. 
 
 Such were the principal difficulties to be encountered 
 on the trail. There were others of a less serious nature, 
 but, nevertheless, very irksome and sometimes danger- 
 ous, such as bogging down in the quicksand while cross- 
 ing a river, or creek. If the sand was not thoroughly 
 packed by driving the cattle back and forth over it be- 
 fore driving into it with a wagon, one was liable to lose 
 a wagon or two, and possibly the entire outfit. 
 
 Freighting soon became quite an important industry. 
 New trails were laid off from the little towns that sprang 
 up along the Santa Fe trail to the different ranches in 
 the Territory and Texas. The pirce paid for freighting 
 was at one time two to three dollars per hundred pounds, 
 to the Panhandle ranches. I have seen a train of wagons 
 half a mile long going to the Panhandle. It was about 
 this time that the great American promoter, or capitalist, 
 came out of the jungles with a railroad scheme, went be- 
 fore Congress and begged assistance for the infant indus- 
 try. The idea was to build the Santa Fe R. B. westward 
 from Kansas City, and they could not afford to do it with- 
 out a land grant. It is needless to say that they received 
 it. It consisted of each alternate section for twenty miles 
 on each side of the track. The same railroad at about the 
 same period gave birth to another railroad (they came 
 near being twins.) That is the branch that runs south- 
 ward through Kansas and the Indian Territory, through 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 15 
 
 the richest oil field in America. It is needless to say that 
 they got this grant through Congress also. I may here re- 
 mark that I have watched our legislators for a number of 
 years and have never seen them make any special effort 
 to protect the farmer's infant industry, though the farmer 
 outnumbers the promoter and the capitalist five hundred 
 to one. The same can be said of the mechanic's infant 
 industry. 
 
 Moreover, it is to be noted that in a time of national 
 distress, it is the farmer and the mechanic who take their 
 places in the ranks of the army to fight the battle of the 
 country. I have seen Congress take a hand in the pro- 
 tection of the cattlemen in the Cherokee Strip, but at the 
 same time there was a certain Senator from Kansas who 
 had interests there and who wished that tract of land to 
 remain a sort of "No Man's Land" for the sole benefit of 
 himself and the Cattle Syndicate in which he was very 
 much interested. This condition endured for fourteen 
 years. During this time Payne and Couch organized a 
 colony of settlers or "N,esters" as they were called, and 
 set a movement on foot to take up some of that land, and 
 establish their homes. Although it was unclaimed land, 
 as soon as the settlers had their little homes built and 
 things in shape to take up the burden of their lives, the 
 soldiers through the influence of the Cattle Syndicate 
 swooped down upon them, arrested the settlers, tore down 
 their houses, and drove the offending parties back across 
 the Kansas line. Through all these discouraging condi- 
 tions the settlers maintained the fight and finally won out 
 against the powerful Syndicate, but at what a cost! 
 Payne was arrested and taken to Fort Smith, handcuffed 
 like a criminal, and was held there for a long time but 
 was not given a trial, as there were no legal grounds for 
 his arrest. Poor Payne did not live to enjoy the fruits of 
 his labors for the early settlers, but he made it possible 
 for them to make homes for themselves and enjoy them in 
 peace, unmolested by the powerful Syndicate and those 
 
16 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 who were in league with them. Were it not for the fight 
 put up by Payne and Couch, the land now occupied by 
 homes of thousands of happy and contented farmers 
 would now be the grazing ground of cattle owned by the 
 Syndicate. Verily the wheels of Justice move slowly when 
 the interests of the poor man are at stake. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Freight Outfit on the Trail. Tha Difficulties and 
 Hardships Endured. Different Kinds of Outfits, Etc. 
 
 The freighter's team was composed of from four to 
 six yokes of oxen, sometimes more, driven by one man 
 called a " bullwhacker. " The train consisted of a ''lead" 
 wagon and one or two "trail" wagons. The "lead" wag- 
 on, being the heaviest and largest, usually carried a load 
 of about five tons. The "trailers" were loaded consid- 
 erably lighter, carrying about two or three tons each. In 
 ascending steep hills, or crossing streams, the "trail" 
 wagons were usually "dropped" if the conditions of the 
 road demanded it. If the river crossing was quicksandy 
 the cattle were taken out and driven back and forth 
 across the stream until the quicksand was packed suffi- 
 ciently to be considered safe. This decision was left to 
 the judgment of the foreman, or the "boss" of the train. 
 Then the wagons were taken across one by one until the 
 whole outfit was landed safely on the opposite side. 
 
 The old-time freighter invariably crossed the streams 
 in the afternoon or evenings, for two reasons. First, the 
 the teams, whether oxen or mules, would pull much better 
 in the evening than when hitched up fresh in the morning 
 as they usually had sore shoulders, and in the morning 
 were very reluctant to go against the yoke or collar in a 
 very heavy pull. Secondly, it might rain during the night 
 and the rivers or streams would become so swollen that 
 passing would be impossible, and they would be compelled 
 to remain in camp until the streams returned to their 
 usual shallow condition. 
 
 The foreman always kept one or two saddle horses, 
 a pair of forty-five six-shooters, a Winchester, and a slick- 
 er, as it was one of his duties to ride a few miles in ad- 
 vance of the train to pick out the crossings and to avoid 
 
18 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 all difficulties of the journey, and to keep the teamsters 
 posted on the best route to follow. Very frequently the 
 foreman kept the commissary department of the train 
 supplied with fresh meat, as deer, antelope and other 
 large game were plentiful, and the prairie was literally 
 covered with buffalo. It was no difficult matter to kill 
 such game, as they were unacquainted with the sound of 
 a gun, or the sight of man, which condition changed as 
 they soon learned that the proximity of a man spelled 
 danger and consequently they became very wild. When a 
 buffalo or deer was killed, it was skinned and the hide 
 salted and taken along for use, or to sell. The hide of 
 the antelope was considered worthless. The meat that 
 was not intended for immediate use was cut into strips, 
 dipped in salt water and hung on a line or the wagon 
 bows to dry and was then preserved for future use. Flies 
 never bothered meat treated in this manner. Such meat 
 was said to be " jerked," and would remain in good con- 
 dition for use for over a year. 
 
 The outfits usually made a journey of about twelve 
 miles a day, as it was impossible to carry enough feed 
 along for the stock and have at the same time room 
 enough for the freight. Consequently, it was necessary 
 to graze the stock, which required a considerable time and 
 caused much delay. It was necessary also to have the 
 cattle graze during the daytime owing to the fact that 
 the Indians had a penchant for stampeding a herd at 
 night and running it off to parts unknown for their own 
 use. As a result of this condition, what traveling was done 
 was accomplished in one shift, as it would require too 
 much time and trouble to hitch up twice in the same day. 
 At times, when the grazing was exceptionally good, the 
 freighter remained in such a place for some time, as some 
 of the stock would be footsore and besides the wagons 
 needed greasing, the harness and the rest of the outfit 
 had to be examined and repairs made where needed, sore 
 shoulders had to be given medical treatment, and, in fine, 
 everything had to be done to keep the expedition in 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 19 
 
 proper shape. The teamsters particularly spent consider- 
 able of their spare time in looking after their own ac- 
 coutrements, as it was a matter of pride with a teamster 
 to have his implements in proper condition. The whip 
 to the teamster was the same as the rifle to the soldier. 
 It had to be looked after with care. New tips, called 
 " poppers," or " crackers," had to be provided. The 
 lash, usually about twelve feet in length, required consid- 
 erable skill in the handling of it. A green hand was as 
 likely to wrap it around his own neck as to hit the object 
 intended to receive the blow. The whip in the hands of 
 an expert was a different weapon, and he could perform 
 wonders with it. I have seen drivers wrap the tip of 
 their whip around the neck of a prairie chicken or a 
 grouse and jerk it into the wagon without leaving their 
 seats. If it were necessary some of them could tear a 
 patch of hide oft' the side of a refractory mule with the 
 deftness of a surgeon. 
 
 In going into camp there was one rule that the old- 
 timers always lived up to rigidly, and that was to form 
 a corral by driving one part of the wagons to the right 
 and the other part to the left, making the two lead 
 wagons meet and forming a circle with the trail wagons 
 six or eight feet apart. The space thus left open served 
 the purpose of a gate, and they usually made their beds 
 inside the corral. The stock was usually held inside 
 the corral for the night, or if permitted to graze were 
 driven in to be hitched. If any of them proved unruly, 
 they were usually roped and drawn up to the wagon 
 while being yoked and harnessed. In case of an attack 
 by the Indians the corral offered a good protection for 
 the men as well as the stock. 
 
 The third trail wagon attached to some of the teams 
 was never as heavy nor loaded as heavily as the others, 
 but was used as a sort of trap-wagon or "catch-all" for 
 all the extras that were brought along to supply the 
 place of any of the parts that were broken or suffered 
 damage. Each man looked after his traps and particu- 
 
20 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 larly his own bed, consisting of a blanket. When not 
 in use it was rolled up and carried in the trap wagon. 
 
 With each large outfit there was a night herder, or 
 a horse wrangler. It was his duty to go out with the 
 stock during the night and bring them into the corral 
 in the morning. In case the Indians were on the war- 
 path or were reported near at hand, he had to stand 
 guard over the outfit, as the stock in such a case would 
 be left in the corral until daylight. This system was 
 maintained by all outfits, whether they drove oxen or 
 mules. 
 
 The cowman's outfit was entirely different. He 
 never used more than two wagons, one the lead wagon, 
 and the other the trail, to carry his supplies and cook- 
 ing utensils. He always used mules or horses in prefer- 
 ence to oxen, as oxen were too slow for the needs of his 
 business. The trail wagon was used principally for car- 
 rying bedding. In the rear of it there was a cupboard, 
 or grub box, built about three feet in height and fasten- 
 ed to the wagon by means of bolts. The door of the cup- 
 board, instead of swinging as in ordinary articles of the 
 kind, swung downwards and was used as a dining table. 
 The interior of the cupboard was so arranged that the 
 dishes could be safely stored away together with some 
 canned goods, if it were possible to obtain the latter, as 
 they were seldom seen in the early days along the trail. 
 Outside of the necessary articles required for the jour- 
 ney, nothing else was carried, so that the cowman and 
 his party had little opportunity to enjoy any luxuries. 
 As supply points were few and far between, the price 
 of goods, especially bacon, baking powder, salt, tobacco 
 and other essentials was very high. The lead wagon 
 was used for general supplies, and it required an abun- 
 dance of the same to carry the outfit from one replen- 
 ishing point to another. I am speaking here of what is 
 called ''through herds," that is, herds on the way to 
 market. 
 
 While provisions were scarce and difficult to obtain, 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 21 
 
 it is a remarkable fact that the ranchers never tried to 
 improve the situation in any appreciable degree. They 
 never planted a garden. No vegetables ever appeared at 
 mess excepting, once in a while, potatoes and onions. 
 Nevertheless, all kinds of garden produce might have 
 been had at a very small outlay, and with very little 
 labor, but the average, and you might say, all the cow- 
 boys had an aversion for anything that had the appear- 
 ance of farming, which they considered degrading. I 
 have been at a number of ranches that maintained from 
 twenty-five to thirty thousand head of cattle and did 
 not see a pound of butter or a drop of milk on the table. 
 Eggs, chickens and fresh pork were unknown to them. 
 In fact, they produced nothing but cattle and considered 
 everything else unimportant. 
 
 When the railroad was extended to Dodge City, that 
 place became the shipping point for the beef-cattle of 
 the whole Southwest. When that assembling point was 
 established to supply the Eastern market, it relieved the 
 tedium and difficulties of an overland journey to Kansas 
 City. As a consequence of this, the cattle industry in 
 Indian Territory received an impetus, and many cattle- 
 men moved into that district from Colorado and Texas, 
 and established themselves along the North and South 
 Canadian rivers and their tributaries. Quite a number 
 of them became very wealthy in a few years owing to 
 the rise in the price of beef and the low cost of produc- 
 tion. While some of them grew wealthy through taking 
 advantage of the natural resources, others lost all they 
 possessed owing to the severe winters, lack of protection 
 for their stock and an insufficient supply of food for 
 their herds. The result of their misfortune was that 
 they slipped back among the vast army of the luckless 
 ones and were seldom heard of, while those who had the 
 foresight to provide against all the contingencies of the 
 uncertain climate by putting up hay in the summer time 
 and protecting their ranches from the destructive prairie 
 fires, prospered handsomely. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 No Man's Land. First Settlers. Branding Mavericks, 
 
 Etc. 
 
 About the year 1878, as the last buffalo was about to 
 disappear, the hunters were compelled to seek some new 
 field of labor, or devote their attentipn to some other 
 occupation. It was about this time that the first house 
 was erected in what is now called Beaver City, the coun- 
 ty seat of Beaver county, Oklahoma. At that time the 
 county was unsurveyed, and a man's possessions were 
 limited to what land he could use, or furnish cattle to 
 graze upon, as there was plenty for everybody, and no 
 need of disputing ownership. 
 
 I shall briefly mention a few of the earliest settlers. 
 
 Two ex-hunters, Jim Lane and Nels Gary, brought 
 their families and built a sod house. With an eye to 
 business, they put up hay and built corrals for the ac- 
 commodation of freighters and cattlemen. Seeing their 
 way open to further development, they put in a stock 
 of groceries and provisions of all kinds, and were soon 
 doing a flourishing business by providing for the wants 
 of man and beast. 
 
 The Healy Brothers came from Galveston with their 
 herds of cattle, and located their ranch on the North 
 bank of Beaver Creek, where their efforts were crowned 
 .with success. 
 
 The Kramer Brothers, Lou and Frank, with a 
 brother-in-law, Mr. Hooker, established a ranch west of 
 Beaver City and also another one on Clear Creek, where 
 they devoted their time and attention to the improve- 
 ment of their stock by raising thoroughbred cattle. 
 
 The Cader Brothers, formerly engaged in the hunt- 
 ing business, chose for themselves a ranch on Paladuro 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 23 
 
 Cre^k and met with great success, if rumor is to be be- 
 lieved. 
 
 Colonel Hardesty, more familiarly known as Old 
 Jack, established two ranches, one in Beaver county and 
 another on the Cimmaron river, which were known as 
 the "Hardesty" arid "Smith" ranches, and at one time 
 claimed to have forty thousand head of cattle. 
 
 Another successful rachmaii of those early days was 
 John George, who is still residing in the district where 
 he met with such success. After the opening of Okla- 
 homa Territary for settlement, he was chosen to repre- 
 sent his district in the Oklahoma legislature, and was 
 one of the very few members thereof who gave com- 
 plete satisfaction to his constituents. He was a staunch 
 Democrat, an honest and upright man, just the kind that 
 was sorely needed in the Territorial Legislature at that 
 time, and of which there was a lamentable scarcity. 
 
 Fred Tainter, of Boston, Massachusetts, established 
 a ranch on Cottonwood Creek, and bred a fine grade of 
 stock. He remained in those parts for years. 
 
 There were many others who succeeded in attaining 
 success in the business of raising cattle, but I mention 
 only a few of the most successful ones. 
 
 I here mention another branch of the ranching busi- 
 ness that met with great difficulties in its day and which, 
 to the cowman, was most unwelcome. The Tarbox 
 Brothers, Rufe and Wall, moved in with a drove of 
 sheep from Colorado and settled on the Cimmaron river. 
 A sheepman is always received with scant courtesy in a 
 cattle country. There has always been ill feeling be- 
 tween the sheepman and the cattleman, and in the trou- 
 ble that generally ensued on their meeting, the sheep- 
 man was the one to move to other quarters. In fact, 
 even if the cattlemen were left out of consideration, the 
 sheepmen would be compelled to move by force of cir- 
 cumstances, as sheep are very destructive feeders, and 
 soon ruin the range for themselves as well as for the 
 cattle. In a very short time after their arrival, every 
 
24 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 vestige of grass will disappear from the range, and the 
 prairie will be converted into a desert. The reason lies 
 in the fact that the sheep crop the grass into the the 
 ground and cut up the soil with their hoofs so that the 
 high wind which invariably blows drives the sand be- 
 fore it, cutting off the new grass that may spring up. 
 This, together with the long dry periods, soon kills out 
 the roots, and the prairie is left a waste. Moreover, 
 cattle will not eat off the range that has been grazed 
 over by sheep, so of the two industries it was a case of 
 the survival of the fittest. 
 
 The struggle between the cattlemen and the sheep- 
 men was little, if any, short of war. This condition ex- 
 isted for many years in Texas, Indian Territory, Western 
 Kansas, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas, and in all of 
 the states adapted to the raising of stock. The usual 
 arguments advanced by both sides of the question, in 
 order to determine who was to hold any particular sec- 
 tion, generally sounded like the exhausts of a few racing 
 automobiles. One of the sufferers of misfortune due to 
 the habitual state of hostility between the two indus- 
 tries was the firm of Tarbox brothers, who gave up the 
 business of raising sheep, moved to Dodge City, Kansas, 
 where Rufe was afterwards elected Mayor. 
 
 As the most desirable location for the establishment 
 of a ranch was along the creeks and rivers, through the 
 necessity of having plenty of water for the stock, and as 
 the rivers and creeks were few and far between, all the 
 choice sections were soon taken up. 
 
 As none of the ranchers cared to venture into the 
 semi-arid plains that lay between the far distant sources 
 of their water supply, and being equally unwilling to 
 depend upon the deep wells that would be required if 
 they would branch out into the open flat lands around 
 them, they left that part of the prairie for the small 
 farmer, or the "nester," as they called them. 
 
 Each cattleman had his OWTL private brand which 
 was duly registered and was known to every other cat- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 25 
 
 tleman in the entire West. They were, also, very careful 
 to employ the said brand on all cattle, mules and horses, 
 and any young stock that had been weaned and was 
 not running with the mother was classified as a maverick 
 and belonged to the first man who put his brand upon 
 them. 
 
 There were many men who became very wealthy in 
 the cattle country, whose sole assets in the beginning 
 were, a branding iron, a rope, a pony and a saddle. They 
 branded mavericks, and the natural increase of their 
 original find belonged to them also. In this way, in a 
 very short time, they accumulated quite a herd. Then, 
 by establishing their headquarters somewhere, they be- 
 came full-fledged ranchers without the outlay of any 
 capital whatever. This was successful as long as they 
 were not caught, but woe to the man whose brand was 
 upon a calf that was running with a cow that carried 
 another brand. The meanest way such men had of car- 
 rying on their nefarious trade was to kill the mother 
 cow after the calf was old enough to live on grass, brand 
 the calf and run it off to another part of the range. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 The Rund-Up Difficulties. Some Incidents, Etc. 
 
 Every Spring and Fall occurred the general round- 
 up, which consisted of all the cattlemen in the country, 
 who assembled all the cattle found on the ranges in 
 which they were interested. They rounded them up, 
 or bunched them at a common center in different dis- 
 tricts, each ranch being represented at each place. All 
 the increase was branded and marked by the owner, the 
 ownership being decided by the brand borne by the 
 mother cow. The beef-cattle were cut out and shipped. 
 Here occurred at times a combination of forces. Ranch- 
 'ers two or more in number lumped their herds together, 
 and drove them to market, each one bearing his propor- 
 tion of the expense, and receiving his proceeds in accor- 
 dance with the number of cattle in his part of the drove. 
 
 Between round-ups it was surprising how the cattle 
 would drift. Even though the cowboys took all precau- 
 tions, when the round-up came there was always a great 
 mix-up in the brands, some of the stock having wander- 
 ed as far as two hundred miles from its own ranch. 
 These, when found, were separated and thrown back on 
 their own range. During the summer while the cattle 
 were grazing, the rancher usually put up hay for the 
 season when the grass would be covered with snow. As 
 soon as the Fall round-up was completed, sheds were 
 erected and windbreaks made to protect the stock from 
 the inclemency of the "Northers" as the storms were at 
 that time called. 
 
 A few buffalo that had escaped the hunters still 
 remained on the range, and frequently furnished diver- 
 sion for the cowboy during the dull season. It was his 
 sport and, at the same time, a test of his skill, to rope 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 27 
 
 a buffalo calf and bring it to the ranch to be mothered 
 by an old cow that already was devoting her time and 
 energy to raising a young one of her own. Then was 
 displayed the motherly instinct for the protection of 
 one's own. As soon as the young buffalo was introduced 
 to his foster-mother there ensued a vigorous protest 
 against the additional burden imposed upon her by the 
 scheming of others. Strenuosity was displayed at all 
 angles, particularly fore and aft, in her efforts to rid 
 herself of the new-found charge. She kicked and hook- 
 'ed and kicked again till kicking was a failure. The more 
 she objected, the more the self-adopted buffalo persisted 
 in devoting his time and attention to her. Once he 'had 
 a taste of that cow's milk he hung to her with all the 
 persistency and tenacity of an Oklahoma office-seeker, 
 and she finally submitted with more or less bad grace 
 to the inevitable, and consented to act as mother to the 
 mascot of the ranch. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Beaver County. Peculiar Conditions in Vogue. Good 
 
 Men and Bad. The Vigilantes. Personal 
 
 Experiences. 
 
 About the year 1876, if I remember rightly, the U. 
 S. Government made an appropriation to have Beaver 
 county surveyed. The contract was let and the county 
 divided up into sections or townships, each six miles 
 square, and zinc monuments were erected at the corners 
 of each, but as the appropriation was insufficient to meet 
 the costs of the survey, the work was abandoned for a 
 considerable time, and it was not till some years later 
 that the completion of the undertaking took place. 
 
 It soon became known that there was no law in that 
 section of the country, nor had the U. S'. Government 
 any control over, nor authority to arrest criminals, nor 
 even to prosecute them there. Consequently it soon be- 
 came the dumping grounds for fugitives from justice 
 and criminals of all kinds. Saloon men who had been 
 paying license for the sale of intoxicating liquors, ceased 
 contributing to the general fund, but continued to deal 
 out their wares with impunity. One man built a still and 
 manufactured his own whiskey and did a flourishing 
 business, although he had to freight his corn from Kan- 
 sas to produce his wares. To give honor where honor is 
 due, I must confess that he produced a very good quality. 
 
 There was considerable immigration into this county 
 in '79 and '80, as most of the desirable land in Kansas 
 had been pre-empted. Hundreds of good men and wom- 
 en came in and selected homes, and those who could not 
 find locations along the water courses went out into the 
 flat prairie lands, erected houses, fenced their fields to 
 protect them against the range cattle, broke up as much 
 
OB THE DULL KNIFE RAID 29 
 
 land as they could conveniently handle, and made 
 what improvements their means would permit. As soon 
 as the neighbors became acquainted with one another, 
 they organized Sunday Schools, held meetings at some 
 convenient place weekly, divided the districts into school 
 sections and built schools. Each school house served 
 the purpose of a meeting house for Sunday services as 
 well as for any other business that required a meeting 
 of the people. In a short time the county began to de- 
 velop the earmarks of civilization. 
 
 Following in the footsteps of those law-abiding cit- 
 izens came a class of criminals who migrated from their 
 native heaths expecting immunity from the pun- 
 ishment due to the crimes they had committed, 
 and which caused their departure to this haven 
 of refuge Nor did they abstain from their crim- 
 inal pursuits while in this "refugium peccatorum," or 
 asylum of the wicked. As soon as they had become fa- 
 miliar with the topography of the county, and, as they 
 were too lazy to work, they soon took up their old prac- 
 tice of lying in wait for the unsuspecting and carrying off 
 his goods when possible. They usually drifted from one 
 ranch to another pretending to look for work, and im- 
 posed upon the hospitality of the rancher, who provided 
 for their wants free of charge as long as they cared to 
 remain. I may here remark that the hospitality of the 
 Western people has never been surpassed, and I may 
 say, never equalled. A cowman considered himself in- 
 sulted if one should leave or pass his ranch at meal time 
 without partaking of his hospitality. Not only this, but 
 as nothing was ever locked up, it was considered the 
 proper etiquette if no one were at home, to enter and 
 help oneself to his supplies and to make oneself perfectly 
 at home. N,o one was ever asked whence he came or 
 whither he was going. If he volunteered the information 
 without being asked, it was received, and if not given 
 the result was the same, namely, no questions asked. In 
 this way it was a very 'easy matter for the criminal to 
 
30 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 gain an intimate knowledge of conditions, which they 
 used to their own advantage later on to the detriment of 
 people generally. They 4 did not confine their depreda- 
 tions to Beaver county only, nor to No-Man's Land, but 
 thoroughly organized themselves into bands and extend- 
 ed their nefarious business to Western Kansas, Indian 
 Territory, and West Texas. Those who actually stole 
 stock from the farms and ranches, usually took them a 
 few miles and passed them on to their companions in 
 crime, so that no familiar face was absent from the scene 
 of the theft, and thus they avoided suspicion. When a 
 settler's stock was stolen, he very seldom had the slight- 
 est idea of the direction to be taken to recover them, and 
 in most cases was financially unable to make an extend- 
 ed search in any direction. Many a time the loss of a 
 few head of cattle meant all that he had, wiping out his 
 whole accumulation of years of hard work and privation 
 and just at a time when he began to see better times 
 ahead as he was getting something to work with. This 
 condition of affairs could not be permitted to continue, 
 and while the means employed by the settlers to termi- 
 nate this organized pilfering, and at the same time make 
 some return to the culprit for the wrongs suffered at 
 his hands, may seem hard to the people who were never 
 subjected to conditions such as prevailed in that coun- 
 try, they were as a matter of fact nothing more nor 
 less than cold-blooded Justice. Those who are ignorant 
 of the conditions must remember that the loss of a milch 
 cow meant the principal part of his family's support, 
 and his wife and children were thus put in a state of 
 actual want thereby, and as there were no means of ob- 
 taining legal redress for such losses, they had the law 
 of self-preservation to guide them and from it there was 
 no appeal. 
 
 At this point the idea forced itself upon the set- 
 tlers that they must organize, as it was a physical im- 
 possibility to combat a well-regulated band of outlaws 
 single-handed; so, after calling a meeting of the best 
 
OH THE DULL KNIFE RAID 31 
 
 citizens and discussing the matter carefully, it was de- 
 cided to organize a Vigilance Committee and see what 
 effect the hanging of a few of the ''rustlers" would 
 how it would affect the welfare of the settlers. The 
 moral effect of the organization of the Committee re- 
 have upon the remainder of them, and at the same time 
 suited in checking to a certain degree the depredations 
 of the criminals, but it did not wipe it out entirely. A 
 great many of the more timid ones abandoned their evil 
 ways, but the more daring were willing to take a chance 
 and abide by the consequences, which several of them 
 experienced. The Vigilantes occupied the positions of 
 Sheriff, Judge, Jury and Executioner, and when a cul- 
 prit was caught red-handed his case was summarily dis- 
 posed of in about thirty minutes, except for the funeral 
 and burial services, which were left usually for any- 
 body that cared to participate in them. 
 
 I had a ranch in Texas during those troublous times, 
 and w r as one time wintering a herd of cattle near Fowler 
 City, Kansas. Consequently I had to make a number of 
 trips through that unsettled district, sometimes on horse- 
 back and at others in a buckboard, and it seemed almost 
 invariably my good or bad fortune, as you wish to call 
 it, to enter some place or other at a time when a tragedy 
 was being enacted. 
 
 I was once crossing in a buckboard in the direction 
 of Englewood, Kansas, with a consignment of eggs that 
 were beginning to suffer breakage owing to the rough- 
 ness of the journey, and I began to look for a place to 
 dispose of them to some settler. I soon reached a place 
 that bore the sign, "Groceries," and there sold my eggs, 
 bought some tobacco and a few other necessaries. While 
 talking to the store-keeper, I noticed a group of men at 
 another sod building, and I inquired of him what they 
 were doing. "Oh, nothing much. They have just been 
 hanging a man over there." I asked him what the un- 
 fortunate had done. "Well," said lie, "he has been steal- 
 ing horses." I went out to water my horses just 
 
32 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 as a part of the group were passing. Recog- 
 nizing two of them I inquired of them what the 
 fellow had done and where they had arrested 
 him. They replied he had been stealing horses both in 
 the neighborhood and in Clark county, Kansas. The 
 sheriff had followed his trail and caught him South of 
 where we were then, and was taking him back to Kan- 
 sas. He was bringing him through that section and they 
 took him away from the sheriff and hanged him. I asked 
 him if he did not think the punishment rather severe. He 
 replied that he did not think so, and besides there was 
 no use of letting the sheriff take all the trouble of 
 bringing him back to Kansas where the judges would 
 turn him loose in ninety days and then he would be back 
 at his criminality again. Mike Shrugrue was the name 
 of the sheriff who had the prisoner in charge, and a 
 braver man was not to be found in the State of Kansas, 
 but he could not stand off the Vigilantes. To attempt 
 anything of the kind was to invite disaster. It would 
 be only throwing away another life needlessly, as the 
 one was doomed under any circumstances. 
 
 The difference between the Vigilantes and a mob 
 must be thoroughly understood to be appreciated. The 
 one stood for law and order, was organized from neces- 
 sity, as there was not any law than theirs, and was ap- 
 proved of by the residents of the country in which they 
 operated in the interests of justice; the other, the mob, 
 is a hot-headed, angry, or rather frenzied crowd that 
 usually defeats the claims of justice by taking the law 
 into its own hands in most cases where the law would 
 handle the case in a more satisfactory manner, if al- 
 lowed to take its course. This mode of procedure is 
 always condemned by the better class of citizens, while 
 the actions of the Vigilantes, who were, with few excep- 
 tions, of the better class, were performed usually through 
 stern necessity, rather than from anger. The trial given 
 was usually very short. In most cases the guilt was very 
 clear, as the criminal was nearly always taken manifest, 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 33 
 
 as he was usually taken in the act of committing a crime. 
 If the prisoner had a plausible story to tell, it was in- 
 vestigated before any further proceedings took place. If 
 he happened to be one of the notorious class of criminals, 
 which was commonly the case, the culprit was given 
 short shrift. Neither mode of procedure is to be recom- 
 mended as the safest course to attain the ends of justice. 
 
 The greatest difficulty to be met with in the interest 
 of justice, was in handling the cases of " rustlers, " as 
 there were always some of the same ilk on hand to prove 
 a complete alibi. Fifty men could be assembled on a 
 day's notice to prove that the accused was a hundred 
 miles away from the scene of the crime when it was 
 committed. As a consequence of this, most of the ac- 
 cused were released, or, if caught red-handed in their 
 rascality, were admitted to bail, which was furnished by 
 their companions in crime, and then they forfeited the 
 bail and took leave to parts unknown. 
 
 My next experience occurred not long afterwards 
 while making a trip from Timms City, Texas, across the 
 country to the Fred Taintor ranch. On this occasion 
 my family accompanied me in the then up-to-date means 
 of travel, namely, a lumber wagon. The trail was in 
 good condition and we were making good time. One day, 
 about dinner time, I was keeping a lookout for a good 
 camping place for the purpose of supplying the needs of 
 both the family and the cattle. It was impossible to 
 build a fire, as the wind was blowing a gale, and the 
 prairie was very -dry and a fire would likely spread and 
 lay waste the whole county. Seeing the impossibility of 
 camping, though I had found a suitable place, I deter- 
 mined to push on to some ranch where our wants would 
 be supplied. I knew where a man by the name of King- 
 ston, from Illinois, had put up a small frame building 
 and had laid in a stock of groceries. I finally reached 
 the object of my search and when approaching the store 
 I had to pass another building occupied by a family. As 
 I was passing a woman stepped out and asked me if I 
 
34 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 was going to the store. I replied that I was, and told 
 her what my business was there. She informed me that 
 it was of no use as Mr. Kingston had been murdered the 
 evening before. She showed me where they were bury- 
 ing him at that moment. She also informed me that one 
 of the bullets fired at Mr. Kingston had passed under the 
 cow she happened to be milking at the time. It is need- 
 less to say that I did not tarry long in that neighbor- 
 hood, but went on until I finally reached the Taintor 
 ranch, where the latch string always hung on the out- 
 side of the door. The reception we had and the supper 
 provided soon made us forget that we had had no din- 
 ner. After a good night's rest we proceeded on our way 
 to sunny Kansas. 
 
 In the meantime I had learned the circumstances 
 leading up to the Kingston tragedy. It appeared that 
 Mr. K had received through the mail a draft for sev- 
 eral hundred dollars and the Postmaster had mentioned 
 the fact to a neighbor. The conversation had been over- 
 heard by two cut-throats who waited until they thought 
 it had been cashed and then hatched up a plan to murder 
 him for his money. It seemed from the appearance of 
 things inside the house that they had intended to hang 
 him so as to give it the appearance of suicide and then 
 get away with the cash. The room was not ceiled and a 
 rope was found hanging over a joist with a noose in one 
 end. While making their preparations it seemed that he 
 had broken away from them and had reached the prairie 
 in front of the store, where they shot him. 
 
 Someone has said that the way of the transgressor 
 is hard, and in this instance it proved undoubtedly cor- 
 rect, for the Vigilants set out after those men, ran them 
 down in the brakes of a creek and sent sixteen bullets 
 through one of them ; the other escaped and made his 
 way to Dodge City, Kan., where he proceeded to fill up 
 on whiskey and made other arrangements to take in the 
 town. The City Marshall's opinion was that the town 
 was too small for two men to run at the same time, es- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 35 
 
 pecially as one was a stranger who had not been duly 
 elected for the position. As a result, a gun argument 
 was introduced to settle the question and the bad man 
 was killed in the first round. His funeral occurred next 
 day with all the ceremonies befitting a man of his calling 
 and he was interred on "Boot-hill" without flowers on 
 his casket, or tears shed over his demise. It turned out 
 afterwards that Mr. Kingston had not cashed the draft, 
 so all the money that the rogues obtained by murder and 
 robbery was what was in the cash drawer at the time. 
 
 The Vigilants, for the time being, performed valu- 
 able services for the settlers and were largely instru- 
 mental in driving out of that country a lot of thugs, 
 thieves, and cut-throats, who were preying upon the 
 people. But, strange to say, time proved that some of 
 themselves were not entirely above suspicion, as the fol- 
 lowing incident will show. One day as I was riding 
 along the divide between Kiowa Creek and the Beaver, 
 I met a man whom I recognized to be Jake Smith. I use 
 the name Smith for convenience, as that was not his 
 name, and I do not care to use his rightful cognomen as 
 he left that country shortly afterwards, went over to 
 Kansas, married a nice girl, went into business and be- 
 came a leader socially and a pillar in the Church, is gen- 
 erally respected and is living an upright life. Knowing 
 him well, I hailed him. 
 
 "Well, Jake," I said, "your horse looks pretty well 
 jaded, you must have had a long ride." 
 
 Said he, "Oh, that's nothing," I must ride to Alpine 
 tonight as there is to be a meeting of the Vigilants at 
 eight o'clock and I want to be there." 
 
 "Do you belong to the Vigilants?" I asked. 
 
 "Why, y'es," he replied. "I was one of the first to 
 join them and have been working with them ever since." 
 
 "Well, Jake," said I, "you're a jewel, a regular dia- 
 mond. You know that you have been stealing cattle 
 and branding 'mavericks' ever since you landed in this 
 country, and all the old-timers know it, and now you are 
 
36 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 running your horse to death to catch a rustler. That is 
 a great joke!" 
 
 "I see plainly that you do not understand," said 
 he. "The situation is this: I had to join them for self- 
 protection and also to look after the interests of my 
 friends. Talk of running my horse to death! I have 
 just been returning a favor. I have just been up to the 
 head of Clear Creek to tell Slim Jim to skip, because if 
 they catch him he will stretch hemp for stealing Old 
 Dusenberry's mules, and besides, Slim ain't no bad fellow 
 when he has a good paying job." 
 
 I have never had the pleasure of meeting Jake 
 since, but if I ever visit Kansas I shall be certain to call 
 and see him to find out how he managed to keep from 
 stealing his own goods and hiding them out in the can- 
 yons, through force of habit after having resolved to 
 leave other men's chattels alone. 
 
 It seemed to be the custom whenever a small settle- 
 men was formed, for some one to put up a grocery 
 store, locate a postoffice and call it by some high- 
 sounding title and establish the nucleus -of a city. For 
 instance, there was Boyd City, Beaver City, Benton City, 
 Alpine City, Neutral City, and Gate City, mostly located 
 on the divides, or flat prairie lands on the established 
 trails. "Sod Town," whose name was not so high-sound- 
 ing as descriptive, soon sprang into existence as the Monte 
 Carlo, or sporting center of the whole country. It 
 was there at round-up time, each spring and fall, that 
 the boys were accustomed to meet and run their horses, 
 discuss matters of common interest, and, in general, to 
 have a good time. As nearly every ranch had a fast 
 horse or two, also a prize roper, whenever the conven- 
 tion took place, things were bound to be lively and at 
 times quite a littel money changed hands on the result 
 of a horse race, or other contest of skill. 
 
 Among the famous horses of that day that I recall, 
 were "Old Pumpkin," a general favorite, S'tick-in-the- 
 Mud," Greasy Heels," "Wobble Shanks," and "Sore 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 37 
 
 Toes" with a dozen or so of others to select from, and 
 each and every one had its backers and admirers. 
 
 Prank Diggers, Jim Mahoney, Sour-dough-Charlie, 
 Heel-Fly Bill, Snake Eater, and Bull Joe were generally 
 the leading spirits at the race course, and as Frank 
 Biggers was a lover of fair play, he was usually chosen 
 to act as judge; besides, he had a manner of enforcing 
 his decisions which commanded respect and the com- 
 pliance of the wildest and wooliest of the assembly. 
 
 For the benefit of the readers who are unaccustomed 
 to the ways and phrases of the Western people, I shall 
 here state that the nicknames of a great many of them 
 were acquired from their calling, or from some incident 
 or occurence on the range. If one were to drop into the 
 Panhandle country and inquire for Mr. Chas. Deitrich, 
 Mr. Joseph Parish, or some others who were mostly 
 known by nickname, I doubt very much if the inquirer 
 would find his man, but if he were to ask for Sour- 
 dough Charlie, or Bull Joe, any one could tell them at 
 once where to find them or what their business was. 
 Some of the names allotted to individuals may seem 
 rude to the elite of the East and give the impression 
 of vulgarity and rudeness, but on acquaintance one 
 would find them good, kind, and obliging men as ever 
 saddled a broncho or branded a maverick. The congre- 
 gation at Sod Town was composed of men who knew 
 one another and any money won or lost was taken as 
 a matter of course, and there was no grief over spilt 
 milk. Theirs was a vigorous life and healthy outdoor 
 sport appealed to them. When their sport was over, 
 they were off to the ranch again in good spirits. 
 
 Among the early settlers of Sod Town were two 
 young men, named Ellis and Fiske, who opened a 
 Grocery and Supply store. They kept a large stock of 
 provisions, as well as, boots, shoes, slickers, and other 
 articles adapted to the trade of the cattlemen. In a 
 short time they built up a good trade and were liked 
 by all. One night, two bad men, or would-be road 
 
38 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 agents, called at the store and rapped for admission. 
 This was not at all out of the ordinary as the cattle- 
 man 's business kept him at all hours. It was nothing 
 unusual for him to rout out the store-keeper at any hour 
 of the night and have his wants supplied. On the 
 night in question, when Ellis heard the rapping, he 
 donned his trousers and fortunately had his six-shooters 
 in his waistband. As soon as he opened the door of his 
 store he was commanded to put up his hands. He pro- 
 ceeded to do so, but in the act of raising his hand he 
 drew his gun and shot one of the bad men, wounding 
 him badly. Both turned to flee. Ellis pulled down on 
 them in their flight, and by the aid of light from a 
 prairie fire that was burning at the time, fired at the 
 fleeing bad men and killed outright the man he had 
 wounded at the door. The other villian made his escape 
 into the darkness. Of course, Ellis was arrested and 
 taken before the U. S. Court for that district and was 
 honorably discharged. He should not have been arrested 
 for a case of that kind, but there were milage fees to be 
 considered, and the marshall seldom if ever overlooked 
 an opportunity of the kind for increasing his wealth. 
 I have never heard of any other bad men calling on 
 Ellis and Fiske in search of assistance in a financial way, 
 especially in the manner mentioned above. 
 
 Sour-dough Charlie had a little ranch of his own 011 
 Wolf Creek where he kept a few horses. He raised a 
 few colts each year, and to fill in his odd time he tanned 
 deer skin, made gloves for the cow punchers, and at 
 times used to cook for a round-up as he was an artist 
 in that line of work as well as being a very entertaining 
 fellow. His chief work of art was the construction of 
 sour dough bread and he had the reputation of being 
 a master in the work. One afternoon a cow-puncher 
 pulled up to the wagon and called for his chuck-a-way, 
 and said he wanted it at once as he had to return to the 
 herd and stand guard while his partner came for his 
 supply. The cook told him he would have to wait for 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 39 
 
 awhile as tie did not have things in shape to get an 
 extra meal. Without further parley and without any 
 warning the puncher picked up a crock full of sour 
 dough and struck the cook over the head with it The 
 contents spilled over his head and ran down into his 
 eyes and mingled with his whiskers. Right then and 
 there was originated and conferred upon him the title 
 of "Old Sour-dough Charlie," a name that will remain 
 with him as long as he lives. 
 
 Nicknames and titles, in this country, amount to 
 about the same thing although conferred in different 
 ways according to conditions. The man who succeeded 
 in accumulating a herd of cattle amounting to one or 
 two hundred was given the name of Captain. If he 
 acquired five or six hundred, he was addressed as Major, 
 <ind a man who through good management and perse- 
 verance numbered his stock by thousands became the 
 "Old Colonel." There was one very noticeable change 
 in the habits, manners, customs and character of the men 
 who had acquired the title of Captain, Major, or Colonel, 
 and that was shown in their dress. The styles of their 
 garments differed, they dispensed with the snake-skin 
 band, they changed their underwear, frequently had 
 their whiskers trimmed and hair cut, and occasionally 
 became a power in local politics. The question was 
 never asked when and how these men became possessed 
 of such large herds in such short time, but to the old- 
 timer it was plain that the Old Colonel was a great 
 business man, or was an expert with the lariat and an 
 artist with the branding iron. 
 
 How different is the conferring of titles in foreign 
 lands, especially in Great Britain, where titles have to 
 be ratified by supreme authority and approved of by 
 local potentates, and even there we find some titles 
 resting on tottering foundations and others hang by a 
 very slender thread which is liable to part at any time 
 and leave the possessor in a pitiable mass of social 
 wreckage. The ceremonies on such occasions are calcu- 
 
40 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 lated to dazzle the eye and deceive the judgement of the 
 spectator. The sleight-of-hand performer and the street 
 fakir practice the same sy'stem and the man with the 
 three-shell game and the three card monte man are all 
 on the same level, but Royalty claims age and dignity 
 wherever you find it. When Capt. Drake returned to 
 England after his expedition of murder, plunder, and 
 piracy, and his arrival was announced to the Good Queen 
 Bess who was on the throne at the time, she at once 
 called for a royal banquet to be held on board his vessel. 
 After rounding up all her Royal roustabouts, flunkeys, 
 and followers, she proceeded direct to the ship where 
 she was going to preside in state until she had knighted 
 the Capt., whose hands were still red with the blood of 
 his murdered victims. When the time for the ceremony 
 was at hand, at a motion of her magic wand the Captain 
 dropped to his knees at her feet to receive the power 
 and authority to take and keep any property on the 
 seas that he felt like confiscating; which meant any that 
 he might be able to lay his hands on. The ceremony 
 consisted of laying the sword of authority across his 
 bald pate and telling him that henceforth he was at 
 liberty to do as he pleased and that he should remain 
 her loyal subject. She then commanded him to arise 
 and he did so, but was so dazzled with the great honor 
 conferred upon him that I do not suppose he could tell 
 whether he was a duck or a drake. 
 
 A prince can make a belted Knight, 
 A Marquis, duke, and a, that, 
 But an honest man's aboon his might, 
 Good faith he muna fa' that. 
 
 The price of titles, like other commcTdities, depends 
 greatly upon the locality where they are granted In 
 England, the title cost Sir W. Raleigh 'his head ; in 
 Texas, a title cost Sour-dough Charley but a few loaves 
 of bread. Imagine the difference. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Wild Horses; Traits; Difficulties of Catching Them; 
 Preparations for the Same; Personal Experiences. 
 
 My experience has taught me that there has not 
 been another animal on the plains as inquisitive and 
 suspicious as the wild horse, or mustang, as it is called. 
 The early horse hunter took advantage of this charac- 
 teristic inquisitiveness to aproach sufficiently close 
 to effect his capture. This was done by placing 
 a wagon sheet, or a bed quilt on a stake and then hiding 
 in the bushes or grass in the vicinity. The hunter was 
 compelled to remain perfectly quiet in his lair as the 
 slightest sound at times would stampede the horses and 
 render his quest futile. The mustangs, on discovering 
 the strange object in their neighborhood would com- 
 mence to run round and round in circles, reducing the 
 radius of the circle each time until finally they were 
 within a distance of about two hundred yards of the 
 object of their curiosity. Then they would stand per- 
 fectly still and that was the time there was need of 
 caution on the part of the hunter, as the breaking of a 
 twig, the sound of a voice, or any slight noise that 
 would be likely to reach their ears, would start them 
 off in wild affright to return no more as long as there 
 were any indications of disturbance in the neighborhood. 
 If the hunter remained quietly in hiding and gave no 
 sign of his presence in any manner, their curiosity would 
 bring them back again to make a further exploration of 
 the strange phenomenon. In this manner the old horse- 
 hunter used to entice them close enough to "crease" 
 one of them, as it was called. This "creasing" con- 
 sisted in taking a very careful and deliberate aim with 
 a rifle and shooting the horse in front of the withers, 
 
42 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 through the top of the neck close to the spinal cord. 
 This stunned or shocked him so that he would fall in 
 his tracks, paralyzed for the time foeing, giving the 
 hunter time, if he moved swiftly, to run from his hiding 
 place with his hobble-rope and hog-tie him before he 
 recovered. It frequently happened that the hunter 
 arrived there too late as the horse often recovered from 
 his shock and was up and away before his arrival; or, 
 the shot being badly aimed, reached a vital spot and the 
 horse would be dead before he could get the hobbles on 
 him. If everything worked out satisfactorily, and the 
 mustang was secured, he would place a "Hackamaw" 
 on his head in such a way that it could not be shaken 
 loose in the struggle that was bound to follow. I shall 
 here explain that a Hackamaw is a sort of halter, or 
 headstall, made of the end of a lariat rope and put on 
 in such a manner that it holds the head of the mustang 
 firmly without the danger of choking the animal. When 
 the animal w r as secured, the 'hunter gave his partner a 
 signal to bring up the saddle horses that were held at a 
 distance and out of sight so as not to scare the herd 
 before capture. The fun commenced in 'earnest when 
 the hobbles were removed and the captured mustang was 
 permitted to rise. The first thing on the program was 
 to try to escape back to the herd. That failing, he would 
 go on the war-path and it took a skillful horseman and 
 active ponies to bring him under subjection. It usually 
 required, at least, two, each with his lariat attached so 
 as to prevent the mustang's reaching the other. Several 
 hours of hard fighting then ensued, but in the end when 
 the mustang was conquered he made the toughest and 
 wiriest of cow-ponies. 
 
 It very frequently happened that two of these bands 
 of wild horses met and then troble began. Every herd 
 was headed by a stallion that exercised supreme author- 
 ity over the whole band at all times, and never allowed 
 any intruder to trespass on his rights and privileges. A? 
 a result, when two herds encountered each other, war 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 43 
 
 was at once proclaimed by the two stallions for the 
 complete control and management of both herds. Never 
 did knights of old covered with armor, go forth to battle 
 with more dignity and determination to protect their 
 lady loves, or to maintain the honor of their own good 
 names, than was displayed by those mustang stallions. 
 With ears turned back and their noses to the ground, 
 they dashed forth to the deadly conflict. The meeting 
 of the two champions was of the fiercest nature. At 
 times they fought standing on their 'hind feet with their 
 teeth sunk in each others neck, and at others they waged 
 their mortal combat standing on their fore feet using 
 their hind feet as weapons of offence. Sometimes these 
 battles terminated fatally to one or both of the contest- 
 ants, but more frequently ended when one of the strug- 
 gling brutes became so exhausted that he was unable to 
 continue the fight, and acknowledged defeat by retreat- 
 ing to th'e protection of some canyon or sand hill with 
 his little band of mares and colts, provided the other 
 stallion did not have sufficient energy left to run them 
 into his own harem leaving his defeated adversary to a 
 lonesome existence on the bleak prairie. 
 
 I had an old friend at one time who followed up 
 the pursuit of catching wild horses for a living, and for 
 patience and perseverence he never had an equal among 
 his contemporaries. He met disaster and dis^ppoint- 
 ment with unflinching energy and returned to the con- 
 flict with unabated courage. Though the remuneration 
 was small, there was a fascination about the work that 
 he could not resist. Before entering upon an expedition 
 of this kind, he fitted up a camping outfit consisting of 
 a few blankets, a tarpaulin, slicker, coffee pot, skillet, 
 knife, fork, hobble ropes, a supply of lariat ropes, a 
 Winchester, six-shooters, and som'e bacon, the latter being 
 taken along for grease to be used in cooking, as fresh 
 meat was to be had at all times. The prairies were alive 
 with antelope, turkey's, deer, and occasionally a stray 
 buffalo was discovered. Such buffalo, deer, and wolves 
 
44 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 as were taken, were skinned and the hide salted for sale 
 on the market. He used no wagons in his business, but 
 took two mares with him, one to be used as a saddle pony 
 and the other for the purpose of serving as a pack 
 animal. His favorite pony was called Topsy, and was 
 the mascot of the expedition. He had raised her and 
 trained her from colthood and she was trained to such 
 a degree of perfection that she would obey the sound of 
 his voice, whistle, or signal given by the waving of his 
 hat, and never did a railway engineer, or brakeman 
 respond with greater promptness than did Old Topsy 
 when she received the signal from her master. At the 
 word of command she would lie down or rise, and owing 
 to this peculiarity of her training she was frequently 
 used as a wind shield during a cold storm from the north, 
 her master making his bed beside her for protection. 
 
 Preparations for these trips were usually made in 
 the early autumn, during the month of September, as the 
 heat of the summer was somewhat lessened by that tim^ 
 and he generally managed to set out when the moon was 
 new so as to travel by night if necessary. He was so 
 thoroughly acquainted with the country that he knew 
 every creek, and canyon, every spring and waterhole 
 where the mustangs were accustomed to get water. He 
 was not compelled to scour the country for his quarry 
 as every wild horse within a range of five miles seemed 
 to know by instinct the arrival of his pack animals and 
 ponies. Such uncertainity of knowledge did not satisfy 
 them, but to satisfy their curiosity they came along on 
 the run to make an investigation into the character of 
 the intruders who had so uncerimoniously intruded into 
 their domain. By the time the huntsman had unpacked, 
 had his camp-fire built, and was preparing his meal, they 
 would be encircling his camp, running, romping, and 
 playing. The stallion usually took the lead in these 
 diversions with the mares and young colts by their side 
 trying to keep up to his advance. Finally they would 
 come to a standstill and remain perfectly quiet until 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 45 
 
 some noise would startle them and off they would go 
 pell-mell only to return and repeat their investigation 
 into what was the new element that was disturbing the 
 peaceful possession of their range. This hunter's method 
 was different from what was usually followed by others. 
 It was not his intention to excite or disturb the wild 
 nurses in any way; on the contrary his object was to ge. 
 them accustomed to his presence, get them acquainted 
 with the domestic mares, and render them peaceful and 
 quiet. In a few days his object would be accomplished, 
 and then he proceeded to set the herd in motion to drive 
 them back to the settlements where they could be cor- 
 raled and handled. He never permitted them to get a 
 moment's rest, day or night, once he had them in motion, 
 and as little chance to graze as possible. In the meai 
 time he saw to it that his own mares had every advan- 
 tage possible. In - a few days, such a system could not 
 but have its effect on the mustangs and they would as a 
 consequence become more docile. Gradually he got 
 closer to them without the danger of stampeding them, 
 until within the course of ten days or two weeks they 
 showed unmistakable signs of weariness and weakness 
 which allowed him to get in closer touch with them. In 
 fact, so much was he in their presence that they came to 
 look upon him as one of the herd. Then took place the 
 working out of his design. He headed Old Topsy for 
 home over the hills, through the canyons and creeks, 
 never stopping for anything, gradually moving along, 
 slowly and quietly nursing them into captivity. Such 
 was the care that he exercised that he made no more 
 than five or ten miles a day on his straight course. At 
 times, before the herd became too wearied, the flight oi 
 a bird or the barking of a coyote would stampede them 
 and thus he would lose five or ten miles that he had 
 gained with so much difficulty. On he went after them, 
 doing over again all that had been done before. In case 
 there were no unforeseen difficulties, or accidents, he 
 would finally drive them into the neighborhood of some 
 
46 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 good strong corral where, with the permission of the 
 proprietor, he would run them in until such time as he 
 would be able to hobble the leaders, which usually re- 
 quired a week or more. 
 
 A mustang is so sensitive and observing that I some- 
 times thought he could count the buttons on one 's 
 clothes. In fact, I know, that should one change his 
 clothing while breaking one of them, he would have all 
 the work to do over again until the mustang became ac- 
 customed to the change. He received everything with 
 suspicion and even a fence-post would call for an inves- 
 tigation. The corral was a new world entirely for him 
 and it took days of patience and perseverence to induce 
 /iim to enter it. Old Topsy would go in and out ana 
 make herself at home, but not so with her associates, at 
 least for quite a long time. Finally they would venture 
 in little by little, the hunter permitting them to pass in 
 and out several times before putting up the bars on them. 
 As soon as the mustangs found themselves unable to get 
 out they became badly frightened and excited, especially 
 during the absence of the hunter. His return seemed to 
 pacify them very much. He had to manage them with 
 great judgement until he managed to hobble the leaders, 
 which, as I said before, took days to accomplish. 
 
 It is true that he could have roped and hobbled 
 them in a short time once he had them in the corral, but 
 this was not the way with my friend. He said often 
 times that once he had gained their confidence, he could 
 not betray it. After the mustangs had been corraled for 
 some time and had grown accustomed to the presence of 
 men, then the interesting work took place. They had to 
 be broken to the saddle and bridle and ridden by some- 
 body, and I wish to state that it was a work that re- 
 quired an expert, all green-horns and tenderfeet barred. 
 Around all ranches was to be found a man whose sole 
 occupation was to do this work. He offered to accom- 
 plish the task of reforming the wild mustang at from 
 two to five dollars a head, and he usually had the work 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 47 
 
 assigned him. By the time they were broken they were 
 usually sold at a fair price for that class of stock while 
 the hunter made preparations for returning to the plains 
 for another lot of mustangs, a work which he seemed to 
 enjoy. 
 
 These mustangs did not command a very high price 
 as most of them were too small for cow-work, and too 
 light for single drivers. Sometimes one could pick up a 
 team of these ponies and find them the toughest and 
 wiriest animals that were ever hitched to a buckboard. 
 They could travel from sunrise to sunset at ten miles an 
 hour and never turn a hair. But viewed from all angles 
 the business was not a financial success and the men 
 engaged in it never cleared up any great amount of 
 money, as I proved to my own satisfaction later on. 
 
 Before what is now called Meade County was estab- 
 lished, there was nothing there but the open prairie. A 
 fence was an unknown thing except where some settler 
 had built one around a stack of hay to protect it from 
 the range cattle that were roaming the plains in great 
 numbers in those days. It was necessary for him to do 
 this as a small stack of feed would be a tempting morsel, 
 in cold weather, to the thousands of cattle wandering 
 loose and in search of fodder. In case they did succeed 
 in reaching the tempting supply, it lasted about as long 
 as a water melon at a negro picnic. It had been reported 
 on what I considered reliable authority that there was a 
 black stallion running on the flat between Crooked and 
 Sandy Creeks, about nine miles southeast of the present 
 county seat of Meade county, Kansas. The cowboys had 
 often tried to capture him, but in every instance failed. 
 He was described to me as standing about fifteen hands 
 high, which was exceptionally large for a mustang, with 
 long flowing mane and tail, and he could trot faster 
 than any cow-pony could run. After weighing the 
 matter carefully for some time I decided to go out and 
 capture him. From the description given, he was just 
 what I wanted for a saddle horse. I determined to have 
 
48 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 him provided I could enlist the services of G. W. Brown, 
 an old Indian scout, and former companion of the buffalo 
 range. He was, moreover, an expert with the lariat rope 
 and was considered one of the best trailers in the country. 
 The other man I wanted, and whom I finally succeeded 
 in getting, was C. M. Rice, formerly of Jasper, Ind., a 
 veteran of the Civil war, an old and experienced plains- 
 man who knew every creek and trail in the country. 
 After discussing the matter carefully in all its different 
 aspects, we decided to capture him regardless of trouble 
 and expense attached to the undertaking, even though 
 it took all summer. We had to take a camp wagon, 
 grain and provisions enough to last several weeks, as we 
 would not be able to return for more if we happened to 
 run short. We took our favorite saddle ponies and 
 started early so as to get in operation as soon as possible. 
 It was our intention to locate him early in the morning 
 and have the whole day for the first run. We were 
 fortunate in finding him shortly after daybreak, but his 
 looks were rather disappointing as he did not seem as 
 large as he had been pictured to me by the cowboys. 
 However, we were there to capture him and determined 
 to do so. One thing favored us and that is one of the 
 peculiarities of the mustang, he will not leave his range 
 unless driven from it. He will take his departure very 
 reluctantly and will return at the earliest opportunity. 
 
 Our first night was one of rest, with nothing to dis- 
 turb us but the howling of the coyotes and the bawling 
 of the cattle. Morning found us up early and ready for 
 the chase. We knew it would be useless to try to catch 
 him on a straight run as he would have, at least, half 
 a mile start on us. We decided to run him in a circle, 
 keep inside of his course, and keep him on the run until 
 he became jaded and exhausted and then let him get a 
 chance to drink his fill of water as he would surely be 
 very thirsty after a long gallop. The consequence of 
 this strategy would be that the mustang would become 
 stiffened and it would be easy to run him down and rope 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 49 
 
 him. After making the first large circle, C. M. Rice, seeing 
 his horse lathered with perspiration that trickled down 
 from the flanks of his horse, his favorite Old Tom, 
 decided to return to camp and prepare something to eat 
 for himself and us on our return. If we did not return 
 by night-fall he was to keep the camp-fire burning to act 
 as a beacon for our guidance. In order to save our 
 horses, Brown and I decided that one of us should keep 
 on the chase whilst the other rested his horse. This gave 
 each of us chance to refresh our mount with water and 
 grass until it came his turn to take up the pursuit. In 
 the meantime the mustang was not allowed to have a 
 respite from his exertions, but was kept on the move 
 until about three or four o'clock in the afternoon. Na- 
 ture asserted herself in his case and frequently, after 
 that time, he would stop to look around and see if his 
 pursuers were likely to give him a chance to rest and 
 refresh himself. It was plainly evident that the pace 
 was telling on him, but he found that his pursuers gave 
 him no opportunity to rest his weary legs. Closely ana 
 more closely they came in spite of all he could do to 
 ward off their unremitting pursuit. The moments he 
 took to stop and look around offered us an opportunity 
 to draw closer. Then we both took up the chase at the 
 same time. We divided our forces, one going on one side 
 of him and the other on the opposite. By this time we 
 were within twenty rods of him. By this strategy we 
 headed him for Gypsom Creek in the hope that when he 
 reached it he would stop and drink his fill. That would 
 give us an opportunity of roping him. Everything 
 worked out as we had planned. When the thirsty brute 
 reached the water he drank abundantly of the refreshing 
 fluid. It seemed as though he would never stop. When 
 finally he had his fill we ran him off to the mouth of a 
 canyon where, if once we could get him to enter, there 
 would be no opportunity of his escape as there was no 
 outlet at the other end. I say none, or rather should 
 have said there was one but it was practically out of the 
 
50 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 question for him to make it. It was about a mile away 
 and the road was filled with boulders and sand heaps 
 and was up hill all the way', and we knew that in his 
 present condition his wind would be gone before he 
 could again reach the open prairie. Now came the 
 opportunity to rope him if he was to be captured at all, 
 as there was nothing left for him to do but choose 
 between the rough boulders and ledges of the other end 
 of the canyon, or strive to evade us by seeking safety 
 in the way he entered. Brown went around and awaited 
 his arrival, while I followed as best I could until I saw 
 him disappear at the head of the canyon. Then I re- 
 traced my way and rode around on the divide so as to 
 be in on the final chase. When I came in sight of Brown, 
 I saw that he had him roped securely, but on reaching 
 him I discovered that he had captured him in a prairie- 
 dog town and in the struggle that followed the roping 
 he had jumped into one of the holes and broke his leg 
 between the knee and the fetlock, and the bones were 
 protruding through the flesh. Under those conditions, 
 as he would be of no value to me, and, also, as it would 
 be inhuman to turn him loose to suffer and starve, or 
 become the food of mountain lions, or coyotes, I thought 
 it best to end his misery without further delay. This 
 being done, we tightened up our saddle cinches and 
 returned to camp very weary and much wiser than when 
 we set forth in the morning. Thus ended my first, last, 
 and only chase after a wild mustang stallion on the 
 plains of Kansas. As per agreement, Rice had kept the 
 camp fire burning and had, moreover, prepared a supper 
 of hot beans, biscuits, antelope steak, and coffee, which 
 was a feast fit for a king and one which I think no guest 
 of Delmonico ever appreciated more. 
 
 The next morning we arose and went to look after 
 our ponies. What a pitiful sight we beheld when we 
 came upon them in the secluded place where we had 
 tethered them ! They were gaunt, covered and caked 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 51 
 
 with perspiration and dust of the preceding day's chase. 
 Canadian, El Reno, Okla. 
 
 We gave them a good rub-down and plenty of food and 
 water, which refreshed them very much. After a good 
 breakfast, we took a farewell look at the camp and 
 returned to the ranch. The black stallion with his flow- 
 ing mane and tail became a matter of past history of the 
 plains. In conclusion I shall say that my two companions 
 of the chase of thirty-two years ago are still both hale 
 and hearty business nven in the Quee^i City of the 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Further Reflections on Western Life; Also on the East; 
 Why I Came West; Some Men I Have Met. Cow- 
 boy Acquaintances, etc. 
 
 "When commencing to write this semi-historical work, 
 it was my intention to confine myself to the early settle- 
 ment of " No-Man 's-Land," but find that I must include 
 the Panhandle to Texas and the South-western part of 
 Kansas, as the soil, climate, and social conditions were 
 almost identical. The industries of all three localities 
 were very much the same, excepting that the Panhandle 
 was much better adapted to cattle raising than to agri- 
 culture. In fact, farming was looked upon by cattlemen 
 as too menial an occupation for them to engage in, and, 
 consequently, they knew little about it and cared 
 less. Their indifference to agriculture was such 
 that they would prefer literally to starve to 
 death than endeavor to gain subsistence from 
 the soil. The difference between the old-time cow- 
 puncher and the Chyenne Indian as agriculturists was 
 very little. The former might do a little at farming if 
 he knew how, and the latter might know how if he 
 would only do a little at it. It seemed to be the height 
 of the average cow-puncher's ambition to ride on a fifty- 
 dollar saddle, wear a ten-dollar Stetson hat, a pair of 
 silver mounted spurs, a pair of ten-dollar high-heeled 
 boots, leather leggings, a slicker and a forty-five calibre 
 white handled six-shooter. This made a complete outfit 
 to suit his vanity. Riding broncos, roping .wild cattle, 
 running races, and branding mavericks were his principal 
 business and amusement. Attending the spring and fall 
 round-ups, and driving beef stock to market rounded 
 out his season's work. 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 53 
 
 It is true that there are some exceptions to the gen- 
 eral rule. As an example, about twenty-eight years ago 
 I became acquainted with a green cow-puncher, fresh 
 from some Texas town, a tall, fair-haired lad, who was 
 rather reticent, but very punctual in his work. He was 
 the first out in the morning, last in at night and was 
 ready for anything that was to be done in the meantime. 
 His manner lacked the boisterousness of the swaggering 
 swearing, blow-hard that was very frequently encoun- 
 tered in the days work. It was apparent to all that he 
 was a man of reliability and integrity. He was em- 
 ployed by R. M. Wright and Martin Culver to superin- 
 tend the "W-L" ranch. He was successful in his 
 management and at the same time displayed an honesty 
 that was something new to some of the settlers in his 
 neighborhood. He never permitted a man to rope an 
 animal until he was certain of the brand, and knew to 
 whom the property belonged. Such a man was certain 
 to rise in the world and today one would find it difficult 
 to recognize in Mr. R. A. Harper, president of the First 
 National Bank, Meade, Kansas, the stripling greenhorn 
 of thirty years ago. Another of the old-time successful 
 cow-punchers, who fought the battle of life alone and 
 single-handed as cowmen, farmer, merchant, sometimes 
 overtaken by adversity but never discouraged, who plod- 
 ded on until he reached the top of the financial ladder 
 beyond the reach of want, is Mr. C. M. Rice, of El 
 Reno, Okla. 
 
 The majority of the early settlers who stayed 
 throughout the first hard times, managed to do fairly 
 well, accepting the changed conditions as law and order 
 moved in, while a few developed foolish notions about 
 the curtailment of their freedom, as they called it, and 
 resented the encroachmebt and manifested their idis- 
 position by holding up trains, or other depredations. 
 Such a course of conduct invariably proved a failure and 
 brought disaster upon the defenders of such a cause. 
 The state prisons are still harboring some of those mis- 
 
54 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 guided men, protecting them from themselves as well as 
 defending society at large from their peculiar notions. 
 It may seem strange to the reader, but the greater part 
 of the so-called bad men of this country came from the 
 East where they first conceived a false impression of 
 the wildness of the West. The origin of their idea arose 
 from the reading of a poor class of literature. Such 
 reading created in their young minds the idea of being 
 "bad men of the West" and they were not long in 
 putting the idea into practice. Just to mention a few 
 of the most notorious, I shall set down the names of 
 Billy the Kid, from New York, Dutch Henry from 
 Michigan, Sam Bass from Indiana. I might mention 
 dozens of others whose careers of iniquity did not last 
 as long as those mentioned above. As for the real 
 Western-bred bad men, they were very few in number 
 and were usually driven to it by being credited with the 
 crimes of others. 
 
 One of the principal causes of the development of the 
 outlaw was, as I said above, the publication of fiction and 
 falsehood in such papers as the New York Weeklys and 
 dime novels. Tlrese were scattered broadcast over the 
 country in cheap editions and the result was the creation 
 of false impressions of the West, and at the same time 
 inflamed the imagination and corrupted the minds of 
 many of the then rising generation. 
 
 Well do I remember my introduction to the name of 
 Buffalo Bill. It was in the columns of the New York 
 Weekly, in 1874, when in a lumber camp in Northern 
 Michigan, that I read of his alleged engagement with 
 the chief of the tribe of the Sioux Indians. It ran as 
 follows, as near as I can remember it: "They met on 
 the plains and each measured his chances to overcome 
 his adversary, etc." It would take no great philosopher 
 to tell that the Indian with no weapon but the bow and 
 a bunch of arrows, stood but a very meager chance with 
 Bill armed with two six-shooters and a Winchester. "At 
 th'e first crack of Bill's trusty rifle the wily savage 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 55 
 
 toppled over and fell to the ground. Then, as if by 
 magic, about fifty braves galloped out of a canyon and 
 set out to capture the heap-big pale face who had slain 
 their chief. That purpose was more easily planned than 
 accomplished, for at the psychological moment Bill was 
 re-inforced by his favorite scouts, Little Buckshot and 
 Hotfoot John. After a brief engagement in which they 
 killed about fifteen warriors, they retreated to head- 
 quarters for more re-inforcements." This is but a sample 
 of the lies that filtered through the columns of the 
 Eastern papers regarding the Indian outbreaks of the 
 West, and the worst part of it was that such trash was 
 believed by thousands, myself among the number. 
 
 Whenever I read of the hair-breadth escapes of 
 '' Dare-devil Dick," "Shuffle-foot Sam," "Moccasin 
 Mike," and "Goodeye, the Scout," I felt that I would 
 like to take a hand in some of those adventures, having 
 had a rather fair training in Canada by attending the 
 county fairs, and having had the advantage of a course of 
 training in collar-and-elbow wrestling under Prof. John 
 Lennon. Besides these advantages I was rather profi- 
 cient in the hop-sted-and-leap, high jumping, high 
 kicking, foot racing, but not in shin kicking. 
 
 Shin kicking was introduced into Canada by 
 Cornishmen. As I have never seen it practiced in this 
 country I shall endeavor to describe it for the advantage 
 of the reader. Like all games of competition it had its 
 champions. On occasions of merriment it was customary 
 to indulge in this sport, though I do not think that 
 everyone will agree with me that it was a sport. When 
 the crowd had assembled and some preliminary feats 
 of skill were performed, then a man with a voice on him 
 like the Bashan bull would announce in stentorian tones 
 that the champion shin-kicker was requested to appear. 
 A ring was immediately formed by the bystanders lock- 
 ing arms. Into this ring so formed the champion threw 
 his hat as a challenge to all and each. After fifteen 
 minutes delay if no one appeared to take up the chal- 
 
56 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 lenge, the champion retained his title by default, and 
 to add to the occasion a prize of some kind was added 
 as a reward for his willingness to entertain them by 
 his skill. If an opponent stepped into the enclosure, 
 judges were chosen and preparations made for a battle 
 royal. First, the shoes of the contestants were examined 
 by the judges to see that there were no spikes, nor toe- 
 plates, and to see that the shoes were the common clog 
 type. Then their trousers and drawers were rolled back 
 above the knees leaving the leg bare from the knee cap 
 to the shoe top. Things were then ready for the per- 
 formance. They caught each other by the shoulders and 
 at the dropping of a hat, or other signal, the battel was 
 on. Kicking as high as the knee was called a foul and 
 judgement rendered accordingly. It required great skill 
 and agility to take part in a contest of the kind. From 
 what I can hear, the game has fallen into oblivion as 
 times have changed the notions of games of the kind. 
 For myself I did not indulge in it very freely as I felt 
 that my legs lacked sufficient side action to permit me to 
 become sufficiently expert at it to issue a challenge to 
 the champion. 
 
 Returning to the thread of my story, I must say 
 that after reading several numbers of the New York 
 Weekly, I came to the conclusion that Buffalo Bill was 
 getting short handed, and that unless he received some 
 help rather soon the Indians would drive him out of the 
 country and the advantages already gained by his 
 prowess would be lost to succeeding generations. With 
 such ideas running through my head, I bought a railway 
 ticket and started West to look over the field and see 
 for my own satisfaction how things were getting along. 
 I stopped off at Leavenworth and made the acquaintance 
 of several military men stationed at the fort. They 
 seemed to know nothing of the Indian troubles as pub- 
 lished in the Eastern papers. Thinking, perhaps, that 
 they might not be well informed on the matter, I left 
 that place and set out for Topeka. I was certain that 
 
OB THE DULL KNIFE RAID 57 
 
 the officers there would know something definite about 
 affairs of the kind. I made inquiries and soon found 
 that they, like all politicians, were too busy fixing 
 political fences to pay any attention to such matters. 
 The nearer I approached the seat of war, the less I heard 
 about it. I continued my journey and finally reached 
 Dodge City, Kansas, and secured lodging in the Western 
 Hotel, managed by a genial host, Dr. Gallard. 
 
 As I arrived there after dark I did not venture out 
 until I had a good night's rest and a hearty breakfast. 
 Next morning I took up my position on the porch to 
 take in a view of the surroundings, and I confess they 
 looked strange and weird to me. I had been told that 
 Dodge City was the ante-chamber of the Infernal Reg- 
 ions; that the temperature began to rise at Great Bend 
 and did not return to normal until one crossed the Colo- 
 rado line ; that the population was made up of cut-throats 
 and thieves; that vice and crime walked brazenly in the 
 streets, while virtue and innocence were unknown in that 
 region of iniquity. Funerals were reported to me to be 
 held every morning, to bury those killed during the pre- 
 ceding night. The cemetery where the unfortunates 
 were to find their last resting place was called "Boot 
 Hill," because those who were buried there were laid to 
 rest with their boots on. The above impression is only a 
 sample of what I had gleaned from the Eastern journals. 
 From where I took my stand I could see thirty or forty 
 cow-ponies tied to the hitch racks. Each pony wore a 
 good saddle with a Winchester in a scabbard hanging at 
 the side. After viewing the situation for some time, and 
 not hearing any shooting, nor seeing any funerals, as 
 everything appeared peaceful and quiet, I decided to 
 take in the sights, although I confess I had a rather 
 creepy feeling when I ventured out. I felt somewhat 
 encouraged, as I remembered I was wearing a Stetson 
 hat, and a pair of high-heeled boots, which, from the re- 
 ports I had received, were considered the passport to the 
 best society in those days. I crossed the railroad tracks 
 
58 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 which ran up Main street, and took my course along the 
 sidewalk, encountering in my way men with their pant- 
 legs in their boots, wearing wide-leafed sombreros with 
 suakeskin bands around them, with wide cartridge belts 
 around their waists supporting six-shooters large enough 
 to kill a buffalo. Everyone I met seemed to be peaceable. 
 The only representative of the weaker sex I encountered 
 was a lady dressed in fine style with her face painted 
 and powdered, her hair done up a la mode, and decked 
 out in a mother-hubbard large enough to cover a corn 
 shock. 
 
 To my great surprise I spent the first day' in Dodge 
 City without any evidence of shootings or funerals, and 
 in my meanderings about the place formed the acquaint- 
 ance of men who afterwards proved themselves to be as 
 high-principled as could be found in the whole country. 
 
 The horses that I had seen hitched to the racks, were 
 all ridden across the river to the different herds to stand 
 guard over the cattle and prevent stampedes. Some of 
 the herds were waiting to be shipped, while others were 
 rounded-up to drive them to the branding pens, after 
 which they would be turned back to the range. In this 
 way the natural increase of the herd was maintained for 
 the owner. 
 
 N,ext morning I set out with a better opinion of the 
 town and of its inhabitants. I found the same ponies 
 tied to the same racks, and the streets full of wagons, 
 some loading for the different ranches, others at the shop 
 for repairs. I found the river banks on both sides lined 
 with campers, a mixed lot of immigrants, looking for 
 land, freighters resting their stock, horse traders, Mexi- 
 cans, and a multitude of others with their old-time prai- 
 rie schooners. Everybody was busy, some greasing their 
 wagons, others mending harness, repairing ox yokes, or 
 oiling and refitting six-shooters and Winchesters. The 
 stock had all been turned loose in the care of herders 
 who remained with them to keep them from straying off, 
 and who would bring them in when they were required. 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 59 
 
 The old familiar camp kettle and coffee pot were kept 
 simmering over a slow fire so as to have everything hot 
 at meal time. When the noon hour arrived, the tail gate 
 of the wagon, which was the door of the grub-box, was 
 let down to form a table. Each man found for himself 
 a plate, knife, fork, and tin cup to help himself when 
 the meal was ready. As soon as dinner was over, they 
 scattered again through the town, some to the saloon, 
 others to the dance-halls, others to their trading, or to 
 make arrangements for their next load of freight. After 
 spending some time in observing all that was to be seen, 
 I returned again to the town. As I was walking up the 
 street I overheard a conversation between two cow- 
 punchers whom I afterwards found to be known as 
 "Broncho Jack" and "Slim Jim." They were arguing 
 about Slim's ability to ride a broncho called "Gabe," that 
 Jack had brought to camp that morning. This argument 
 led to the general result not a fight, as I supposed it 
 would, but to a bet. The conversation ran about as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 S. J. S'ay, Jack, I see you bringing in Old Gabe this 
 morning. What are you dragging that old skate around 
 for? Why don't you shoot him, or don't y'ou want to 
 waste a cartridge? Going to sell or trade him? 
 
 B. J. Oh, I just brought him in, as I thought some 
 tenderfoot might want to take his lady-love out for a 
 ride, and Gabe would afford some fun. 
 
 S. J. You don't suppose any tenderfoot, nor any- 
 body else wants to be seen riding that old crow-bait 
 around with a young lady? He can't travel fast enough 
 to work up a sweat. 
 
 B. J. Can't he? He has enough life and vinegar in 
 him to throw any puncher on the "81" ranch, and don't 
 you forget it! 
 
 S. J. Oh, pshaw ! Jack, you talk like an old parrot 
 my mother used to have down in San Antonio. He would 
 repeat anything he h'eard and when he could not hear 
 anything, he talked to himself. 
 
60 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 B. J. Money is what talks in Dodge City, and I'll 
 bet you five dollars you can't ride that broncho two 
 blocks without getting thrown. 
 
 S. J. I'll take that bet if you'll make it three 
 blocks. I don't care about short rides. Why, I can ride 
 all over the old goat and make cigarettes while doing it. 
 
 B. J. Say, Slim; that old horse will throw you so 
 high that the sparrows will build nests in your leggins 
 before y'ou come down. 
 
 S. J. That will be all right! Where have you got 
 that old mouse-colored critter, and where do you want 
 the money put up? 
 
 B. J. He's around here in Cox's corral, and we can 
 put the money up in Kelly's hands. 
 
 S. J. All right! Let's go and put the money up 
 and get down to business. 
 
 I went along to see the fun, and especially to see 
 how it would terminate. We entered a saloon finely fur- 
 nished, with a mirror behind the bar that cost more than 
 the average 160-acre farm in that country. W T e ap- 
 proached a big, two-fisted, well-dressed man who stood 
 before the bar. Jack addressed him as Mr. Kelly, the 
 man decided upon to hold the stakes. He explained his 
 mission and asked him to hold the money pending the 
 test of horsemanship. Mr. Kelly replied, "I'll hould any- 
 thing yese give me, but I would loike to know what will 
 be done with the money in case the young man is kilt." 
 "Oh," says Jack, "just treat the crowd and let the bal- 
 ance go to the house." "All right," said Kelly. Slim 
 agreed to the proposal. 
 
 B. J. Well, Slim, you had better take a cold drink 
 before you start, or make arrangements to have some one 
 throw you a bottle of water, as the old pony will throw 
 you so high that you may die of thirst before you come 
 down. 
 
 S. J. Never mind! I'll take that drink after the 
 job is done. Let's go and get busy. 
 
 By this time quite a crowd had collected and set out 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 61 
 
 to see the fun. I joined them for the same purpose. It 
 was but a short distance to Cox's corral. When we ar- 
 rived there, Slim said to Jack, "Go in and rope your old 
 dry land turtle. Bring him out here and I'll see what I 
 can do for him." 
 
 Jack went in and pitched his rope on a sleepy-look- 
 ing, pot-bellied, dun-colored pony that would weigh in 
 the neighborhood of eight hundred pounds, and led him 
 into the street. Slim procured his saddle, bridle, and 
 blanket, and proceeded to saddle him. He first put on 
 the bridle and then put a gunny-sack over it. The pur- 
 pose of this was to blindfold him till the saddling was 
 complete. When the saddling began, Old Gabe stood per- 
 fectly quiet, except to take a few short steps, apparently 
 to make sure that all of his four feet and legs were there. 
 As soon as he was saddled, Slim said to Jack, "When I 
 crawl his humrp, you take off the gunny-sack and I will 
 take a little ride." As soon as the sack was removed, 
 Old Gabe put his nose to the ground and went to buck- 
 ing and bawling like an old cow. He bucked about six 
 or eight rods, but found he could not throw Slim in that 
 manner. Then he stood straight up on his hind feet and 
 fell over backwards. As soon as he struck the ground, 
 Slim was standing beside him. When he regained his 
 feet Slim was on his back, and then the bucking and 
 bawling began in earnest. He did the figure eight sev- 
 eral times, jumped up and turned half-way 'round and 
 repeated the same, going in the opposite direction, alter- 
 nately. When he found that this was not successful he 
 headed for an alley close by, bucking and bawling all 
 the time. He worked like a cyclone among a lot of oil 
 barrels and dry goods boxes, wheel-barrows, and obstacles 
 of all kinds that littered the alley. He drove his way 
 through that strange assortment of difficulties until he 
 reached the open street. Then Slim, by means of the 
 application of spurs and quirt got him into a gallop. 
 Then I knew that the battle was over and Old Gabe had 
 met his master. Slim rode back to the crowd and dis- 
 
62 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 mounted, and he and Jack went over to Kelly's to col- 
 lect the wager. Then the bantering was continued, as 
 follows : 
 
 B. J. Well, Slim, how does it go? 
 
 S. J. Oh, not bad. I guess I'll take that cold drink 
 you spoke of. I feel a little thirsty. 
 
 B. J. Yes, and I reckon you feel a little bit sore, too. 
 
 S. J. Oh, shucks ! he was a little bit fussy, but he 
 is nothing like those outlaw horses on the 81 ranch. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 Getting Acquainted With the West The Character of 
 the Cow-boy A Cow-boy's Love Affair, Etc. 
 
 Next day I began to breathe easier as I had not wit- 
 nessed any shooting scrapes, nor funerals, so I felt rather 
 safe in walking the streets, although I was rather sus- 
 picious of anybody I met wearing a six-shooter. Never- 
 theless, I kept on the move, endeavoring to find where I 
 could locate a good homestead, as that country was 
 nearly all open and unsettled. In my wanderings I hap- 
 pened into Cox's feed yard where Broncho Jack kept his 
 horses. I entered the camp house and found Jack and 
 Slim Jim sitting on a bench and there was every evi- 
 dence to show that they had been indulging too freely 
 in "Kelly's Sovereign Remedy for a Sour Disposition." 
 They seemed very confidential in their conversation, and 
 I could not help overhearing it. It ran about as follows : 
 
 S. J. Jack, do you know that old nester that settled 
 on the flats out on Crooked Creek? 
 
 B. J. No, I don't know him, but I heard there was 
 a fellow out there going into farming and raising fine 
 stock. 
 
 S. J. Well, he's there all right, and has two of the 
 prettiest daughters I ever saw. 
 
 B. J. What has that to do with you? 
 
 S. J. It has this to do with me. I am done ranch- 
 ing. I am going to drop off this old broncho and will 
 step right in between the old man's plow handles and 
 there I'll stay' until removed by death, or the County 
 Sheriff. 
 
 B. J. Have you had any introduction to those 
 young ladies, or what is the matter with you? Have you 
 taken leave of your senses and gone wild? 
 
64 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 S. J. I never had an introduction to them, but I 
 met them at the post-office and they had a nosebag full 
 of letters and a wheel-barrow full of papers and books. 
 Oh, I tell you they are educated, or what would they 
 want with all that printed stuff. I am going farming, 
 that is what I am going to do. 
 
 B. J. Now I know you are daffy. Talk about farm- 
 ing, don't you know it has not rained out there in the 
 last eighteen months. I met a traveling evangelist the 
 other day who told me that he almost had to forego the 
 pleasure of immersing a class of six cow-punchers for 
 want of sufficient water to perform the ceremony. He 
 was afraid that if it did not soon rain he would lose them 
 sure as he would not be able to get them again if they 
 went back to the ranches before they received his minis- 
 trations. 
 
 S. J. Oh, that is all right about the rain ! The old 
 man does not need rain. He has a wind-mill and a 
 trough to water his stock, and I can tell you that his 
 stock is first class. I saw some of them and the milch 
 cows had bags on them the size of washtubs and the 
 teats hung down like baseball bats. He is well fitted in 
 every way. He has a top buggy with a high back and a 
 low seat all for himself. He wears a white shirt just as 
 some folks do in Texas when they are running for office. 
 I met his boy on the train a day or so ago and he shows 
 good raising. He had shoes and stockings on, and he is 
 no more than fifteen years old. He also had on a collar 
 and tie and did not swear once while I was talking to 
 him. I asked him where his pa had got the big stock 
 and he said that they came from Ohio, and that they 
 were Poland China or something like that. 
 
 B. J. Let me tell you, Slim, if that old man is from 
 Chicago and is a Republican, he has no use for a cow- 
 puncher or a Democrat, no more than a pig has for side 
 pockets. He would not want you to picket your horse 
 on the trail in front of his place, nor to holler in his 
 rain barrel, much less going to call on one of his daugh- 
 
CHEYNNE INDIAN GIRL 
 
OB THE DULL KNIFE RAID 65 
 
 ters. Why, they scare the children back there and com- 
 pel them to be good by telling them that the nasty, old, 
 long-haired cow-puncher will take them away to the 
 ranch where there is nothing but wild cattle, cow-punch- 
 ers, tarantulas and centipedes, and a lot of other reptiles. 
 
 S. J. Well, I have to leave you Jack, and the next 
 time I see you I shall be on my honeymoon trip. I am 
 now on my way to the farm to see the lady that I expect 
 to soon be Mrs. Slim Jim. 
 
 B. J. Good-bye, Jim. Good luck to you ! 
 
 About two weeks afterwards, Broncho Jack and I 
 were seated on the bank of Crooked Creek discussing the 
 situation, whether the opportunities for making money 
 were better in hunting or picking bones, catching mus- 
 tangs, or blacksmithing. I came to the conclusion that 
 the last was the most conducive to wealth just then, and 
 later on opened up a shop there. During our conversa- 
 tion Slim Jim rode up. Throwing the reins over his 
 pony's head, he dismounted and shook hands. Slowly 
 he rolled a cigarette and began to unbosom himself to 
 Jack. 
 
 "Say 1 , Jack," said Slim, "you remember what you 
 told me in the camphouse in Dodge City the day I left 
 you. You recollect saying what a consarned fool I was 
 about that young lady, and what you thought of the old 
 man? Say, I hope to die and go to heaven if every word 
 of what you told me was not true. I have ridden for 
 two days to tell you what kind of a durn fool I am. You 
 are a fortune teller, a prophet, a prognosticator. I had 
 not ridden out to Five Mile Creek until he got to solilo- 
 quizing with myself. You know all cow-punchers do that 
 out on the prairie ! Well, I got to fixing up how to act, 
 what to do and say when I got out there where the young 
 lady lives. I had read a society book that some fellow 
 from back East had left at the ranch once. There was 
 some of it torn out, but there was a lot of it left and I 
 learned a whole lot out of it, and I was going to govern 
 myself accordingly. It said that a young man in com- 
 
66 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 pany after taking- his seat, should sit erect and throw 
 his head back, keep his knees close together, and that 
 chewing tobacco or smoking cigarettes was not good 
 form. Under no circumstances should the young man 
 wear spurs, carry a gun, especially in the company of 
 the young lady with whom he is anyways intimate. I 
 guess that book was written for the Texas trade, as there 
 was a proviso that gun-wearing would be permissible 
 if there were other gentlemen present. If there was any- 
 thing about the disposal of the hands, it must have been 
 torn out or I forgot it. It was most likely torn out, as 
 that crowd of boys at the ranch would tear the leaves 
 out of their mother's Bible to make a cigarette. I can 
 ride a horse or throw a rope, but what to do with my 
 hands when I entered the house was beyond me. I knew 
 how to hold my head, chest, and knees, but I could not 
 for the life of me figure out what to do with those hands. 
 I felt as if each hand was as big as a ham and the nearer 
 I aproached the house, the larger they seemed to grow. 
 I felt pretty much like a Hottentot. He is usually pic- 
 tured with a very depleted wardrobe. He has no books 
 of instruction on the art of going into society, and I am 
 of the opinion he had just as much trouble with his 
 hands as I had. I guess he just folded his hands across 
 his manly chest and backed in. By the time I arrived at 
 the Mulberry Ranch I had decided to do all I knew and 
 trust to luck for the rest. When I had staked out my 
 pony, I went in and slicked up some. I washed, combed 
 my hair, brushed my clothes, and then took about three 
 fingers of old Tom Duggan's best bourbon, not as a stim- 
 ulant, but to put some color in my cheeks. As soon as 
 the bourbon began to show some of its efficacy, I put on 
 a couple of rings I had bought in Dodge and headed for 
 the old man's ranch, letting my hands take care of them- 
 selves. In my generosity of feeling I pictured myself 
 being invited to supper and perhaps even being requested 
 to spend the night at the old man's. With an eye to put- 
 ting an appearance on things I was going to try to trade 
 
OK THE DULL KNIFE RAID 67 
 
 some long-horned stock for some of his short-horns. I 
 was in terror lest the young lady I was yet to choose, 
 would smell my breath, and if the old man and his family 
 were prohibitionists, I knew it would be all up with my 
 chances. However, I was encouraged in the knowledge 
 of the fact th. t this was to be my first call and I was 
 not likely to get within breath-smelling distance of the 
 lady of my choice. Regardless of consequences, I turned 
 in and rode up to the hitching post, dismounted, took 
 off my spurs 4*.:d my gun, and then set out for the house. 
 It seemed miles from that hitching-post to the front door. 
 I finally covered the distance and rapped gently on the 
 panel as I did not want them to think I was one of those 
 rough, roaring, cow-punchers the kind you mentioned. 
 I listened attentively for one of those gentle footfalls, or 
 the sound of an angelic voice bidding me to enter. I 
 imagined once I heard the rustle of a silk dress but I am 
 satisfied now that I was mistaken as I believe the sound 
 was caused by the girls husking roasting ears for supper. 
 You know that husking green corn makes a kind of 
 squeaking noise. I did not have long to wait as I heard 
 the sound of footsteps the kind a bull moose makes 
 when in trouble. The door was thrown open savagely 
 and I was confronted by an old man who weighed about 
 two hundred and fifty pounds. He had a face like a full 
 moon with side whiskers to match and a moustache that 
 resembled a second-hand shoe brush. He wore a white 
 shirt with a home-made collar that reached to his ears. 
 I tell you he was a fierce looking object. He stared me 
 straight in the eye and said, "What can I do for you?" 
 Now, Jack, you know that I am a fairly good talker, but 
 right there my voice failed me. I could not utter a word 
 if my life depended upon it. To make matters worse, he 
 kept those two big eyes on me just like a dog setting a 
 quail. My throat became all tied up in a knot, but after 
 a pause I pulled myself together and asked him if lie 
 was bothered by any range cattle breaking through his 
 fences. I thought I would get him into conversation in 
 
68 THE INDIANS ' LAST FIGHT 
 
 that way, and said that the range foreman had asked me 
 to make the inquiry. He turned and slammed the door 
 in my face. My love that a few moments before threat- 
 ened to burn a hole in my shirt, was turned to hate. I 
 detest that old man, and what makes my hatred more 
 intense is the fact that when I was riding away I saw 
 the girls laughing and making fun of me. I have come 
 to the conclusion that I had better stick to the ranching 
 as I never did care much for farming anyway. As for 
 society and things like that, I abominate them. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 What One Sheep Rancher Did Entertaining a Hobo A 
 Practical Joke. 
 
 About the year 1877, an extensive sheep ranch was 
 established in the Panhandle by a Mr. Southerland. He 
 came from California and bought up the range in the 
 neighborhood of the Adobe Walls, for the purpose of 
 transferring his flocks from that far off State, where the 
 grazing was getting very scarce, to the northern part of 
 Texas, where there abounded better opportunities for 
 pasturage. He was not the only one to cast a longing 
 eye upon that territory, for many cattlemen from the 
 same State as Mr. S , also visited the Panhandle district 
 looking for grazing grounds. As Mr. S. was the first to 
 acquire rights there, the story in this chapter will deal 
 with his men and his flocks. 
 
 When he returned to California after securing the 
 title to the property, he sent his step-son, Bill Anderson, 
 in charge of the drive from his native State to the new 
 range. Besides the thousands of sheep that were in his care 
 he brought along a few hundred head of horses and bur- 
 ros with enough Mexican help to make the drive success- 
 ful. Of course, there was quite an outfit of mules and 
 wagons to transport the equipage of an expedition of this 
 kind. There was no opportunity of going to the corner 
 grocery for supplies, nor was there any chance of secur- 
 ing them along the way, as the journey led over hills, 
 mountains and canyons, amongst wild tribes of Indians, 
 from California to Texas. It was a tremendous under- 
 taking, but Bill was equal to the occasion. 
 
 He was a man of iron nerve, a good shot with either 
 sixi-shooter or Winchester and his skill and daring in 
 roping wild animals excited the admiration of even the 
 
70 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 hardiest of his followers. It was a common thing for 
 him to ride into a herd of buffalo, rope and hog-tie one, 
 and then turn him loose again, just, as he used to say, to 
 show the boys how it was done. Along with his great 
 physical courage and fortitude, there existed another 
 quality often found in men of rugged health and spirits. 
 Bill was a practical joker, and in the pursuit of his 
 endeavors to provoke a laugh he spared neither age, sex, 
 nor previous condition of servitude. It seems to me that 
 I can hear his merry laughter ringing in my ears though 
 many years have passed since I had the pleasure of being 
 in his company. His was a sunny disposition and the 
 dark side of a cloud never appealed to him. He saw the 
 brightness ahead long before it was visible to others. 
 Such was the leader of the expedition that set out from 
 California, and many a merry yarn or joke lessened the 
 burden of the long drive. 
 
 At the outset of the journey, the Mexican herders 
 were started off with a supply of bacon and coffee, be- 
 sides having burros laden with bedding and other uten- 
 sils. He divided the whole flock into smaller sections, 
 each with a herder in charge. They moved along in close 
 proximity to one another for the sake of company as they 
 would likely be out on the road for weeks, and would 
 return to camp only when in want of provisions. If 
 fresh meat were wanted, all they had to do was to kill a 
 lamb, or procure some of the wild game that infested 
 the way, such as antelope, wild turkeys, prairie chickens, 
 quail and other game. Their horses did not require much 
 attention as there was plenty of grass and water was 
 easily located. 
 
 Thus they kept on their way during the long weeks, 
 day succeeding day with the same monotonous routine. 
 Finally they reached their range in safety, glad that the 
 long and tedious journey was completed. Here they made 
 their first improvements in the way of a settled habita- 
 tion. They constructed a dugout and covered it over 
 with poles and willows. On these they piled a layer of 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 71 
 
 soil to turn the rain. The furnishing of the dugout was 
 of the simplest kind. A split log to sit on, a table made 
 in the same way with sapplings for legs, was all they 
 had in the way of household furniture. Their bedcham- 
 ber consisted of the open prairie with the blue sky above 
 them for a canopy. This done, they were at home for 
 friends and neighbors. 
 
 Among the members of the outfit that followed An- 
 derson from California, was a faithful and trusted 
 employee named James Farrell. He had been with them 
 for years and was one of the family. He was a shrewd 
 man and one hard to deceive. One thing he felt proud 
 of was that Bill Anderson never succeeded in working 
 off a practical joke at his expense. He boasted of the 
 fact that Bill had often tried, but always failed and he 
 felt confident that he would never succeed. And thereby 
 hangs the following tale: 
 
 One day as Bill was sitting in front of the dugout 
 doing nothing in particular and having lots of time to 
 do it in, he spied a man in the distance coming toward 
 him on foot. This was something very unusual in those 
 days, as a man on foot in the prairie is very much like a 
 man in the middle of the Atlantic, he feels as though 
 he is twenty miles from nowhere and does not know how 
 to get there. Bill came to the conclusion that the man 
 afoot was some cow-puncher that had been thrown from 
 his horse. He soon discovered his mistake, for the 
 stranger proved to be a veritable hobo. He gave no 
 information regarding himself, and it was impossible to 
 find out anything about him, whence he came, or what 
 profession he followed to gain a livelihood. He mani- 
 fested an interest in only one thing and that was when 
 meal time came. Then he was a whirlwind of energy. 
 He had been invited to take a supper with the outfit, and 
 Bill even went so far as to divide his blanket with him, 
 favors which the hobo appreciated so much that he con- 
 tinued to stay for meals and share the proprietor's 
 blanket. Time passed on, as time usually does, and the 
 
72 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 sign of taking his departure. In fact he seemed so much 
 at home that it seemed impossible to drive him away. 
 Weeks went by, but still the hobo was not accused of 
 showing any inclination to work except when the table 
 was to be cleared of provisions. However, all good things 
 come to an end, and Bill felt that he had done all that 
 the laws of Western hospitality required and felt impelled 
 to do something to rid himself of his unwelcome guest. 
 He thought the matter over carefully. If he offered the 
 hobo a job, the latter turned the subject of conversation 
 into politics or something else. It was useless to hint 
 to the star boarder that the climate of other localities 
 might be better for his health. He seemed proof against 
 hints, invitations, or even mildly expressed wishes that 
 he would take his departure. Nothing but personal 
 violence would rid them of his company, and they were 
 loath to do that. Bill began to worry over the matter. 
 He went around with a thoughtful look as though he had 
 something serious on his mind. Finally he determined 
 to lay the matter before Jim to see if he could not suggest 
 some way to be rid of a guest, who was not only a burden 
 but a nuisance. After some reflection, it was decided 
 that Jim was to act crazy, and some time or other when 
 all were assembled at the table, at a given sign, he was 
 to give a jump, knock over the table, stick his dirk into 
 one of the rafters of the dugout, and grab his gun and 
 begin to shoot up the place. Of course, he was not to 
 kill anybody, but the purpose was to stampede the hobo 
 and set him on his way over the hills to other localities 
 where he might have an opportunity of showing his 
 staying qualities. 
 
 The next day it happened that Bill and the hobo 
 were down at the corral to brand some colts. It dawned 
 upon the proprietor that right here was a brilliant oppor- 
 tunity for a practical joke and at the same time put an 
 end to Jim's assertions that he could not be tricked by 
 any practical jokesmith on either side of the Rockies. 
 It made Bill smile. He took a look around to see if Jim 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 73 
 
 was in the neighborhood and found him sitting at the 
 door of the dugout braiding a lariat. With an air of 
 simplicity and trustfulness he told the hobo that he had 
 something to tell him ; that he was thinking of telling it 
 to him some time ago, and that was as good an opportu- 
 nity as would present itself to him to do so. ' ' You know, ' ' 
 said he, in a guileless manner, "Jim has been with me 
 for a number of years and I have found him one of the 
 best fellows that I have ever known. He is trusty, and 
 is a good judge of stock. I can rely on him at all times 
 and he takes as much interest in the work and the ranch 
 as I do myself. However, he has been a cause of much 
 worry to me. I do not like to tell my troubles to others but 
 I find I must tell it to someone. I have taken quite a 
 shine to you and I feel that the confidence I place in you 
 will not be abused. Well, to bring the matter to a focus, 
 I must tell you that Jim is subject to spells, and when 
 in that condition is likely to be quite dangerous. The 
 cause of his condition is this. A few years ago, out in 
 California he was thrown from his horse and in falling 
 his head struck a stone. He was quite delirious for a 
 long time. He grew out of his condition after a year or 
 so, but at certain periods he has a return of his old illness 
 and is likely to turn things topsy-turvy before we can 
 get him quited. We have tried everything in the medical 
 line, but it was no use. We found out by accident, one 
 day, that the only thing that would restore him to his 
 senses was a jar on the head. He had one of his spells 
 and made an attack on one of the hands with a knife. 
 The man in desperation let fly at Jim with his fist and 
 knocked him senseless for about ten minutes. When he 
 recovered from the blow, he was as rational as any of us. 
 I know it is painful for us to have to lay violent hands 
 on the poor fellow, but it must be done, and besides, Jim 
 is very thankful for our doing it, as he 'has a very tender 
 heart and would not for anything in the world be the 
 cause of injury to anyone. The reason I am telling you 
 this is that I may have to be away some time or other 
 
74 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 and as you are pretty well acquainted with the run f 
 things around the ranch, you will know what to do if 
 the poor fellow has one of those sudden attacks. You 
 may not feel like doing it, but he will thank you for it 
 when he has recovered, and besides, Jim thinks a lot of 
 you. When I was leaving California I promised my poor 
 old mother that I would look after Jim and see that no 
 harm came to him on account of his weakness." 
 
 When Bill returned to the dug-out, it would not take 
 a mind-reader long to figure out that there was some- 
 thing going to happen. He kept his face straight, but 
 he could not conceal the merry twinkle of his eye. He 
 kept the cause of his merriment to himself, but frequency 
 he would take a look out of the corner of his eye at Jim 
 and if Jim was not looking, a smile would spread over 
 his countenance. The thought of working a practical 
 joke on Jim was too much for him at times and he would 
 have to go outside to conceal his feelings. 
 
 Things went along thus for a few days, but the 
 tension became too great for him to control himself my 
 longer. One day, at dinner he gave the pre-arranged 
 signal to Jim. With a yell Jim jumped up upset the 
 table and spilled the contents all over the floor of the dug- 
 out, grabbed his dirk and stuck it into the rafter of the 
 dug-out, then pulled his six-shooter and let blaze. He 
 ploughed up the earthern floor with some of the bullets, 
 others he sent flying through the roof. All the while he was 
 yelling like a Comanche Indian on the warpath. By the 
 time he had emptied his gun, the place was filled with 
 smoke. At the first shot Bill and the others filed through 
 the door, or rather threw themselves through it, but the 
 hobo mindful of the instructions given him some time 
 before, worked his way around through the smoke until 
 he came within arm's length of Jim. He summoned up 
 all his strength and let fly one of his fists. It was a 
 mighty blow, delivered with care. It landed on the side 
 of Jim's head and sent him reeling and senseless into a 
 pile of gunny-sacks lying in the corner. With an eye to 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 75 
 
 the necessity of further ministrations if necessary, he stood 
 looking at the poor fellow lying there. In a minute or 
 more, Jim opened his eyes and reached for his gun. It 
 was empty of course, and he reached for his cartridge 
 box also. Bill looked in through the door when he heard 
 no noise. He saw what Jim was doing and also noted 
 by the flare in his eyes that there was going to be mo- 
 ments of activity there as soon as he succeeded in getting 
 the chambers of his 45 filled. He took one look at the 
 hobo, and uttered the word * ' run, ' ' Without waiting any 
 further instructions, the hobo fairly flew through the door 
 and bounded away like a cat pursued by a bull dog. Jim 
 dashed for the door with his weapon ready for vengeance. 
 He saw the fleeing figure bounding over the prairie and 
 let fly at him with the six-shooter. Happily for all con- 
 cerned, he was too excited to take aim, and consequently 
 all of his shots went wild. Every shot seemed to in- 
 crease the speed of the swiftly running hobo. He was 
 over the hill and far away in about the shortest time he 
 ever made. Jim looked around the end of the dug-out 
 and found Bill and his companions rolling on the ground 
 and holding their sides with laughter. He realized im- 
 mediately that there was something strange about the 
 whole affair. It seemed more than he could stand. 
 "Bill Anderson," said he, "I believe you are at the 
 bottom of all this. If I were certain of it I would send 
 you back to California on a pair of wooden legs, but out 
 of respect for your good old mother whose feeling I 
 would not like to hurt on account of a 'bloody spalpeen' 
 like you, I w r ant to warn you never to do the like of it 
 again." Jim never afterwards made the boast that he 
 could not be tricked by any one on either side of the 
 Rockies. 
 
 Bill sold out the ranch sometime afterwards for 
 $125,000, and the last I saw of him he was setting out 
 for Old Mexico. 
 
 If Jim ever had any more crazy spells, I never heard 
 of it. 
 
CHAPTER XI. 
 The Man From Missouri ; An Attempt at Dry Farming, etc 
 
 While out hunting one day, about 18 miles south 
 of Dodge City, I chanced to meet a stranger who inquired 
 the way to the nearest horse corral. In the twinkling 
 of an eye I took an inventory of his outfit, and I must 
 say that it was good. He had a fine team of young 
 mules, a three seated spring wagon covered over, harness 
 all covered over with brass mountings. His wife and 
 children who were with him were well-dressed and he 
 himself showed traces of being well bred and was rather 
 a good talker. His conversation showed refinement, 
 though at times he sandwiched in a mild cuss-word to 
 emphasize his statements. Prom his bearing I could see 
 that he was rather high-strung. Befoije giving the 
 required information I ventured to ask if he was going 
 to take up land for the purpose of farming. He said that 
 that was his intention. I looked the family over and felt 
 sorry for them, knowing what they would have to endure 
 on a claim. I had not the same regrets for proprietor 
 of the outfit as I felt that a little experience and expo- 
 sure was what was needed to round out his character. 
 The more I explained the general ,condi'tion|s of the 
 neighborhood of his destination, the more he seemed 
 determined to go. I explained to him that others from 
 the different states of the East had tried to raise crops 
 and made a failure of the venture, and returned to 
 their several homes disgusted with the West. "Oh, 
 pshaw!" said he, "I have heard that same tale of woe 
 more than a dozen times during the last three days, and 
 the land-agents in Dodge City told me that yarn was 
 fabricated expressly by the cow-men to discourage the 
 farmers from settling on the range and cutting off their 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 77 
 
 supply of pasture." "Moreover," said he," I have a 
 little provision made for the future and can stand it as 
 long as any of them." 
 
 During my interview with that gentleman, I learned 
 that his name was Waugh, that he was a native of 
 Pennsylvania, and had been living in Missouri on a 
 rented farm during the preceding two years. He had 
 become dissatisfied with the state and had come farther 
 West to improve his fortunes. I ask him if he did not 
 think it better to return to Missouri where his children 
 would have the advantage of schools, and he and his wife 
 would be able to enjoy some society rather than establish 
 a home on a raw prairie. He replied, "I see, stranger, 
 that you have never lived in Missouri. I tell you those folk 
 back there don't know the war is over yet, and besides 
 one's standing in society depends upon how many hounds 
 one keeps and, also, on the length of one's whiskers. 
 Why, don't you know that there was only one razor in 
 the neighborhood where I lived and that was owned by 
 the school teacher. He was some up on social niceties. 
 Once in awhile he used to go to St. Joe to have his hair 
 cut and the back of his neck shaved and this caused 
 some of the patrons of the school to threaten to take 
 their children away from him if he did not stop such 
 unwarranted proceedings. I am sure they would have 
 done so if they had known that he used to go down to 
 the creek every Saturday night to take a bath. No 
 Siree, I do not want any more of Missouri in mine. The 
 first year I worked there I did fairly well. I made about 
 half a crop. The next year was a complete failure. 
 I raised nothing, absolutely nothing, and when I saw 
 the hens bringing leaves from the timber to build nests, 
 I told Hannah to put out the fire and call the dog and 
 we would start for Kansas." 
 
 The next time I met Mr. Waugh was one afternoon 
 about three months later. I noted that his mules had 
 fallen away in flesh, and on inquiring about his general 
 condition, he stated that things were in poor condition. 
 
78 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT ' 
 
 He said the grass had been poor and that it was im- 
 possible to procure corn for the cattle. In fact he had 
 not plowed nor put in any crops. He informed me that it 
 had not rained since he had taken up his claim and to 
 plow was out of the question. The only line of work 
 open for him was to gather buffalo bones. He said that 
 things had come to such a pass that he had to exchange 
 some of his belongings for others not as good 
 His spring wagon had to go for an old lumber-wagon 
 as he could not use the spring affair in the work of 
 gathering the bones. In this trade he received a cow 
 to boot. 
 
 When next I met him he had traded off his mules 
 and brass-mounted harness for a one-eyed mule and a 
 pony, receiving boot on that occasion also in the shape 
 of a sewing machine and a shot gun, with a set of chain 
 harness thrown in for good measure. He said he pre- 
 ferred the chain harness as the dry weather did not 
 affect the corn-husk collars and if it rained he could 
 throw it on the ground and it would suffer 110 injury 
 from the moisture. Shortly after this he came to my 
 blacksmith shop to have the wheels of his wagon set. 
 Before that he used to soak them in the bed of the creek, 
 but as the water in the creek bottom failed, he had to 
 bring them to me to set them. 
 
 The last time I had the opportunity of meeting Mr. 
 Waugh, he was camped at the creek with his family. 
 He was busy at the camp-fire cooking his meal at the 
 time. After the usual greetings, I ventured to ask him 
 how he liked farming. He seemed very despondent. 
 "Don't talk to me about farming in this desolate coun- 
 try," said he. "It has not rained enough between here 
 and the head of the creek since I have been here to wet 
 a postage stamp. Moreover, there are skunks enough 
 up there to drive the Standard Oil Co. out o-f business, 
 and coyotes without number. They gave us no rest. 
 They would steal a chicken out of the pot while it was 
 boiling on the fire." "Why," he continued, You know 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 79 
 
 old man Spriggins up there? Well, only last week his 
 chickens got so all-fired hungry that they went out on 
 the trail and tried to hold up a bull-train to get some 
 corn. I would not have believed myself if I had not 
 seen it. I tell you those chickens were getting desperate 
 and you would have believed it if y'ou had seen that 
 Shanghai rooster strutting back and forth in front of 
 those oxen and crowing. When the old man saw it 
 himself he went down to John Conrads and traded his 
 old fiddle and a cultivator for some Kaffir corn." 
 
 "Well," said I, "you filed on a claim, didn't you?" 
 
 "N,ot that any one knows of," said he. "I caught 
 on to that game in time to save my fourteen dollars. 
 It is nothing but a gambling game anyway, and I believe 
 that the same law applies to poker and other games of 
 chance, ought to reach Uncle Sam for trying to unload 
 a lot of worthless land on a lot of poor suckers that can't 
 help themselves. Why, he don't take any chance at all. 
 He simply puts up one hundred and sixty acres of 
 parched vacancy against your fourteen dollars that you 
 can't remain on it for five years without starving, to 
 comply with the contract he makes with you. I tell you 
 he has a dead sure thing here in Kansas. He has made 
 some good winnings. Some of those claims he has won 
 back five or six times each and he still holds the land 
 waiting for another sucker to come along." 
 
 Well, then, I said, you are not inclined to engage in 
 agriculture, nor to remain in this part of the country, 
 are you? 
 
 "Not if I know myself," he replied, "and I think it 
 about time I was becoming wise. You told me the whole 
 unvarnished truth about this country the first time I met 
 you and if I had taken your advice I would not be in 
 this disagreeable fix." 
 
 Here he took a side glance at his one-eyed mule, 
 which seemed to raise his temperature to about 160 in 
 the shade. He then raised his voice to correspond with 
 the temperature, and striking his hands together said; 
 
80 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 "any 1 gosh-durned country that gets so dad-burned dry 
 that it will take an antelope and he is the fastest animal 
 there is twenty four hours solid traveling to find a 
 drink of water, is a little too dry for me. I am going 
 back to Pennsylvania. That state will be good enough 
 for me for all the time to come." 
 
 He hitched up his one-eyed mule and made ready to 
 go. I bade him good-bye. He nodded, clucked to his 
 mule and rode away. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Colonization Indian Scares; Organizing in Self 
 Defense, etc. 
 
 In the autumn of the year of 1878, a gentleman by 
 the name of John Joplin was sent out from Zanesville, 
 Ohio, to select a suitable place in Western Kansas for 
 the purpose of locating a colony. The intention was to 
 start a co-operative business in farming. After survey- 
 ing the country at large, he came to the conclusion that 
 the Crooked Creek valley, Meade County, where I was 
 living at the time, was the most desirable for the purpose. 
 He returned home and gave a glowing report of what 
 he had done, and his efforts and report received the 
 approval of the futlire colonists. They made jtheir 
 arrangements and moved westward in the following 
 spring. When they had reached their destination, they 
 learned that Chief Dull Knife, a leader of a band of 
 northern Chyenne Indians, had left the reservation at 
 Ft. Reno where he and his followers were held as pris- 
 oners of war. Followed by a numerous retinue of tribs- 
 m'en he started for the Black Hills and had passed 
 through the Crooked Creek Valley, killing the settlers. 
 They continued on their way, killing, burning, and de- 
 stroying everything and everybody in sight until they 
 were re-captured at Ft. Robinson, Nebraska. From there 
 they were brought back and placed on the reservation 
 once more. 
 
 The particulars of the Dull Knife Raid will be given 
 in another chapter. 
 
 Needless to say, these reports caused considerable 
 excitement in the valley. Every few days rumors were 
 circulated that the Indians were returning, or w r ould 
 return as soon as the grass had begun to sprout again. 
 
82 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 Hardly had one rumor died until another was put into 
 circulation. Excitement reached such a degree that all 
 deemed it necessary to organize for protection. A meet- 
 ing was called which all the settlers were invited, or 
 requested, to attend. The Colonists assembled at the 
 dug-out of a Mr. M. B. Wilson, one of the leading spirits 
 of the movement, to devise ways and means for protec- 
 tion in case the Indians should return. After a general 
 discussion of the prevailing conditions, it was unani- 
 mously agreed that we should appeal to the Governor 
 of Kansas for fire arms, as there were few of us that 
 had any, many had none, and some had no money to 
 purchase them, and some that did have them, had very 
 little knowledge of their use. Our secretary was in- 
 structed to write to the governor, explain the conditions 
 of affairs, and request him to send us the necessary 
 guns and ammunition with which to protect ourselves 
 against the Indians in case they should make another 
 descent on the valley, which they would likely do as 
 they were threatening to leave the reservation and go 
 on the warpath a second time. After a good deal of 
 correspondence and red tape. we succeeded in getting the 
 governor's attention, and he kindly informed us, after 
 several week's delay, that if we wanted any assistance 
 from the state, we should join the militia. He informed 
 us that when we were duly sworn in, he would send the 
 necessary arms for protection of our homes and families. 
 To the disinterested reader this action on the part of the 
 governor may seem magnanimous, but to [the settler 
 whose family was living in a dug-out with nothing to 
 protect them but a fire shovel or a hatchet in case of an 
 Indian raid, it looked very much like a case of criminal 
 neglect. Another meeting was called, and it was well 
 attended. There were many women present who seemed 
 anxious to organize a company for the protection of their 
 homes. After some discussion it was decided to or- 
 ganize and join the militia. Among those present 
 was a veteran of the Civil war. He was elected 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 83 
 
 Captain on his war record one of the home-made kind, 
 as none of his comrades of the war recollected any 
 time or place where he performed any deed of valor 
 as he would most likely know the best thing to do at 
 the proper time. To hear the Captain tell of his numer- 
 ous exploits, the number of men took prisoners of war, 
 how he had on several occasions leaped over the breast- 
 works of some beleagured fort in the midst of a shower 
 of grape and canister, and tore down the Confederate 
 flag, one would think that he, Capt. Milligan, bore a 
 charmed life. It seemed strange to me that such a 
 thoughtful man as Abe Lincoln did not send somebody 
 down south to assist the Captain as he seemed to be doing 
 all the heavy fighting himself. Such was our captain, 
 the last and the greatest of the Milligans up to that 
 time, and it would require a remarkable scion to eclipse 
 his record, if one hundredth part of what he said was 
 true. 
 
 Returning to the thread of my story, and I hope 
 you will pardon the digression but it would be impossible 
 to pass over the merits of our worthy Captain without 
 bringing to the notice of the world at large his claims 
 to the honor conferred upon him, we elected G. W. 
 Brown First Lieutenant, Mr. Gantz, Second Lieutenant, 
 and C. M. Rice, Sergeant. The above officers were 
 veterans, or had been scouts, and the remainder required 
 to complete the contingent had no military experience 
 whatever. We instructed the secretary to notify the 
 governor that we had organized and were ready to be 
 sworn into the State Militia. We did not actually want 
 to join the militia, but would rather join the Women's 
 Relief Corps, or the Suflragette Movement, or the Populist 
 party, anything to get the guns and ammunition. (The 
 swearing part of the program did not play a very im- 
 portant part as there had been enough swearing done 
 along the Creek already over the Governor's indolence 
 and failure to send the relief requested, yes, enough to 
 have sworn in seven regiments with some to spare.) 
 
84 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 As the assemblage was about to disperse, some one 
 called for a speech. Others called on Capt. Milligan to 
 harangue the multitude. This was kept up until the 
 Captain, with all the dignity of a well trained parlia- 
 mentarian, condescended to make a few remarks to show 
 his appreciation of the favor conferred upon him, etc. 
 He selected a small knoll from which to deliver himself 
 of the sentiments that filled his manly breast. He 
 assumed the pose of an orator of the old school and 
 delivered a discourse in something like the fllowing 
 words : 
 
 "Fellow- Citizens, Ladies and Gentlemen: We are 
 now on the eve of a terrible conflict to decide whether 
 the white man with tens of thousands of years of civili- 
 zation, culture and refinement behind him, or the wily 
 undomesticated, uncivilized, uncouth, uncultured, unre- 
 fined, undressed savage w r ill rule the plains. Whether 
 the untutored savage will continue to water the virgin 
 soil of the rolling prairie with the blood of the best of 
 our citizens, or whether the white man shall give to the 
 unlimited area of the plains the advantage of a training 
 developed by centuries of progress in the arts of peace 
 and agriculture. (Cheers, and hurrah for Milligan). 
 I am here to state my views and express my sentiments 
 on the question that each and every one of us is debating 
 in the depths of the individual heart." It w r as quite 
 evident that the Captain was laboring under difficulties, 
 as he delivered the above in a very hesitating manner. 
 What he lacked in fluency of speech, he made up by 
 violence and fequency of gestures. He swung his arms 
 and stamped his feet to emphasize the degree of his 
 perturbation w T hile contemplating in advance the horrors 
 to which they were to be subjected. He became so 
 wrapped up in his subject and w r as so earnest in his 
 endeavors to move his hearers, that he did not realize 
 that he was standing on a hill inhabited by a colony of 
 red ants; nor was he aware that a regiment of them 
 had set out to explore the depths of his unmentionables 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 85 
 
 and were at that very moment making rapid progress 
 through the recesses of his underwear. Suddenly he 
 became aware of something peculiar about his feelings 
 and to cover the difficulty under which he was laboring, 
 and at the same time to prove to his hearers that his 
 reputation was above reproach and his patriotism beyond 
 question, he accenuated his remarks by more violent 
 gestures than before, striking himself on the thighs and 
 even reaching beyond the limits to which gestures were 
 supposed to extend, realizing that farthur speech with 
 decorum was out of the question he was compelled by 
 force of circumstances to desist from further efforts. 
 He made an assault on his personal enemies as best he 
 might under the circumstances in such a public place. 
 He squeezed and pinched, slapped and crushed, but the 
 greater the efforts he made, the more they seemed to be 
 impelled to greater efforts of offense. He rolled up his 
 trouser legs, as far as public decency would permit, but 
 exposure only drove the enemy to seek more advan- 
 tageous hiding places. He could not ask his friends to 
 help him because it seemed such a personal affair, and 
 besides, they were at that* moment jhelpless in their 
 efforts to stifle their laughter. In his desperation he 
 started for the creek, which, fortunately for him, was 
 close at hand. A clump of hackberry and plum bushes 
 screened him from the multitude, and in the friendly 
 cover offered him by nature herself, he began to put 
 the enemy to rout. However, mindful of the position to 
 which he had been elected, and the duty incumbent on 
 him of stirring them up to the proper degree of patriot- 
 ism, he sent word that he would return shortly to 
 continue his harangue.. More than half an hour elapsed 
 before he returned, and to guard against more inter- 
 ruptions, we pulled an old wagon to the fore and fixed 
 it up in proper shape for him to continue his remarks. 
 
 Upon his arrival he was assisted by Sergeant Rice 
 and Lieutenant Brown to mount the newly made rostrum. 
 After apologizing for his abrupt departure, he continued 
 
86 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 his address as follows; "Ladies and Gentlemen: I am 
 ready for the worst if it must come. A brave man dies 
 but once, whilst the coward dies every time danger 
 approaches. There is no use of being timid nor chicken- 
 hearted in the present cause. I do not encourage cruelty, 
 but we must stand firmly together to defend our rights 
 and protect our families and firesides. (Cheers). "For 
 my part I want to emphatically' say that no invader can 
 leave his moccasin track on my thershold, nor disturb 
 the peace of my household until he has crossed over all 
 that is mortal of Capt. Milligan. Do you think that I 
 would sit silently and submissively by and see him shoot 
 down the old family watch-dog, work him up into bouil- 
 lion, and eat his repast in the shadow of my "sorghum 
 stack." I say, No! a thousand times, No! I would prefer 
 to meet their leader in single combat on the open prairie 
 and when I had driven him from the field of battle, follow 
 him to his tepee, destroy his totempole, tear his wampum 
 belt from his body and carry it away as a trophy of the 
 expedition." (Tumultuous applause.) 
 
 As it was getting rather late, and many had long dis- 
 tances to travel before reaching home, the Capt. closed 
 his harange, thanking them for their attention and as- 
 suring them that their interests were his interests, and 
 that he was willing to go to extreme lengths to defend 
 their rights, and homes. 
 
 In a few days we received word that the Governor 
 had instructed Adjutent General Npble to proceed to 
 Dodge City and thence to Crooked Creek where he was 
 to receive the oath of allegiance of the colonists, and de- 
 liver the guns and ammunition, and give us such instruc- 
 tions as he deemed necessary for us in our line of duty. 
 On the following Thursday he arrived and went through 
 the formality of enlisting us and delivering to us the 
 weapons of war. Henceforth we were full-fledged mem- 
 bers of the Kansas State Militia. After turning over to 
 us the arms and ammunition, he delivered a short talk 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 87 
 
 in which he instructed us in our duties to the State and 
 to one another. 
 
 When the arms were distributed, it was found that 
 there was a surplus left, which came in handy to shoot 
 antelope with afterwards. These guns, in the meantime, 
 were left in charge of Lieut. Brown. The Adjutant-Gen- 
 eral then bade us good-bye and departed for home. 
 
 AVc immediately set to work to provide for our de- 
 fense. After some deliberation, we concluded to provide a 
 fortification in which to place the women and children and 
 all those who might happen to be in the neighborhood in 
 the time of danger. As funds were lacking, and rock, or 
 timber was not to be had, we decided to build it of sod. 
 The following Saturday was the day set aside to vote on 
 the proper location of our future fortification. On the ap- 
 pointed day, all assembled. They expressed their wil- 
 lingness and eagerness to do anything to further the 
 project. One thing each one was determined on was to 
 have it built as near his claim as possible. It did not 
 take long to arrive at a conclusion regarding the position 
 in which the fort was to be built. As it was impossible 
 to satisfy everybody, we abandoned the project entirely, 
 and it was further decided that each one was to take his 
 share of the guns and ammunition and take care of him- 
 self. Another subject that gave us much concern was the 
 matter of drilling. The adjutant had told us to become 
 familiar with the use of the arms, to meet at least once 
 a week and drill to render ourselves fit for duty. When 
 the time arrived for our first lesson in the "manual of 
 arms," it was found that there was not a man present 
 who knew anything about it. The old scouts who were 
 present, knew all about how to ride a horse, and to lie 
 down in a buffalo wallow and take a shot at an Indian 
 if one came in sight, and they were, besides, first class 
 hands at discovering watering places and the like, but 
 in the matter of drill they were entirely unsophisticated. 
 Even Capt. Milligan, if he ever knew anything about the 
 matter, declared 'he had forgotten it entirely. He felt 
 
88 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 sure, however, that it would be impossible to perform the 
 proper manoeuvers with those short-barreled guns, and 
 that if the Governor would send some with long barrels 
 that he would be right at home in the matter. As no 
 one seemed capable of conducting the class, we settled 
 the difficulty in the same manner as we did that of the 
 fort, by abandoning it also. It was unanimously agreed 
 that in case of trouble, each should go to the aid of his 
 neighbor if assistance were needed. This was very satis- 
 factory for me especially, as I was fortunate in the pos- 
 session of splendid neighbors, Sergeant Rice living on 
 one side of me, and First Lieut. Brown on the other. Both 
 were possessed of abundant fighting material at all times, 
 and knew how to use it in an emergency. 
 
 Things seemed to drag along in the usual way, every- 
 body settling down to his own affairs and everything 
 would have gone along tranquilly enough were it not for 
 the numerous cowboys passing through the settlement, 
 spreading reports as they went, that the Indians were 
 mixing war medicine and would shortly make a descent 
 upon the palefaces. It was a source of great delight to 
 them to stampede the settlers by disquieting reports, and 
 then have a good laugh about it. Their efforts at fun 
 kept the settlers in a state of ferment. 
 
 It happened that Capt. Milligan's claim was located 
 on the south side of the settlement and nearest to the 
 Indian Territory. As he was rather nervous and always 
 on the alert, he kept inquiring continuously of the cow- 
 boys, of the possibility of an Indian raid, and, of course, 
 they filled his anxious ear with war news. Nearly every 
 other day I noticed the Captain calling 011 either Sergeant 
 Rice or Lieutenant Brown, and as he had to make a ride 
 of ten miles or so to make the visit, I concluded that 
 there was some significance to these numerous calls. How- 
 ever, as they were my superior officers, I did not feel at 
 liberty to make any inquiries about the Captain's fre- 
 quent visits. I did not have to curb my curiosity very 
 long before acquiring the desired information. In a few 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 89 
 
 days I saw the Captain riding up in my direction on his 
 old bald-faced horse and could see at a glance that his 
 arrival was something of importance as he was riding 
 straight up in his saddle with as much dignity as it was 
 possible for one horse to carry. Upon his near approach 
 I felt that I must do something to acknowledge the pres- 
 ence of my captain. Not being versed in military eti- 
 quette, I doffed my Stetson hat. As I was leaning against 
 the fence, with a spade in one hand and my hat in the 
 other, I realized that my appearance lacked something 
 of the military precision required in a subordinate, and 
 I apologized for my lack of training in the case. He dis- 
 mounted from his horse and condescended to shake hands 
 with me and said that the salute was only a matter of 
 form anyway; that he understood my position exactly; 
 that he was a recruit once himself; that on such occasions 
 as this he could overlook little technicalities of the kind, 
 but on the field of glory he would have to be more exact- 
 ing with his men. I then invited the Captain to take a 
 seat on a cottonwood log near at hand so that we could 
 discuss matters pertaining to the Company more at leis- 
 ure. I congratulated him on the choice of officers which 
 he had made. 
 
 "Yes," said he, "they are all good men and true, but 
 if I had it to do over again, I would try to have you act 
 as First Lieutenant of the Company. Brown is a good 
 man and a good scout and has seen some service with 
 the Indians, but he lacks aggressiveness. I want men 
 who are aggressive and who will go into battle as if they 
 are going to breakfast. By the way," he continued, "I 
 dropped over to see you and to leave orders for you to 
 go down into the Indian Territory and size up the situa- 
 tion. Find out if the Indians are in an ugly mood, and 
 if they are likely to make a raid in the near future. Then 
 report to me on your return and I will take some steps 
 in the direction that will be best for all concerned. The 
 cowboys have been circulating some reports concerning 
 an intended raid, but I do not know whether any cred- 
 
90 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 ence is to be placed in them or not. Consequently I de- 
 cided to come over to see you and send you down to look 
 the field over, and then I would feel more satisfied, and 
 know just what action to take in the matter." 
 
 I asked the Captain how he expected me to go down 
 there, and who would bear the expense of my journey. 
 
 4 'Oh, said he, "you can take your own horse, and I 
 suppose the State will be responsible for any bills y'ou 
 make whilst under my orders." I then asked him what 
 I should do for food for myself as well as for my horse. 
 A broad smile lit up his countenance and he replied, 
 "Don't you know that the cowmen will be more than 
 pleased to have a soldier stop at their ranches for the 
 feeling of security his presence will engender? Your 
 board and horse-feed will not have to be considered at 
 all. You can go to the B-S ranch, the Doc Day ranch, 
 the Y. L. ranch or the Driscoll ranch, and they will re- 
 ceive you with open arms. I can assure you that no 
 charges will be even mentioned." 
 
 During this short interview I discovered a nigger in 
 the Captain's wood-pile. The fact was that the cowboys 
 had him half scared to death by telling him all kinds of 
 Indian war stories. The particular reason he had in call- 
 ing on me, was to have me go down to the Territory, and 
 if I was not scalped while on my mission, and if I found 
 that the Indians were really going on the warpath, I 
 should report to him without delay so that he might be 
 able to withdraw his precious(?) person from the zone 
 of danger and escape to Fort Dodge. I told the Captain 
 that lie was somewhat mistaken in the estimate a cow- 
 man places on a soldier as a means of defense where the 
 Indians were concerned. I assured him that I had learned 
 their personal views on the subject, and they had arrived 
 at the conclusion that the soldier was a detriment and 
 an encumbrance to them in case of trouble with the In- 
 dians, and, moreover, they felt quite capable of taking 
 care of themselves in times of danger from such sources. 
 I went on to tell him that if he were anxious to ha^e 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 91 
 
 an investigation of conditions made, he might come over 
 to my place in a day or so and we would go down to- 
 gether and make the inquiries proper to the occasion, 
 and that I would feel safer with him than if I were 
 alone. I immediately saw that the Captain was getting 
 an attack of what the hunters call "buck-ague." "Thun- 
 der and turf," he exclaimed, "I cannot go. I am subject 
 to orders from the Governor, and I should be in a queer 
 fix if I were called to duty in some other part of the 
 State while I was down in the Territory. However, I can 
 order Corporal Copeland to go with you." I told him 
 that the Corporal had no horse, and it would not be right 
 to send him on foot. I also informed him that he would 
 have to look around and make some other arrangements, 
 as my horse was too old, and his knee was sprung from 
 roping cattle, so that an Indian war horse could catch 
 him without any trouble. Conditions being such, I t-'iii 
 him I did not think I would go. "What!" he shouted, 
 "you do not mean to disobey orders!" His eyes bulged 
 out until they looked like old English watches, and his 
 chest measurement seemed to increase perceptibly. 
 He jumped up from his seat on the log and started for 
 his horse, saying on his way, "If you persist in disobeying 
 orders, I shall be forced to disarm you and court-martial 
 you for insubordination." "Well," said I, "you will 
 raise the deuce court-martialing me, when there is only 
 five or six members of the Company who can read or 
 write and they are all on my side." I heard nothing 
 more from the Captain for several days. Finally I re- 
 ceived a letter from him telling me that he had written 
 to the Governor regarding my disobedience. I replied 
 to his message, saying that if the Governor was as 
 tardy intaking action on my case as he was in sciiding 
 arms and ammunition, I should die of old age before the 
 matter would be adjusted. I also informed him that I 
 had received word that the Indians would be in )ur 
 neighborhood in a few days, and that he should see to 
 it that means were taken* for our defense. Next day I 
 
92 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 received another note from him in which he told me that 
 he had changed his attitude toward me, and that I should 
 call on Sergeant Rice and Lieutenant Brown and tell 
 them to report to him for duty at once, and I was to ac- 
 company them. The message I received by special deliv- 
 ery. I made a visit up the creek to see ray mends, Rice 
 and Brown, and reported the change that had taken 
 place in the Captain's attitude, and also showed them 
 his request and instructions, asking at the same time 
 their opinions on the matter. Brown *epliod, 'O pshaw, 
 Jtbat does not am.) iut to anything. Those cowboys over 
 on Sand Creek have the old Captain about frightened to 
 death, and I think we had better remain where we are. 
 There's not an Indian in the country, and I do not think 
 there will be." We acted on Brown's suggestion and re- 
 mained where we were. 
 
 At this time the cowmen were holding their Spring 
 round-up on Sand Creek, to cut out and take back to 
 their ranches the cattle that had drifted off during the 
 winter, besides branding the calves before turning them 
 loose again on the range. There were about one hundred 
 cow-punchers at the round rin, al' well mounted and well 
 armed. Each man had from three to live horses in his 
 mount, all in good shape because they had been grain fed 
 for the occasion. Their arms consisted of Winchesters 
 and six-shooters. There had been so many rumors circu- 
 lated about the possibility of an Indian raid that all went 
 prepared for any emergency. One day while they were 
 all lying around awaiting the arrival of the round-up 
 herds from the Southeast, a happy thought ocurred to 
 them to put to the test the bravery of Captain Milligan, 
 of which they had heard much, thinking at the same time 
 to have some sport at his expense. They formed a com- 
 pany of about thirty, dressed up like Indians, or near 
 enough to the real thing to be mistaken for them at a 
 distance. The leader was fitted witn a rod saddle blanket 
 decorated with sage brush for a war bonnet, with a few 
 cat tails for plumes. He looked mora like a grizzly bear 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 93 
 
 than an Indian, but his appearance was well calculated 
 to strike terror into the heart of any civilized human 
 being, especially when everyone was looking for trouble 
 from such a source anyway. The rest of the crowd 
 dressed up as each saw fit, carrying their hats inside 
 their shirts so as to travel bareheaded after the Indian 
 fashion. When all was ready they took a direct route 
 for Captain Milligan's place. They all knew how to ren- 
 der the Cheyenne war whoop when the proper time ar- 
 rived, and the leader rode along at a moderate pace 
 chanting his war song. They came to a halt to decide 
 whether they should burn him alive, or capture him and 
 hold him for ransom. One man said it was useless to hold 
 him for any ransom as he knew most of the company, 
 and as for burning him alive, he did not think there was 
 a cow-puncher in the crowd that would waste time nec- 
 essary to gather chips for the sacrifice. In the meantime 
 the chief kept ranging around and waving is hands, 
 keeping his war bonnet as much in evidence as posible. 
 They moved up to a position within about a quarter of a 
 mile of the Captain's house and then gave a war whoop. 
 By this time the object of the joke became aware of 
 their presence and felt his peril keenly. He aide i c^ash 
 for his corral where he kept a little, old, notch- eared, 
 sore-backed pony that he always kept saddled for any 
 emergency. To say that he went rapidly, is putting it 
 mildly he fairly flew. When he got started the Indians ( ? ) 
 made a rush to capture him, firing at him in the mean- 
 while. They remained a safe distance behind so as to be 
 sure not to capture him, but kept up the shouting and 
 whooping for about two miles. The Captain took the 
 shortest course to Fort Dodge, and the cowboys returned 
 to camp laughing heartily at th'e brave man's flight. 
 
 When the Captain had made about five miles of his 
 hasty retreat, he happened upon one of his neighbors, 
 Mike O'Shea, who had begun to dig a well. As he passed 
 in his headlong flight he shouted to Mike, "Tell Rice 
 and Brown they are here, and I am going to Fort Dodge 
 
94 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 for relief and succor." He was in too great a hurry to 
 stop and explain the cause of his excitement, and as 
 Mike explained it afterwards, lie said he thought he was 
 going for a "thafe and sucker" or something of the kind, 
 or maybe it was "relafe and supper, or something like 
 that." He also noticed that the Captain's horse was al- 
 most out of breath, and the gentleman himself was vory 
 much excited. 
 
 Whilst Rice and Brown were interviewing Mike, an- 
 other man came along and stated that he had seen the 
 Captain about ten miles north, and he reported having 
 had an engagement with the Indians that day at his claim, 
 and said that he had stood them off until they had retired. 
 As he was about out of ammunition at the time of their 
 departure, he took advantage of their retreat 'o make 
 his way to Fort Dodge for relief and succor. He -.'id not 
 say how many he had killed, but maintained that he had 
 a very' narrow escape. 
 
 I suppose, if Captain Milligan is alive today, he does 
 not fail to tell of the time he stood off five hundred Chey- 
 enne Indians, single-handed and alone, and how, after 
 driving them off, he beat them to Fort Dodge in quest of 
 aid. 
 
 A few days after the encounter with the supposed 
 Indians, Lieutenant Brown received the following note 
 from the Captain: 
 
 Fort Dodge, Kansas, April ,7.9. 
 Lieutenant Brown: 
 
 Dear Comrade : I am in receipt of a telegram from 
 the Governor, ordering me to go at once to Topeka, to 
 take charge of the strike-breakers. The railroad em- 
 ployees have gone out on a strike, and it will take the 
 strong arm of the militia to hold them in check. Sell my 
 land and all my effects, and forward the proceeds to r uy 
 address, which will be, State Capitol, Topeka. 
 
 Yours in command, Captain Milligan. 
 
 P. S. Regards to all the comrades. 
 
 Thus terminated the war of 1879. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 A New Venture. Hard Times. The Territory, Etc. 
 
 For three years, from 1879 to 1882, it seemed as if the 
 very elements had conspired to render the attempt at 
 settling Western Kansas futile. The continuous drouth, 
 together with the hot winds, made any attempt at farm- 
 ing discouraging. As a consequence a great many settlers 
 sold their holdings for what they could get for them, and 
 returned to their former place of abode. The gathering 
 of buffalo bones, which had been their chief source of 
 subsistence during that trying time, was beginning to fail 
 owing to the great number engaged in the business, and 
 the distance they had to be hauled and the ever receding 
 base of supply. Many abandoned the work entirely, and 
 the few that remained actively engaged in that occupa- 
 tion found themselves daily meeting greater difficulties. 
 The scarcity of the supply became so great that they 
 would often be compelled to go a hundred miles or more 
 to gather a load, haul them to the nearest trail, and then 
 transfer them to some freighter on the way to Dodge 
 City, the only market for them in the country. To make 
 the exchange and have them taken to market usually re- 
 quired a division of the profits, and one can easily imag- 
 ine what a small share was left for the original collector 
 when the goods were sold. No matter how small the 
 profit, on this the gatherer had to subsist as well as sup- 
 ply his family with necessaries during his absence. There 
 was hardly sufficient remuneration in the work to obtain 
 the plainest of provisions. 
 
 To the young people of America who may perhaps 
 be reading this little story of the early settlement of the 
 West, in the comfortable surroundings of their own cozy 
 homes, I will say that they know little of the price paid 
 
96 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 to make such conditions possible. I have frequently seen, 
 on the top of a wagon loaded with bones, a gunny sack 
 containing the skeleton of a man, that had been picked 
 up by some freighter or some cowman or some settler, 
 and put in the sack to be taken to Dodge City for burial. 
 That gunny sack contained a sermon as well as a skele- 
 ton. It told of the certainty of death as well as of the 
 uncertainty of life. It told the reason why father, moth- 
 er, Mary, Ellen and Julia never received a reply to their 
 last letter, written to John, Jake or Jim, marked on the 
 lower left-hand corner, "In haste, please," to be sure of 
 prompt delivery. Quite likely, when the poor old mother 
 would be grieving over the long disappointment, the girls 
 would encourage her by saying, "Oh, that is one of his 
 pranks. He is just waiting until we are all quite lone- 
 some, and then he will come rushing in upon us to take 
 us by surprise." He has never returned, but the family 
 still keeps alive the glimmer of hope that nickers in the 
 human breast, that they will all meet again, somewhere. 
 
 Confronted with such conditions as mentioned above, 
 with no indications of any relaxation of the drouth that 
 was compelling even the big ranchmen to look around 
 for water, we saw a very gloomy outlook for the future. 
 
 After weighing the matter carefully, I decided to 
 make a change in my business affairs. I took into my 
 confidence a cow-puncher named Bill Wagner, who is 
 now living in Meade, Kans. Having fully discussed the 
 situation from all points, we determined to embark to- 
 gether on a course that would at least promise us some 
 profit from the undertaking. We made up our minds to 
 go down into the Territory and trade with the cattlemen 
 who were coming N,orth with their herds from Texas, on 
 their way to Montana or Wyoming, either to sell or turn 
 loose to graze on the Northern range. We rounded up a 
 few saddle horses, among which was my old favorite 
 Jimmy, and set out for Dodge City to purchase the sup- 
 plies necessary for the journey. I also wanted to deposit 
 some money and dispose of some mules that I would not 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 97 
 
 need on my trip. On my arrival at Dodge City I formed 
 the acquaintance of James Langton, who introduced me 
 to a Mr. R. M. Wright, of the firm of Wright, Beverly & 
 Co., who were engaged in a Wholesale Supply business. 
 I found Mr. Wright one of the most genial men with 
 whom I ever did business. Having previously sold my 
 mules, I deposited my money with the firm I was intro- 
 duced to. I told Mr. W. that I intended to go down into 
 the Territory on a trading expedition. I explained to 
 him that the cattlemen would be on the trail, and as there 
 were no stores to be found between the Red river on the 
 North line of Tex(as and where we were then standing, 
 there would be a good opportunity to trade provisions 
 for some cattle that had become sore-footed on the way, 
 with a good profit for me. He agreed with me that it was 
 a golden opportunity, and added as an encouragement, 
 "You will do well, if the Indians do not scalp you in 
 the meantime." I replied that as conditions existed on 
 Crooked Creek, a man would be no worse off dead in the 
 Territory than living where I had been. I saw very little 
 difference. 
 
 I loaded my wagon with what goods I thought would 
 be most in demand by the cattlemen. I selected a con- 
 siderable quantity of tobacco, bacon, baking powder, 
 canned goods of several kinds, a coil of rope, cartridges 
 of different calibre, coffee, sugar, and some other things 
 all necessary on the trail. I also bought a tent and 
 cooking outfit. The latter consisted of a coffee-pot, skil- 
 let, frying-pan, coffee-mill, six knives and forks, six tin 
 plates, six cups and saucers, the latter of tin, in order to 
 provide against the possibility of our having some com- 
 pany on the road. By the time I had my trading done, 
 Wagner was ready and waiting. We hitched up and 
 pulled across the river, where we encamped for the night. 
 Part of the horses we hobbled, and two we kept picketed 
 in order to guard against being left on foot the next 
 morning if anything should stampede our stock during 
 the night. When the stock had been cared for, we pro- 
 
98 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 ceeded to make arrangements for ourselves, and while 
 Wagner cooked the flapjacks I was looking around for 
 sleeping accommodations, as it was difficult to find a 
 place level enough to suit the purpose. The making of 
 our beds did not cost much effort, but one had to guard 
 against sand-burrs, cactus, tarantulas, rattlesnakes and 
 centipedes. 
 
 The next morning found us up early after a good 
 sound sleep, and hustling around to get ready for the first 
 clay of our new venture. When we had tended to the 
 wants of the stock and ourselves, we hitched up and 
 started off at a slow pace, as the team was not accus- 
 tomed to the heavy work, and it would take some time 
 for them to become inured to the hardship of the trail. 
 Out across Five Mile Creek and up the divide along the 
 old Camp Supply route until we reached the sumniit, we 
 made our toilsome way. We reached the apex about noon 
 time and halted for dinner. After giving the horses a 
 good rest, we proceeded on our way, and as our route 
 now lay down grade we made better time. Evening found 
 us at Mulberry Creek, where Johnny Glenn and Dutch 
 Pete kept a road ranch. This roadside caravansary 
 served as a halting place for the stage coach, and fur- 
 nished refreshments for passengers when needed. As 
 there was a good camping ground there, we unhitched 
 and turned the horses out to graze and made preparations 
 for our own accommodation. When we had eaten sup- 
 per, we brought the horses in for the night, and then 
 after chatting and smoking for some time we turned in 
 for a good night's rest. Early morning found us on our 
 way again towards the South. We kept rumbling along 
 until we reached the division point of the stage line, 
 where horses were changed by the driver, P. G. Rey- 
 nolds. This location, I believe, is not very far from 
 where the present town of Ashland, county seat of Clark 
 county, is situated. Here we stopped and had dinner at 
 what was called the Widow Brown ranch. From this 
 place we proceeded down the Bear Creek trail and reach- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 99 
 
 ed the Cimmaron River that same evening. The river 
 being up, we could not cross, and we camped on the 
 North bank not far from where an old German namqd 
 Clem maintained a road ranch. The river as I said was 
 full, and this may seem strange, as it had not rained in 
 this section for more than three months. The cause of 
 the rise lay in the fact that there had been considerable 
 rain in Colorado. This added to the snow melting on 
 the mountains made the river rise to its full capacity. 
 Here we had to remain for three days, waiting till the 
 waters would subside enough to permit a crossing. We 
 were not the only ones that met with an obstacle in our 
 progress by the river's behavior, but it proved a boon 
 to us as well as adding to our store of knowledge. On the 
 other bank of the river were cowpunchers with their 
 herds waiting to cross also. It was amusing and instruc- 
 tive to us to watch them in their efforts to induce the 
 leaders of the herds to take to the water. When a 
 puncher succeeded in getting the leaders into the stream, 
 he would ride or swim his pony alongside of them to 
 keep them from milling, or drifting down the river. It 
 was very exciting to watch those herds crossing the 
 swollen stream with the cowboys yelling and whooping 
 among them. It seemed as if pandemonium had taken a 
 holiday. By the time the last of the herds had crossed, 
 the river had subsided somewhat, and we pulled over to 
 the opposite side without any great difficulty. It was 
 with a sigh of relief we reached the solid footing on the 
 other bank. 
 
 Then we were in the Territory and bade farewell to 
 civilization until we returned to the North bank of Cim- 
 maron River. We left the Camp Supply trail and went 
 Southward to the old Custer trail, which was being used 
 by the cowmen at that time. We did not stop at noon 
 time, but kept on our way, intending to make a short 
 drive and camp where the grass had not been eaten off 
 by the trail herds, and where there was a supply of water 
 for our stock. About four o'clock in the afternoon we 
 
100 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 found a satisfactory location and went into cainp. We 
 turned the horses loose to graze. They needed it, as they 
 had been living on rather short rations since we had 
 started on our jaunt. For ourselves, we built a fire of 
 cow-chips and made out a supper on bacon and flapjacks. 
 This done, we looked over our outfit and made what re- 
 pairs were necessary for the next day's drive. Every- 
 thing being attended to, as security demanded, we turned 
 in for the night, intending to make a permanent location 
 the next day. As this was my first night in the Territory, 
 I must say that I felt very lonesome. It was a fine moon- 
 light night, and the stars seemed to flicker and dance for 
 my special benefit. I could see the handiwork of the 
 Great Creator all over the firmament as far as the eye 
 could reach, and my admiration for the beauty of the 
 planetary system was unbounded. When I arose in the 
 morning and threw the saddle on my old favorite pony, 
 Jimmie, to get an idea of the lay of the land, things 
 seemed to look different. When I had returned to camp 
 after my survey of the neighborhood, I had come to the 
 conclusion from the general appearance of the country 
 and the great contrast with what I had viewed from my 
 bed at the wagon, that some Spirit of Evil had been 
 brooding over things in general, and while in that mood 
 had laid the country round about in waste, and Nature 
 was doing her best to restore it to its primitive beauty. 
 We travelled that day until we discovered what we con- 
 sidered an ideal spot to locate our store. It was not 
 far from the trail, and there was plenty of good grass and 
 water for our stock. We set to work to arrange things 
 for our purpose, and it was not long before we had things 
 in shape to do business. Our tent-store was, fortunately, 
 placed about half a mile from where the cowmen used to 
 halt and bed down their herds for the night. The pres- 
 ence of those men served the purpose of breaking the 
 monotony of our surroundings, for it was a pleasure to 
 hear them singing as they rode around their herds at 
 night to render them quiet and keep them from drifting 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 101 
 
 off during the night. Not only did they help to pass 
 away the time for us, but it gave us an opportunity to do 
 a little business also. 
 
 When we had located and arranged things to our 
 satisfaction, we spent some time riding around looking 
 over the situation and conjecturing the prospects. We 
 found very few range cattle in our vicinity, which I af- 
 terwards learned was due to the fact that the ranchers 
 kept their cattle away from the trail so that they would 
 not become mixed with those on the drive, or become in- 
 fected with the Texas or splenic fever. For the purpose 
 of effecting this, they maintained men along the trail 
 to turn back any range cattle that showed a tendency to 
 wander in the direction of the through herds. During 
 our ride we killed a brace of wild turkeys, and this gave 
 us a welcome change from the monotony of rusty bacon. 
 
 Things did not look very prosperous as yet, and I 
 began to think that I had made my journey to no pur- 
 pose, and would likely have to haul my load back to 
 Kansas again. While in this frame of mind, and not 
 being very cheerful over it, sitting in the shade of my 
 tent, a man rode up to my emporium of commerce. We 
 passed the usual salutations and had a chat. In the midst 
 of our conversation he informed me that lie had met a 
 man who would likely purchase some of my wares. I 
 could hardly realize the gist of his remark, as it was such 
 a surprise, although I was there for the purpose of sell- 
 ing goods. I managed to recover from the shock with 
 considerable alacrity, and invited him into my tent. He 
 looked over my stock of goods, and before he left me he 
 had purchased more than half of it, and gave in payment 
 an order on Wright & Beverly. He said that his herd would 
 be along in the evening, and he would have the grub 
 wagon load up the purchases. 
 
 That evening the herd came along, and as the place 
 was the bedding ground for the through herds, they made 
 the necessary preparations for putting in the night. When 
 the cowpunchers had eaten supper, they came over to our 
 
102 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 tent to purchase supplies of tobacco and cartridges. As 
 there was nothing else to do, and as we had been getting 
 rather lonesome in our retired place, we spent the even- 
 ing agreeably, spinning yarns, relating experiences of the 
 trail, etc. In the meantime the grub wagon arrived and 
 was loaded with the goods purchased earlier in the day. 
 Before bidding us good night, the boys invited us to take 
 breakfast with them on the following morning. We ac- 
 cepted, and shortly after daybreak we heard the cook's 
 cheerful announcement that "chuekaway 1 " was ready. 
 As the wagon was near our tent we did not have far to 
 go, and before we reached it all hands were up and 
 dressed and ready for the morning repast. We were 
 somewhat surprised to find that the cook had fried salt 
 bacon for the boys. In explanation of this he said that 
 they were tired of fresh meat. We were weary of salt 
 bacon, but good manners forbade our saying so, and we 
 did our share with as much gusto as possible. A little 
 fresh beef would have been much to our liking just then. 
 By the time breakfast was over, the horse wrangler had 
 arrived with the saddle stock. Ropes were stretched, one 
 from the front wheel and one from the rear wheel of the 
 wagon, and the horses driven in between them, where 
 each man roped his mount for the day. The cook and the 
 wrangler then attended to their own wants. After cov- 
 ering the camp-fires with soil to prevent the fire from 
 spreading over the prairie, they were ready to set out 
 on their long jaunt to Montana, or some other feeding 
 ground. We bade the boys good-bye and returned to 
 our store to await new arrivals. 
 
 As the business of the preceding day had been more 
 than I expected from the general survey of things when 
 I first arrived, I soon saw that if I had another customer 
 of the same dimensions of the first one, I would have 
 very little with which to do business. I determined to 
 send Bill to Dodge City for another load of provisions. 
 I made out a list of what I wanted, greased the wagon 
 and started him off. Under favorable conditions, he 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 103 
 
 should make the trip in about eight or ten days, but if 
 the roads became bad, it would require a much longer 
 time. Before he left I had him make a good store of bis- 
 cuits for me, as I was not able to turn out an article of 
 the kind that would coincide with the digestive powers 
 of any human being. I gave him strict orders, among 
 the other things, not to forget to bring something to read, 
 as there was nothing at hand for that purpose except a 
 Patent Medicine pamphlet, and I had read that so often 
 and so thoroughly that I had some of the symptoms of 
 seven different maladies that were therein pronounced 
 fatal. If I had been in the neighborhood of a drug store 
 at the time I should have bought a supply of the cure-all 
 regardless of results. Living as I was at the time, alone, I 
 escaped the consequences of both the cure-all and the dis- 
 eases mentioned in the pamphlet. When Bill was well on 
 his way, I meandered around into the tent and out again, 
 down to the creek and back again; in fact, I was just 
 like a stray colt, did not know where to go, nor what to 
 do. I soon discovered what my malady was. It was lone- 
 someness in its direst form. It settled on me like a fog 
 settling over a marsh. It penetrated my very being. Ev- 
 erywhere I went I could feel it. Whatever I saw seemed 
 tinged with it. I tried drinking strong coffee to drive It 
 out, but that was no avail, so I saddled old Jimmje and 
 took a ride over the prairie. On my way back to camp 
 I killed a wild gobbler, thus providing myself with fresh 
 meat. The cleaning and cooking of my prize relieved the 
 monotony a trifle. I don't know whether I cooked him 
 according to the recipe in the latest cook book published, 
 but in any case he tasted fine. My pony seemed to realize 
 how lonely I was, for whenever I went out of my tent he 
 endeavored to come to me, and strained at his rope to 
 approach as near as possible. I went over to him and he 
 put his head on my shoulder and seemed to say, "It's all 
 right, Dennis, Bill will be back in a few days and then 
 you will have company. In the meantime I shall try to 
 keep you from becoming too lonesome." Needless to 
 
104 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 say, I put in considerable time with old Jimmie, currying 
 him and fixing his water and feed in the best manner 
 possible. I loved old Jimmie, for he was my friend. I 
 knew not at what hour, nor what moment, my life would 
 depend on his fidelity, and I knew that I could rely 
 upon him to the last breath. 
 
 One day followed another without any perceptible 
 difference between one and the other. In my surroundings 
 I lost track of the time. I was longing for the return of 
 my partner, and continued to picture the progress of his 
 journey, where he was, what he was doing, etc. I felt 
 like Robinson Crusoe, and in some respects his plight 
 was more endurable than mine. He declared himself the 
 monarch of all he surveyed, and his right there was none 
 to dispute. Not so would he have issued his declaration 
 if he were living in the Territory at the time, as his right 
 would likely be disputed by the first man that came 
 along, and as for there being a monarchy at the time, it 
 was not thinkable, at least under the conditions in which 
 I was living. 
 
 That was a time when every man was supposed to 
 remain silent about what he had heard, and have very 
 little to say about what he saw. Horse stealing had be- 
 come quite an industry at the time, and was carried on 
 by bands of outlaws between Arkansas, Missouri and 
 Colorado. As there was no telephone, telegraph or mail 
 facilities, they were comparatively free from detection, 
 especially as they travelled through the most unfrequent- 
 ed parts of the country. Their route brought them 
 through the section where I was camped. One day I saw 
 five of them coming in my direction, attracted by the 
 sight of my tent. When they arrived where I was sitting, 
 I invited them to dismount and come into my tent. They 
 did so. They inquired if I had any tobacco, and I told 
 them that was one of the commodities I was dealing in 
 at the time. As that was all they wanted, they bought 
 several pounds and then prepared to depart. I invited 
 them to remain to dinner and they accepted the invita- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 105 
 
 tion. When they had consented to be my guests, I told 
 them I had everything to make a first-class meal, but 
 was short on biscuits, and could not make them as I did 
 not know how, and I said I would be pleased if one of 
 them would make them. One of them remarked, "Now, 
 Jack, there is a jo bfor you." I pulled out a sack of flour, 
 a can of baking powder, gave one of them the coffee mill 
 to grind some coifee, took a bucket and started for the 
 creek for a pail of fresh water. The rest of them busied 
 themselves building a fire of cowchips, and things began 
 to take on the appearance of home. When Jack had his 
 biscuits ready, I brought out my select assortment of tin- 
 ware, passed around plates, knives, forks and whatever 
 else was necessary, and we all set to work with a gusto. 
 The gobbler, biscuits and other edibles did not last long, 
 as each of us seemed to have a first-class appetite. While 
 eating and joking at the same time, I told them of the 
 reason of my asking them to remain for dinner, namely, 
 that I was out of biscuits and that I was tired of living 
 on crackers, and I knew there would be some one in the 
 crowd who would be able to make them. I saw, besides, 
 that their horses were jaded, and told them they might as 
 well remain for a time to rest their stock. In all my 
 joking and talking with them I took particular care not 
 to ask them whence they came, nor whither they were 
 going, nor what their business was in that part of the 
 country, as that would be the height of impropriety. Af- 
 ter we had chatted for a considerable time, they took the 
 saddles off their horses, picketed one or two, and turned 
 the others loose to graze. My loneliness was fast disap- 
 pearing as the result of companionship of my fellowmen, 
 even if they were a gang of horse thieves, and as a result 
 I began to feel better and things began to wear a differ- 
 ent aspect. I recalled a statement made by some one 
 that it was not good for man to be alone, and I found it 
 true, and made a resolution that I would never be left 
 alone again in the future. 
 
 That night I saddled up old Jimrnie, and taking one 
 
106 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 of my visitors, went out in search of some wild turkeys. 
 I 'had previously seen a flock in the neighborhood, and 
 had a fairly good idea of where they were roosting. As 
 soon as the moon had come up we began looking around 
 among the trees that grew along the bank of the creek, 
 and to our great delight discovered a few. We secured 
 two of them and returned to camp. Next morning, Jack, 
 who had been delegated to cook for us during his visit, 
 was up and had the game dressed in the most approved 
 fashion, and had also turned out a new supply of biscuits. 
 When I rolled out of my blanket I discovered that my 
 company was made up of early and energetic risers, and 
 I was delighted to know that the cook had done so well, 
 and showed my appreciation later. The rest of the group 
 had gone off in search of their stock, and were then re- 
 turing. Breakfast was ready by that time, and we all set 
 to without much preliminary apology for poor appetites, 
 for we had good ones. The service was rather plain; a 
 tomato can served the purpose of a sugar bowl, a sardine 
 can for a salt cellar, and other utensils were provided in 
 the same manner. During the meal one of the boys 
 asked me which was the best way through No Man's Land 
 to Colorado. I divined immediately that they were horse 
 thieves, for I had only a suspicion of it before. I gave 
 him some kind of an answer, and I do not know whether 
 it proved satisfactory to them or not. Breakfast being- 
 attended to and the dishes washed and put away, they 
 made preparations for departure. They thanked me for 
 my kindness and assured me that they would be glad to 
 meet me at any time or place. When they had gone I 
 began to feel the loss of company again, but I also began 
 to realize the danger I had encountered owing to their 
 brief stay, for if a posse of officers had happened along 
 while they were my guests, it would have been hard for 
 me to explain my compromising position. As it is usually 
 the innocent bystander that gets hurt, 1 suppose I should 
 have been the one to suffer, as there would have been 
 some very warm work for a while. There was one thing 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 107 
 
 impressed itself on my mind very much during the stay 
 of my visitors, and that was the absence of vulgar or 
 profane language. That went to prove that they had 
 had good training by good parents who would have been 
 proud of their personality, though they could not ap- 
 prove of their occupation. 
 
 When they had gone over the hill on their way, I 
 thought I would improve my time by writing a few let- 
 ters. I improvised a table for the purpose by bringing 
 into service a cracker-box. The remainder of my office 
 fixtures were in keeping with my desk. However, I was 
 not ashamed of my surroundings, and sat down to write 
 with all the dignity of an Indian chief sitting in council. 
 It dawned upon me suddenly that it might be weeks be- 
 fore I would have an opportunity to post them, and as I 
 was doing it to ward off another attack of lonesomeness, 
 I decided that a good walk over the surrounding neigh- 
 borhood would serve the purpose as well. In my travels 
 I discovered a cloud of dust rising on the horizon, and 
 came to the conclusion that there was another herd com- 
 ing along the trail, and it would only be a matter of a few 
 hours before they would arrive at the regular halting 
 place. I returned to camp and made out a lunch from 
 the remnants of the breakfast, and then saddled old Jim- 
 mie and set out to meet the oncoming herd. I wanted to 
 get acquainted with them as much as circumstances 
 would permit, find out if they had any lame cattle they 
 thought would be unable to make the journey to Dakota, 
 Montana, or wherever they were going, and what would 
 be the possibilities of a trade. If they would not ask too 
 much I felt that I could make a little money by doctoring 
 them myself and disposing of them afterward. When I 
 came up to the cowmen they seemed to look at me with 
 suspicion, as they did not expect to find a white man in 
 that section of the country. When I explained to the fore- 
 man the nature of my business in that part of the Ter- 
 ritory, he seemed very much pleased to meet me, and to 
 know that I was selling goods that fre needed, as lie had 
 
108 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 not had a chew of tobacco since he had left the Red 
 River, nor lard enough to grease a skillet. I looked over 
 the herd and made an estimate of the number of lame 
 cattle they had. I rode back to my camp thinking over 
 the situation, and when they arrived later I figured up 
 what I was willing to pay for the lame and footsore 
 cattle they had in the group. As soon as they arrived, 
 the foreman rode over to my tent to look at the goods I 
 had in stock. He purchased about what I had remaining 
 after the previous sale. While talking on things in gen- 
 eral he remarked that he would have to remain where he 
 was for a day or so in order to let the stock rest, as he 
 had driven them rather rapidly owing to the fact that 
 the Comanches were troublesome to him while he was 
 passing through their reservation, and he had to hasten 
 along in order to get away from them. That determination 
 to rest was as pleasing to me as it was to the cowpunch- 
 ers, and the cattle showed it was agreeable to them, as 
 they looked exhausted, which was inevitable after a long 
 and furious drive. I sauntered over to where the cow- 
 boys were gathered around the grub wagon, and soon 
 was on friendly terms with them as far as short acquaint- 
 ance would permit. I heard the cook complaining about 
 the dog, saying he would have to get rid of him as he 
 was always nosing into everything, and had become a 
 nuisance. I told him that I would gladly take him for 
 the sake of his company, and he was handed over to me. 
 I did not know that I was adding to my misfortunes or 
 afflictions when I received him, though I might have sus- 
 pected it from the ease with which the cook parted with 
 him. 
 
 Next morning found me riding around the herd in 
 company with the foreman, looking over the lame cattle, 
 or drags, as they called them. I examined them very care- 
 fully, and made a dicker for about fifteen head. He 
 agreed to have his men help me rope and brand them, to 
 cross out the road brand, and also hobble them and help 
 me doctor their sore feet. We built a fire to heat the 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 109 
 
 branding irons, and soon everything was ready for the 
 operation. I placed my brand upon them, a ladder on the 
 left side and a crop off the left ear. While the irons were 
 hot, I cauterized their sore feet, and applying tar and 
 turpentine, wrapped them up in gunny sacks and turned 
 them away from the herd to graze along the creek. Many 
 hands make light work, and we were through with our 
 task before noon. To complete the transaction, the fore- 
 man wrote out a bill of sale for me, giving a general de- 
 scription of the cattle and the road brands, signed it in 
 the presence of witnesses, and turned it over to me to 
 secure me against all claims for the stock I had pur- 
 chased. This being done, I wrote out a check for him, 
 and the sale was complete. I began to feel as though I 
 were somewhat of a cowman myself when I looked down 
 toward the creek to where my stock was grazing. I soon 
 found out that I had much to learn. 
 
 A Bill of Sale was necessary' in a cow country, and 
 it was my only protection against the claim of some other 
 cowman who might assert that the stock had broken 
 away from his herd in a storm, and might say that I had 
 caught and branded them. If the case were so, I might 
 not only have the cattle taken away from me, but I would 
 be lucky if they did not treat me as a cattle thief. But 
 with the Bill of Sale safely tucked away in the safety 
 deposit vault, which in this case was a cracker box, I felt 
 easy about the matter. 
 
 Our business being completed, we sat around chat- 
 ting and narrating experiences on the plains. Even this 
 palled 011 us after a time, and one of the boys, in order to 
 relieve the tedium of the delay, proposed a horse race. 
 That suggestion seemed to please them generally. The pro^ 
 posal was greeted with 'enthusiasm, but it was a difficult 
 matter to arrange the proper distance, or the amount of 
 the wager. I was asked if I would care to take part in 
 the race, and I replied that I could not say until I had 
 seen who and what I was to compete with. That morn- 
 ing I had noticed on my trip around the herd that their 
 
110 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 horses seemed pretty well jaded from their long trip 
 from San Antonio to the North side of the Territory, and 
 did not seem equal to a very long race. Just then one of 
 the boys came up with a bunch of horses, and one of them 
 was roped. They began to saddle him and one of the 
 boys asked, * ' Are you going to run old Pinkeye ? If you 
 are, I am willing to bet a dollar on him if Slim Jim rides 
 him." The boys continued to parley about what they 
 would and would not do, and finally they asked me to 
 match my horse against Pinkeye with Slim Jim for rider. 
 I consented to make the match if we could arrange the 
 preliminaries. I said I would ride a half mile or a quar- 
 ter mile dash, whichever they preferred. They asked 
 me who would ride my horse, and I remarked that I 
 thought I would perform that duty myself. A knowing 
 look and an incipient smile lighted up their countenances 
 when I volunteered my information. One of the wise ones 
 asked me where I came from, and I told him maidstone 
 Cross, Canada. Right there he set me down for a tender- 
 foot, and was out to have some sport with me. As far as 
 they were concerned the race was as good as won, and all 
 that remained was the shouting. Of course, we should 
 have to go through the formality of a race, but that was 
 of minor importance as far as the wager was concerned. 
 If ignorance is bliss, they had a right to be supremely 
 happy. They did not know that my pony, Old Jimmie, 
 had not missed a feed of grain during the past six months, 
 and likewise they were not aware of the fact that I had 
 handled horses all my life and had spent the preceding 
 four years on the plains. Yes, Jimmie was the dark horse 
 of the race, as he w r as in prime condition, and had just 
 enough ex'ercise for the past few weeks to keep him in 
 splendid shape. Of course the race looked bad for me, 
 as I weighed two hundred pounds and Slim about one 
 hundred and thirty. The odds seemed so much in favor 
 of Slim that I demanded twenty-five yards start for a 
 quarter of a mile race, and I wagered a side of bacon 
 against a three-year-old steer. We finally compromised 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 111 
 
 the matter by my being allowed twenty yards start, and 
 the bet to remain as it was. I saddled up Old Jimmie 
 and we then made the necessary measurements, starting 
 point, etc., in proper form. The signal for starting was 
 to be a shot from the foreman's gun. The crowd would 
 decide the winner, as they were to congregate at the win- 
 ning post. We drew up to the mark and announced that 
 all was ready. The gun flashed and we were off. When 
 about half the distance was traversed, I looked back and 
 discovered that Pinkeye was not making as good a run 
 as I expected, so I slackened my pace a trifle and crossed 
 the line a winner by about five yards, which would show 
 that Jim and Pinkeye had gained about fifteen yards in 
 the struggle. Then the air was rent with shouts and 
 whoops for the victor. Roars of laughter followed one 
 another at Jim's discomfiture, and he came in for some 
 real joshing. "Oh, shucks! Jim, you can't ride and Pink- 
 eye can't run fast enough to catch a milch cow. Next 
 time you ought to race with a bull train." 
 
 After the first round of excitement and merriment 
 had subsided, they proposed another race for the same 
 wager. They wanted to make it an even start, but I 
 would not agree to that, but they finally consented to 
 give me ten yards start. Back we went to try it over 
 again. By this time Old Jimmie began to do some fancy 
 side-stepping and prancing, just to show that he had im- 
 bibed enough of the spirit of the race to make him feel 
 good, and I was satisfied that he was in better fettle than 
 at the opening of the first heat. The foreman called, "All 
 ready," fired his gun and away we went again, Slim Jim 
 pouring the rawhide into Pinkeye. This time I did not 
 hold back, especially as I heard Jim urging his pony by 
 words and quirt, but I had no fears about the outcome, 
 as Old Jimmie would not permit anything to. pass him 
 as long as he was able to throw a hoof forward. When 
 we reached the line, we were in about the same relative 
 positions as when we started. He had not gained a yard 
 on Jimmie. The usual whooping and yelling took place 
 
112 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 again. As it was getting late, I thought it best to get 
 my two steers, brand and hobble them and put them 
 with the rest of the little bunch I had bought earlier in 
 the day. The boys good-humoredly branded them and 
 the foreman wrote out another Bill of Sale which I 
 tucked away with the other. As there was nothing else 
 to do after the racing was over, I took a couple of the 
 boys and we went out and brought in a few wild turkeys 
 which the cook dressed and cooked for the evening meal. 
 The rest of the evening we spent in chatting about life on 
 the trail. 
 
 Next morning they set out on their long drive to 
 Montana. I rode with them a few miles, bade them fare- 
 well, and returned to my duties at the camp. When I 
 reached my tent, I found that the old dog, Nero, had 
 declared himself dictator, and positively refused to let 
 me enter. I could hardly blame him, as there had been 
 so many around since I acquired possession of him that 
 he could not figure out to whom he belonged. I went to 
 my saddle and took down my lariat rope and gave him 
 a liberal application of it, and established order once 
 more on the premises. To rehabilitate myself in his af- 
 fection I brought him out a good meal of bread and cold 
 turkey. With nothing else at hand to require my at- 
 tention at the tent, I rode down to where my herd was 
 feeding to see if any of them had wandered off. They 
 were all there and I felt satisfied. 
 
 On my arrival at the camp on my return, I found a 
 man sitting on his horse awaiting my coming. He 
 introduced 'himself as a line-rider of the Y. L. ranch. 
 I invited him to come in and make himself at home. He 
 gave me his name as Jack Jernigan, and said that he had 
 been an employee of the ranch for some time. I asked 
 him to remain for dinner and he accepted the invitation. 
 I apologized for my inability to make bread. He assured 
 me that I need not apologize as he would attend to that 
 part of the matter if I would attend to the business of 
 making a fire and getting the coffee prepared. His visit 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 113 
 
 was a welcome one as it dispelled an idea that was 
 forcing itself on me that I was likely to be alone for some 
 time. His visit was short, but as he lived in the neigh- 
 borhood, he promised to come frequently to see me, and 
 he lived up to his promise, frequently bringing turkey 
 or venison with him as a proof of his markmaiiship and 
 thoughtfulness of me in my lonesome condition. In this 
 way our friendship was cemented. When my visitor left 
 me, I often experienced touches of lonesomeness that not 
 'even the presence of Nero could abate. Instead of being 
 a companion and comfort to me, he was just the reverse. 
 He spent his days chasing rabbits, and made the nights 
 hideous with the howls he emitted in answer to the call 
 of the denizens of the wild. One night as I felt very 
 tired from a long jaunt I had taken, I decided as there 
 was no business to attend to, that I would have a good 
 night's rest. I spread my blankets and settled down to 
 slumber. I had turned the dog loose to take a run at 
 leisure over the plain. I was just dozing off into slum- 
 berland when I heard a noise approaching. I could not 
 distinguish what it was. It sounded like a cross between 
 a fog-horn and a calliope. Before I could get dressed, in 
 fact, before I got my hat on, N,ero came tearing over the 
 plain like a miniature cyclone. He rush'ed up to me and 
 got between my legs for protection. I grabbed my six- 
 shooter and went on a tour of investigaion. I had hardly 
 gone a hundred yards when I heard a coyote, and there 
 never crossed the Atlantic a bagpiper who could emit 
 such a variety of sounds as that coyote worked out of 
 his system. He had been the cause of my dog's commo- 
 tion. I returned to the tent for my Winchester, hoping 
 to get a shot at him, but it was of no use, he had gone 
 away. One thing I discovered in my midnight ramble 
 was the fact that a mother skunk had moved into the 
 neighborhood with her whole family. There is one thing 
 that a cowman dreads very much and that is the bite 
 of a skunk. I knew personally two cases where men had 
 died of hydrophobia after being bitten by the malodorous 
 
114 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 brutes. In my state of mind, sleep was out of the 
 question until I had destroyed or driven away the new- 
 comers. When I reached the neighborhood of the late 
 arrivals , I walked very cautiously, as a skunk is con- 
 structed very much on the principal of a "Queen Anne" 
 musket, there was danger at 'either end, but it was hard 
 to determine which end had the greater executionary 
 power. As there was very little moonlight, I could not 
 get a very good aim at them. When I thought I had 
 located them properly I began to blaze away with my 
 Winchester, and kept up the fusilade until the chamber 
 of the gun was empty. Next morning I was delighted to 
 find that I had killed four of my unsavory visitors, and 
 at the same time felt proud of my marksmanship in the 
 dark. However, I had little rest during the night as I 
 was not sure of my shots, and I did not like to take any 
 risks with them, so I spent the remainder of the night 
 soliloquizing on things in general and nothing in par- 
 ticular. During my vigil I heard the wheels of a wagon 
 rumbling along the trail and I knew it was Bill returning 
 with more goods. I built a fire and made some coffee 
 for him as I knew he must be tired after his long journey. 
 After arranging matters in a sufficiently satisfactory 
 manner for the rest of the night, we sat and talked over 
 our experiences since we parted. "We spent an hour or 
 so in this manner and then turned in for a good solid 
 sleep. Morning came and we pat things in shape for 
 business and awaited our next customer. We went down 
 to the creek to take a look at the stock, and it was weU 
 we did so as some of them needed such medical attention 
 as we could give them. As Bill had brought some books 
 and papers, I felt much relieved. I discovered that, on 
 consulting the almanac, we had done our horse racing 
 and trading on Sunday. However, as I was in complete 
 ignorance of the day, I hope it will not be held 
 against me. 
 
 It may be of interest to the reader to know that the 
 Comanche Indians and Texans had not been very friendly 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 115 
 
 since Texas had gained her independence from Mexico. 
 The Comanches claimed that the Texans had been stealing 
 their horses, and also their cattle, and the Texans put 
 in a counter claim of the same nature, and in addition 
 to the stock the Indians were said to have taken, 
 they kidnapped their children whenever an oppor- 
 tunity presented itself. As a proof that there was some 
 truth in the statement of the Texans, I will say that 
 Quanah Parker, the late chief of the Comanches was the 
 son of a white mother who had been kidnapped when 
 a child from a Texan family. He was a good chief and 
 held in high repute by the whites as well as by the mem- 
 bers of his own tribe. The result of the habit of carrying- 
 off the white children may be seen in the features of 
 many of the tribesmen today. The unfriendly feeling 
 caused by those savage incursions exists today, and will 
 continue to do so for ages to come. It is true they do a 
 little business with each other, but a close observer can 
 readily see that it would take a very small spark to 
 set the flames of hatred and vengeance aglow once more. 
 The Texans in driving their battle northwards were 
 compelled to pass through the Comanche country, and the 
 Comanche had advanced far 'enough in the white man's 
 ways to levy tribute from them. It was not long after 
 a herd had passed the Red River until an Indian, or 
 perhaps several of them, made a visit to the cowmen and 
 demanded "wohaw," or in other words, beef. That 
 meant the delivering over of one or more steers. The 
 Texan understood the situation well enough to make no 
 refusal to demand. If he failed to comply with the 
 demand, that night, the same Indian would likely appear 
 among the herd in the guise of a gray wolf, or a cougar, 
 and stampede the herd. Such a movement would cost 
 more than the price of a brace of steers, as it would take 
 days to collect the cattle once they scattered, and some 
 of the stock they might never see again. Without much 
 parley they turned over the stock to them and the Indian 
 went on his way rejoicing. The first demand did not 
 
116 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 always settle the difficulty, as they were likely to appear 
 again in a day or so and demand more. Surh a course 
 of proceedings was very expensive and aggravating to 
 the cowmen, and as a consequence they pushed on as 
 rapidly as possible to get away from the dark shadow 
 of the trail, and get over into Chickasaw, or Caddo 
 country to avoid further trouble. By the time they 
 arrived at the Cherokee Strip, where I was located, they 
 had several lame, or sorefooted cattle which they were 
 willing to dispose of at a very reduced price. As I was 
 the only man on the ground who would take them off 
 their hands, I came into possession of several head of 
 cattle. After a few weeks rest and some surgical atten- 
 tion, they would again be in good condition and ready 
 to forward to the market. Usually I sent them to my 
 ranch in Kansas where I kept them until I could dispose 
 of them to good advantage. 
 
 A few days after Bill's return, another herd hap- 
 pened along and I did considerable business with them, 
 selling what goods they needed, and buying several head 
 of injured cattle which I tended to in the customary 
 manner. It happened that they had an extra man with 
 them and I hired him. I put him on the wagon and sent 
 him after more supplies. I kept Bill with me as I was 
 determined not to remain alone in that locality. When 
 the herd had gone forward on the drive, we went. out 
 to look after our own stock, and found them as well as 
 could be expected. Shortly after our return to camp, 
 we saw a horseman coming towards us, and I concluded 
 we were going to have some more company. When he 
 rode up, I invited him to dismount, as that was the 
 custom of the country. He thanked me, but declined, 
 saying that he was in a hurry, that he had had some 
 trouble with the Comanche Indians, in which there was 
 some shooting done, that he would like to get a fresh 
 horse to push on his way. I saw that he was pretty 
 well upholstered in the matter of armament, as he had 
 two six-shooters in his belt and a Winchester in his scab- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 117 
 
 bard, and looked, as though he would be able to protect 
 himself. I asked him no questions as the condition of 
 his horse told the story as plainly as any words he might 
 use. The spur marks on the pony's sides showed that 
 his vitality was about expended and that he would not 
 be able to go much farther. When he asked if I could 
 supply him with a new mount, I told him I could furnish 
 him one. I asked Bill to change his saddle for him, and 
 gave him some directions to guide him towards a cow 
 ranch. He proposed leaving his horse with me as a 
 guaranty that he w r ould return mine to me. I told him 
 that was out of the question, that if the Comanches 
 came along and found his horse with me they would 
 conclude that I had hidden him somewhere, which would 
 mean trouble for me, a thing I did not want just then, 
 especially with the Indians. I told him to take his pony 
 along with him and if he could not keep up with the 
 fresh one, to turn him loose upon the prairie and some 
 cow-puncher would take him in and care for him until 
 called for. He put a hackamaw on his jaded steed, 
 mounted his fresh pony and made ready to start. I told 
 him not to spare the quirt, as the horse could stand a 
 good dash, and that he would be at the ranch in a little 
 over an hour if he rode steadily. He was off in the 
 direction I gave him, and Bill and I set in to make a 
 checker board to while away our idle hours. Something 
 shortly afterward attracted our attention, and on looking 
 up we beheld three Comanche Indians riding towards 
 our tent, with their rifles across their saddles, which 
 meant business. I spoke to Bill and he stepped into the 
 tent and buckled on a pair af six-shooters. I happened 
 to have my Winchester near at hand. When they rode 
 up close enough for us to see plainly what they were 
 doing, they stopped and began to make signs. I could 
 not understand the Comanche sign language, so they 
 had to resort to some other means of communication. 
 They drew closer and one of them said * How, ' the second 
 one grunted something and the third remained silent. 
 
118 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 Bill and 1 went on making our checker board apparently 
 oblivious of their presence, but all the while I kept my 
 eye on the rifle with an occasional glance out of the 
 corner of my eye at the Indians. Finally one of them 
 spoke in broken English and asked if a white man had 
 been there. I told them a white man had stopped for 
 a short time, but went north, and I pointed out the trail. 
 After they had sat in silence for some time, they wheeled 
 their ponies around and galloped off. It would not take 
 much of a genius to see that their visit was not a friendly 
 one, and that they were looking for trouble, and particu- 
 larly wanted to see a certain white man that had passed 
 that way shortly before. If they could not find the 
 object of their desires, they would likely make some 
 trouble for some innocent party. As they saw that Bill 
 and I were pretty well furnished with fire arms, they 
 thought it better to pursue the object of the search. I 
 knew that, by this time, the pursued was beyond the 
 reach of the pursuers and was likely safe among the 
 cowboys of some neighboring ranch, where the Indian 
 would not follow him. The Indian had a wholesome 
 respect for cow-ranches and did not care to go prowling 
 around that locality, for at that particular time the 
 cowman had lost all respect for the Indian's feelings. 
 As we did not know at what time they would return, if 
 they ever did, nor did we know what humor they would be 
 in, though we could give a shrewd guess, Bill and I 
 thought it better to make what efforts were necessary 
 to protect ourselves and our stock in the event of their 
 returning with designs upon us, or our cattle. We took 
 our blankets and guns and spent the night on the prairie 
 sear our horses. During the vigil we were keeping we 
 heard some horsemen passing and concluded the Indians 
 were returning from their white-man hunt. 
 
 Next forenoon a line rider came over to see us, 
 bringing with him the horse we had loaned the visitor 
 who was in such a hurry.. He said that he had seen 
 nothing of the Indians at the ranch. He said that the 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 110 
 
 fugitive horseman had received a new mount at his ranch 
 and had gone on his way, but did not fail to send back 
 his compliments saying that he was grateful for the 
 kindness we had shown him and hoped some day to be 
 able to repay it. 
 
 That afternoon, the herd, from which the fugitive 
 above mentioned had taken his departure, arrived in 
 our neighborhood, and from the boys of the outfit I 
 learned the particulars of the whole occurance. The 
 foreman gave me all the information in the case, and 
 I shall detail it here. He said that the Indians had met 
 them over in the Comanche country and had made their 
 usual demand for "Wohaw." As he had given one 
 steer already down in the Red River district, he did 
 not feel obliged to yield to their demands for a second 
 contribution. In order to get rid of them, and at the 
 same time to make a peace-offering he said he would let 
 them have another. That did not satisfy the Indians and 
 they started for the herd to cut out what they wanted. 
 That was the thing that brought matters to a focus. 
 They might have known that their presence in the herd 
 would cause a stampede. When they persisted in doing 
 so in spite of the warning to desist, then came the signal 
 for the disturbance which followed. 
 
 The first steer they cut out from the herd was met 
 and driven back by a young fellow by the name of 
 McRay. An Indian tried to prevent his driving the steer 
 back to the herd. That spelled disaster for the Indian, 
 for the young fellow drew his forty-five and shot the 
 Indian off his pony. All was confusion for a brief space, 
 but no more shooting took place. The Indians picked 
 up their wounded comrade and bore him away as fast 
 as they could, and then the herd moved on. McRay, 
 acting on the advice of the foreman, sought safety in 
 flight towards the north. That was the fugitive that 
 came to my tent in search of a fresh pony. If he had 
 remained with the herd, serious trouble would have 
 resulted, and if they had caught him in his flight, he 
 
120 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 would likely have been scalped, if not subjected to other 
 barbarities. 
 
 I am not going to say anything about the merits of 
 the case as it stood, but will say that if the same con- 
 ditions existed today, the same would occur again. 
 
 As on the arrival of the former herds, we made 
 another bargain for some of the foot-sore cattle, and after 
 doctoring them to the best of our ability, we turned 
 them in with the rest of our stock. 
 
 We did considerable business with the foreman of the 
 outfit. After getting what goods he wanted, he moved 
 onward with his herd. 
 
 When they had gone, I saddled Old Jimmie and took 
 a ride down to where our stock was feeding along the 
 creek, to look them over and see if they needed any 
 attention. They seemed in good condition, so I rode on, 
 more for pastime than with any object in view. When 
 I had passed a mile or so beyond where our herd was 
 grazing peacefully, I saw something that I could not 
 account for, and proceeded to make an investigation. 
 As I drew nearer to the object of my curiosity I found 
 an Indian sitting on the bank of the creek. I was 
 rather surprised to see that he had no pony in sight, nor 
 were there any other Indians in view. I approached 
 him with the purpose of making a closer scruitiny of 
 this lone denizen of the plains. His wardrobe consisted 
 of a breech-clout, a pair of moccasins, and three feathers 
 in his hair. I rode up to him and saluted him with 
 the customary Indian "How." He made no reply, did 
 not give even a grunt of recognition. I studied him 
 carefully for awhile. I noted that his hair w r as well 
 braided and hung down his back, and was tipped with 
 strips of Beaver fur. I rode on a short distance, and 
 returned again to take another look at him. I addressed 
 him as before, with the same result. He set me thinking 
 very seriously as he had no fire-arms and no pony. I 
 thought that, perhaps, he might be one of the three 
 that had visited me the day they chased the cowboy. 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 121 
 
 When I returned to camp I found a visitor, a line- 
 rider. I explained to him and Bill what I had seen, 
 and the line-rider volunteered the explanation that the 
 Indian was a runner, or what one would call a mail- 
 carrier and was likely carrying some message to the 
 Caddos, perhaps, an invitation to a green corn dance, 
 or some other festivity. His appearance there had no 
 further significance, so I let the matter drop. In the 
 meantime, Bill was busying himself cooking some venison 
 the cowboy had killed, getting ready for our next repast, 
 which was about due. While waiting for Bill to put 
 the finishing touches on his work of art, we amused 
 ourselves with a game of checkers. When luncheon was 
 ready we abandoned the checker board with alacrity 
 and threw ourselves very earnestly into the work of 
 demolishing what Bill had taken so much care to prepare. 
 
 A strong friendship had sprung up between Bill and 
 Nero. It was very much like the story of Mary and her 
 little lamb, wherever Bill went, there was Nero at his 
 heels. Such devotion was very touching, but in Bill's 
 case it was almost too touching for it nearly cost him his 
 life. As my partner was not much given to riding horse- 
 back, any more than he could help, he used to divert him- 
 self by taking a stroll over the prairie, and of course, the 
 dog was at his heels. It amused Bill to see the dog 
 chasing jack rabbits, or diving at prairie dogs,but both 
 species seemed to have an uncanny way of avoiding his 
 onslaughts. He never caught any of them. One day as 
 he was tearing around after a rabbit, a herd of wild 
 cattle came over the brow of the hill. The dog was 
 heading for them straight as an arrow; barking and 
 cavorting in a fashion wonderful to see. Any man who 
 has had any experience with wild cattle will know what 
 danger my friend and partner encountered at that point. 
 Wild cattle are curious, and when they see a man afoot, 
 they begin to investigate immediately, and therein lies 
 the danger. If anything were to excite them, at the 
 moment they would trample him to death. That was 
 
122 THE INDIANS 1 LAST FIGHT 
 
 just about what was due to happen to Bill as the dog 
 Iiad excited them and they were coming toward the 
 man afoot. The idea of self-preservation struck Nero 
 about the same time as the cattle began to move toward 
 Bill, and he rushed to his master to save him. The 
 cowboys added to the pandemonium already turned loose, 
 by trying to shoot Nero. I always kept a horse saddled 
 at the camp for an emergency, and when I heard the 
 commotion, I mounted and set out at full gallop to the 
 scene of action. I was just in time, for there was Bill 
 hitting only the high places in his flight for safety. I 
 met him and he needed no invitation to mount behind me, 
 but caught the horn of the saddle and swung himself 
 up with alacrity and away we went at top speed. The 
 danger was not entirely passed, for there right behind us 
 was Nero, the cause of a great part of the trouble. Bill 
 pulled his gun and shot the dog. That itself seemed 
 to check the herd, but we had a narrow escape. One 
 stumble of the horse, and w r e would both have been 
 trampled into such small pieces that there would be left 
 only a damp spot on the ground where we had fallen. 
 However, we were safe and that was the chief thing 
 for us. We saddled our ponies and went to help the 
 cowboys round up the herd that had become scattered 
 through the playful antics of Nero. As it was time to 
 eat when we had got the cattle back on the trail and 
 quieted down, we joined the cowmen in their meal. 
 There w^as considerable joking and laughing over our 
 predicament, but they said not one word about tlhe 
 danger we encountered in our flight before the stampede. 
 
 As this was an opportunity for us to do business again, 
 we took advantage of it. Bill bought some of the foot- 
 sore stock, and I sold them provisions to kist them until 
 they could find a more convenient market. 
 
 When the outfit had gone northwards, things began 
 to assume the monotonous routine of dull times. We 
 did the best we could to entertain ourselves with checkers 
 and talking over prospects, but it was not very exciting 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 123 
 
 at best. From a business point of view it seemed a 
 success, and we thought it advisable to establish our- 
 selves in a dugout and make a lengthy stay of it. The 
 prospects were good, the success of the past argued well 
 for the future, but "The best laid plans of mice and 
 men gang aft aglee." 
 
 Nexjt morning I rode down to take a look at our 
 growing herd and had not gone very far when I found 
 that one of my cattle 'had been killed. I dismounted to 
 examine the carcass more closely and found evidence 
 that the cow had been killed by some wild animal. I 
 could not say what animal had killed her as the manner 
 of attack was entirely different from any I have ever 
 seen. It was not a gray wolf, as I was familiar with 
 their mode of destruction. I examined the ground and 
 found the foot-prints of two animals, one large and one 
 small. I followed their trail for some distance and 
 found where they had been rolling in the sand after 
 their feast. I endeavored to follow it farther, but it was 
 scoon lost in the long buffalo grass, and I had to give 
 up the task. 
 
 I returned to camp and reported the matter to my 
 partner, and he said that he would fix things for them. 
 He concluded that if he put strychnine in the carcass 
 they had already killed, they would come again, and ;ii 
 that way he would rid us of the intruders. We applied 
 the strychnine in the most approved fashion laid down 
 by old hunters and trappers, but it was in vain. Next 
 night they returned and killed another steer, but did 
 not go near the one they had killed before. As we 
 were looking over the result of the night's work, a line- 
 rider came by, and we explained the situation to him. 
 He said the mischief had been wrought by a cougar, or 
 Mexican lion, and that it was useless to try to poison 
 him as he would not eat anything in the nature of flesh 
 except what had been freshly killed by himself. Further- 
 more, he said, they had been attracted by our cattle 
 because, being footsore, they could not put up a fight to 
 
124 THE INDIAN'S' LAST FIGHT 
 
 defend themselves, and thus fell an easy prey to the 
 marauders. We saw at once that there was only one 
 way out of the difficulty and that was to shoot the lions, 
 as they seemed to wary to be taken by poison. If we 
 did not take that course, we would soon be out of cattle. 
 With that end in view we moved them up in the neigh- 
 borhood of our tent. We made a temporary corral for 
 them, and awaited an opportunity to send a bullet into 
 the expected visitor. He came as usual, but we did not 
 get a shot at him, as he did not give us a chance. I 
 wish to say that in all my experience I have never met, 
 in Canada or in the West, another animal so cowardly 
 and treacherous as the Mexican lion. I have known 
 them to kill an animal not more than four rods from 
 where I was sitting, and before I could reach the corral, 
 he would be out of sight. I could not shoot towards 
 the corral for fear of killing or crippling some of the 
 stock. I have known them to kill a two-year-old steer, 
 and by the time I could get there the cougar was gone, 
 but the attack was so swift and sure that the poor beast 
 would be still standing w r ith his entrails hanging on the 
 ground. That gives some idea of how short a time it 
 takes a cougar to kill a cow. In spite of all his great 
 strength, he is a great coward, as he will not face a man. 
 I tried to rid myself of the pest that was thinning out 
 my herd, and devoted a good deal of time in trying to 
 find his den, to get a shot at him, but my efforts were 
 to no purpose. I had to do the best I could, watch and 
 wait, in the hope of success. 
 
 While engaged in the hunt for the cougar one after- 
 noon, I saw, at' some distance, a horse grazing along the 
 creek. He had a saddle and bridle on him, but no rider. 
 I thought he had run away from some outfit, and went 
 down to where he was to secure him and bring him to 
 iny tent, so that the owner could call for him when he 
 had time. Upon reaching the place where the pony was 
 grazing, I saw a strange sight. There sat an Indian on 
 a knoll, wearing a Navajoe blanket, ear-rings that hung 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 125 
 
 down Jike small sleigh bells, his hair plaited and hanging 
 down his back, his head decorated with eagle feathers, 
 all of which made me think I had met a very distinguished 
 gentleman. As a neighbor I greeted him with the cus- 
 tomary, "How." To my greeting he made no sign of 
 recognition, did not even move a muscle. I rode past 
 him for some distance and then returned on the opposite 
 side of him, and then I discovered the cause of his sullen 
 dignity. He had fastened to his blanket a small-sized 
 pewter plate polished as bright as a new dollar fresh 
 from the mint, and around the rim of it was inscribed 
 the letters of the alphabet. I saw that he had left his 
 rifle in the scabbard of his saddle, and if he made any 
 move of a warlike nature, I could do a lot of business 
 before he could get organized for battle. This condition 
 made me bolder and encouraged me to make a more 
 critical inspection of his wardrobe than I would have done 
 if he had his Winchester near at hand. He wore a pair 
 of moccasins highly ornamented with beads of all colors. 
 Whether he had any under garments I was not in position 
 to know, but he looked to be clothed in the highest 
 degree of cool, calm, unruffled dignity. As I had seen no 
 cartridge belt on the saddle, I was satisfied that he wore 
 one around his waist, with the customary pair of six- 
 shooters for ornaments and use. As he remained stolid 
 in his attitude towards me, I gave up any hope of finding 
 out anything about him, and rode home. T related my 
 experience to Bill, laughing over the dignity displayed 
 by the Indian, based on the posession of a pewter breast- 
 plate that once belonged to some white child, and which 
 he had found on his meanderings over the plains. 
 
 After a quarter of a century has elapsed, and taking 
 a retrospective view of the situation at that lime, I can 
 see what a trifle it would have taken to send one of 
 us, if not both, over the Great Divide to the Happy 
 Hunting Grounds. 
 
 Bill had been out in another direction in search 
 of the cougar, but met with as little success as I had. 
 
126 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 It became a question of sitting up nights guarding the 
 herd, with the hope of being able to get a shot at the 
 cause of our misfortunes, but it was in vain. Every 
 morning brought us evidence of further devastation 
 wrought by the bloodthirsty brute. Things came to such 
 a pass that we had to choose between losing the whole 
 herd, or moving to Kansas, and we chose the latter. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 Returning to Kansas ; A Settler ; A Phenomenon, etc. 
 
 Reluctantly we folded our tent and started off in 
 the direction of the Sun-flower State, where our ranch 
 was located. Business had been good and we were loath 
 to leave such a good opportunity for increasing our 
 profits, but the unseen enemy made further delay im- 
 possible. Our outfit on the trail did not present a very 
 inviting appearance, but there was something substantial 
 about it that cheered us considerable. We had increased 
 our holdings during our sojourn in the Territory, and 
 were now returning with the fruits o* our venture. 
 Personally we were not much to look at, as we had not 
 had a shave in several months, but that fact did not 
 interfere with the happiness we felt at the prospect of 
 seeing the old homestead once more. On the first night 
 of our advance we camped in the brakes of the Cimmaron 
 river. We were fortunate in killing a deer, which pro- 
 vided us with a change of meat. It was the last wild 
 game we expected to obtain, as the antelope and other 
 wild game had been shot at so much that they had 
 become gun-shy, and it was impossible to get within any 
 close proximity to them to obtain a shot at one of them. 
 The antelope in particular we did not expect to see, as 
 that animal does not frequent the low lands, and the only 
 time he is found there is when he is on the way to get 
 water. Even then they seem to have on one guard at 
 all times, so that at the sight of a man they are off like 
 a shot and soon out of sight. Antelopes and wild horses 
 are very much alike in their habits, as neither will enter 
 a creek or a canyon except for water or shelter. 
 
 N'ext morning found us up and away. As the 
 traveling was down grade, we got along nicely. We 
 
128 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 were very much pleased on reaching the river to find 
 that the sand was packed down owing to the numbers 
 of cattle that had forded the stream during the preceding 
 weeks, and we were able to cross without much difficulty. 
 Having crossed the stream we pulled our outfit into 
 Clem's ranch, where we sold the greater part of our 
 supplies for a fair price. With a lighter burden, we set 
 out on our way again, leaving the supply trail, and 
 moved in a north-westerly direction toward Meade Co., 
 Kansas. Frequently we were compelled to cross what is 
 called a sand-draw, but we managed to do this without 
 much trouble, as by fastening our lariat ropes to the end 
 of the wagon tongue and fixing the other end to the 
 horn of the saddle we could assist the team in pulling 
 through the canyon and reach the firm footing on the 
 other side. Our route lay through the section about 
 midway the Beverly cow-ranch on the South Sand Creek, 
 and the place where Ashland, the county seat of Clarke 
 County now stands. We crossed several small trails, but 
 as they were running in another direction they could not 
 be of any assistance to us. That evening we made a dry 
 camp, but expected early next day to reach the head 
 waters of Little Sand creek, or as it was afterwards 
 called, Johns Creek, in time to water our stock. We 
 went through the usual procedure of picketing the horses 
 we were using, and hobbling the loose ones, and getting 
 the cattle in shape for the night. 
 
 On my tour around the herd I found that there was a 
 dug-out in the neighborhood. I went on a visit of inspec- 
 tion to see if there was any one there, for there seemed 
 to be some signs of improvement around it. I was 
 agreeably surprised to find a solitary man walking around 
 the dug-out, with his hands behind his back and his head 
 bent as though deep in meditation. I decided to call on 
 him and find out something about the topography of the 
 country, also the distance to Crooked Creek, Kansas. I 
 introduced myself and told him the purpose of my visit. 
 Once the ice was broken, the conversation took several 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 129 
 
 turns. From his remarks I gleaned that he had not been 
 there very long, and was likewise anxious to sell out, 
 in fact, he even seemed to insist that I should buy him 
 out. I told him I was sorry that I could not take his 
 offer, as I had some property of my own in Meade County 
 and felt that was all the Kansas real estate I cared to 
 handle just then. 
 
 During my interview I cast my eyes around the place 
 to get a general view of my surroundings. I noted that 
 he had placed four forks in the ground and roofed them 
 over with hay and brush, the whole forming a sort of 
 arbor to protect him from the sun and rain. About three 
 feet from the ground he had fixed a scaffold for a bed. 
 I was nonplussed at what I saw, and ventured to inquire 
 the reason of the arbor-like structure. He replied that he 
 was unable to sleep in the dug-out, for he had tried to 
 do so, but found that it was impossible, owing to the 
 number of tarantulas and centipedes that infested the 
 place. The arbor was a partial solution of the difficulty, 
 but did not quite meet all the demands of the situation. 
 The fleas he could not escape, they were in his bedding, 
 and he was unable to discover a means of putting them 
 to flight. What he could not avoid, he had to endure. 
 I could see at a glance that his opinion of farming in 
 Western Kansas was not very elevated. He was deter- 
 mined to sell out at the first opportunity that presented 
 itself. As I had to return to camp to make arrangements 
 for standing night guard over the herd to prevent their 
 wandering off, I bade my new-found acquaintance fare- 
 well, wishing him all manner of good fortune in his new 
 home. When I reached our outfit, I found that supper 
 was ready, and we were ready for it. We attended to 
 the duty of providing for the wants of the inner man 
 with considerable alacrity, though our manner of doing 
 so might have lacked some of the etiquette required 
 by the rules and regulations of refined society. After a 
 chat over things in general and prospects in particular, 
 the boys rolled up in their blankets for the night, and 
 
130 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 I went on my solitary errand of looking after the herd. 
 The stillness of the night was unbroken save by the 
 hooting of an owl in the neighboring canyon, or the 
 barking of a coyote on a side hill. Even they would 
 cease their clamor for a time and then the stillness of 
 the night was appaling. I sat on my pony in meditation 
 evolving thoughts and considerations induced by the calm 
 of the surroundings in which I found myself. My reflec- 
 tions were interrupted by the musical notes of the lone 
 settler, borne over the prairie on the wings of the night. 
 He had a voice that was rich and melodious, though art 
 had never tried to improve the natural gift. The first 
 sweet tones that fell upon my ear were the strains of an 
 old familiar strain I used to hear back home in Canada, 
 and they never seemed sweeter than they did then. I 
 listened entranced. A flood of memories came rushing 
 from some long forgotten corner of my mind, and I sat 
 entranced. I was in hopes that he would repeat the son 
 again, but my hopes were not realized. Instead, he 
 changed off into some old-time granger rhyme that had 
 more philosophy than music in it. It might well be en- 
 titled "The Lament of a Kansas Granger." I was glad 
 when he was through it. Then he came back with one 
 old and ever new, ever welcome and ever sweet, the song 
 called "Home Sweet Home." I do not believe that the 
 effect produced by Jenny Lind, when she first rendered 
 it could have been as great as that produced in my heart 
 at that moment. The days of boyhood were returned 
 again. I saw the old log house where I was born, and 
 the surrounding forest. I saw my playmates on the 
 green and took part once more in their merry games. 
 Memories came rushing so fast that I could not analyze 
 them in their kaleidoscopic passage through my brain. 
 Half consciously I wiped away a tear that began to 
 trickle down my cheek. The music ceased and I sat as 
 one dazed; only to be rudely awakened by the resump- 
 tion of the barking of the coyote near at hand. I looked 
 across to where the settler had his home. The embers of 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 131 
 
 his fire were burning low. He must have retired to his 
 arbor for a rest. I could not then imagine why he had 
 chosen that hour of the night to give vent to his feelings 
 in the manner mentioned. It may have been out of the 
 bitterness of a discouraged heart that he poured forth 
 his soul in such harmony, but whatever it was, I must 
 say that he had a very attentive listener in one lone horse- 
 man standing guard over a herd of weary cattle. 
 
 The hours of the night passed slowly. The silence of 
 the tomb seemed to enfold everything in its mantel. I 
 made my rounds to see that things were in proper con- 
 dition, and then returned to camp to arouse my partner, 
 Bill, to take up the burden of guarding the herd while I 
 obtained some much needed sleep. It seemed to me that 
 I had hardly lain down when I heard the cook calling 
 to all hands, ' ' Chuckaway, " which, in the language of 
 the civilized nations, means breakfast is ready. I awoke 
 with the call, and found the sun streaming into my face. 
 In the meantime Bill had come in from his tour of in- 
 spection, leaving the cattle grazing quietly. It did not 
 take me long to arrange my toilet, a ceremony that the 
 cowpuncher does not usually give much attention to, and 
 I was soon in the midst of the bustle of getting my share 
 of provender for the morning meal. We simply took the 
 first articles of tableware that we happened to find con- 
 venient, seized upon the proper allowance of food, and 
 then we sat down on the prairie and gave our undivided 
 attention to the work at hand. As it was agreeable work, 
 we devoted a lot of energy to it, and accomplished the 
 task in a very brief time. This done, we made arrange- 
 ments to set out again. We rounded up the stock that 
 had wandered off while grazing, got the ponies together, 
 loaded the wagon and were on our way once more. 
 
 Having given the boys the direction to follow, I set 
 out to pay a farewell visit to the singer of the night, 
 saying that I would overtake them before they had pro- 
 ceeded very far. 
 
 I reached his dug-out and found him up and around. 
 
132 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 After the usual salutations, I offered my thanks for the 
 pleasure he had afforded me during the preceding night. 
 He thanked me for the compliment, and said that the 
 pleasure was mutual. He said it was a boon to him to 
 have some one call on him, as his nearest neighbor was 
 seven miles distant. Not only that, but there were dif- 
 ficulties about his neighbor coming to visit him as he had 
 only a team of oxen to travel with, and they were not 
 very well broken yet, and travel under such conditions 
 was not very inviting. I saw from the tone of his re- 
 marks that he was disconsolate, or rather discouraged by 
 his present condition in life, and I ventured to repeat the 
 advice given by Horace Greely to young men, namely, 
 "to go West and grow up with the country." "Oh," said 
 he, "that is all bosh. That man, Horace Greeley did not 
 know the first ' jump in the road' of what he was talking 
 about. When he came through this country, he was rid- 
 ing in a Pullman car, with lackeys and servants to wait 
 upon him. He knew absolutely nothing of the real con- 
 dition of this country and I am willing to bet that he 
 would not take a thousand dollars and sleep one night 
 in that dug-out of mine. He was a very smart man, well 
 versed in politics, living in New York where he could 
 sit in his parlor and look into his neighbor's house and 
 see what the family had to eat. Such advice is sound 
 enough in theory when delivered through the columns 
 of the New York Tribune, or in the heat of some political 
 campaign, to an audience composed of tenderfeet, but 
 the same idea promulgated whilst leaning on a hoe 
 handle, between two rows of sorghum in Western Kan- 
 sas, would have a different effect. Horace Greeley was 
 a very good citizen, but knew comparatively nothing of 
 the trials and tribulations, privations and hardships, to 
 say nothing of the lives it cost to move the boundary 
 line of civilization one step farther West." Such were 
 the sentiments of my philosophical friend, and they con- 
 tained more truth than poetry. By this time the herd 
 was almost out of sight, and I was forced to bid him 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 133 
 
 good-bye, requesting him, at the same time, that if he 
 were ever over in Meade County, to call on me, for there 
 would be a welcome for him at all times and that he 
 would always find the latch on the outside, that meant 
 for him to walk right in and make himself at home. I 
 left him, and as I was topping the crest of the hill 1 
 looked back and saw him sitting on the top of his dug- 
 out, waving farewell. 
 
 We did not delay for dinner, as we wanted to reach 
 Little Sand Creek, where there was plenty of water. As 
 this was to be our last night out, I can assure you that 
 we did not lose any time along the way. We reached 
 our camping ground about three in the afternoon. As 
 we were only about eight miles from the home ranch, we 
 turned everything loose, and laid ourselves out to have a 
 general good time. The cook had been advertising his 
 ability to make custard pie, and we thought this a con- 
 venient opportunity to put his ability to the test. Of 
 course, he had to have milk, for there is no substitute for 
 that article in a first-class custard pie. Being that Bill 
 and I fairly doted on custard pie, it was our duty to 
 provide the milk for the occasion. For the benefit of 
 my readers, let me say that if you have a longing for 
 custard pie, try to throttle it in infancy, or train it so 
 as to render it subject to proper environment, but do not, 
 at any cost, let that hankering exercise its influence on 
 you when you have to invade the rights and privileges 
 of a wild Tex&s cow, unless you are prepared to fight 
 to a finish. Bill and I felt equal to the occasion and set 
 out to produce the required article. We chose a cow 
 that seemed to have more milk than her calf required. 
 Bill roped her, threw her down, which was a cruel thing 
 to do to a young mother and hog-tied her. I was on 
 hand with a can. I held her down while he was endeav- 
 oring to separate her from her milk. With much labor 
 and some verbal protests against her restlessness, he suc- 
 ceeded in extracting about a pint. I took the fruit of 
 our labors and rope up to the camp and proudly gave it 
 
134 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 to the cook. He informed me that there was not enough 
 for a first-class pie, and I had to enlist the services of 
 Bill once more, to procure the required quantity. It took 
 considerable wrangling with two more of those restless 
 creatures to persuade them to favor us with some of their 
 milk, but in the end we succeeded and returned to camp 
 again. In the meantime the cook had uncovered some 
 turkey eggs that he had found a day or so before, and 
 set to work on his masterpiece a custard pie. Needless 
 to say, his production was up to the advertisement, and, 
 also, to our expectations. 
 
 Our cook was a genius in his line of endeavor. It 
 was a rare thing to meet a cowpuncher who could not 
 turn out biscuits of some degree of edibility, but we had 
 a master hand. When he turned over to the inspection 
 of an outfit such an article of food they were light and 
 fluffy, and when dipped in antelope gravy, one would 
 have to have a case of indig'estion in an alarming condi- 
 tion if he could not eat them with an appetite like a 
 section hand. His manner of preparing the dinner table 
 was simplicity itself. He used to spread out the wagon 
 sheet for a table cloth, and use mother earth for th'e 
 table. When everything was ready he called out "Chuck 
 away," and found us ready and willing to pay a com- 
 pliment to his endeavors. 
 
 When we had demolished the supper, and particu- 
 larly the custard pie, Bill went down to the creek to 
 wash out a few shirts as he did not wish to return to the 
 ranch with his clothing in an unpresentable condition. 
 While he was gone the cook and I played checkers to see 
 who would wash the dishes. I lost. 
 
 When the usual routine of camp life with the herd 
 had been comjpleted, we turned in to have one good 
 rest to be ready for the final drive next day. As a 
 reward to Old Jimmie for his fidelity I gave him an extra 
 measure of grain and a few caresses to show that I 
 remembered what he had done for me. Next morning 
 found us about ready to start, when we met with an 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 135 
 
 unavoidable delay, Bill's shirts were not dry and we 
 could not go without him. We filled in our time picking 
 up wood and filling the waterbucket for future use. 
 In due time Bill's lingerie was in a proper condition for 
 use, and we were on our way once more. 
 
 We set out in a north-westerly direction. When we 
 had gone about two miles we crossed the trail of the 
 wood-haulers coming over from Meade county, for fire 
 wood and fence posts, which they were compelled to 
 collect from the vicinity of Sand Creek, or its tributaries. 
 As the trail was nearly parallel to the direction we were 
 going, we followed it slowly homewards. We halted our 
 herd for the purpose of getting dinner, and to permit 
 the cattle to graze or rest as they wished. We remained 
 a couple of hours, knowing that we could make the home 
 ranch by sundown. We set out for the final drive, moved 
 along slowly, taking things easy as there was no need 
 to hurry. About four o'clock, much to our surprise, it 
 clouded up and a drizzle set in. It was the first rain we 
 had seen in months, and we fairly enjoyed it. However, 
 we put on our slickers to avoid too much of a good thing. 
 It lasted only a short time and then the sun shone again. 
 When the sun broke through the overhanging clouds 
 a peculiar phenomenon presented itself to our view. 
 Not more than two hundred yards in advance of the 
 lead cattle was formed, as if by flash light, a small rain- 
 bow directly across the trail. It did not seen to be more 
 than one hundred and fifty yards from side to side, and 
 not more than half that distance in height to the arch 
 overhead. I have seen cyclones, blizzards, and mirages, 
 but I was totally unprepared for such a phenomenon as 
 I then witnessed. I confess, if I had been alone, I would 
 have ridden around it rather than pass through the 
 archway. I could not give a scientific explanation of the 
 affair, and luckily for me Bill did not ask for one, as 
 he was one of those impulsive, unimaginative men who 
 take things as they see them and inquire not into the 
 causes that lead to their existence. Not so with the 
 
136 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 teamster, he was from Arkansaw, and was very super- 
 stitious. Whein he saw the wondroug arch stretched 
 from side to side before him, he stopped the team until 
 Bill shouted at him to go on and not be a fool. He got 
 in motion with fear and trembling. The cattle seemed 
 to realize that there was something strange about the 
 affair and crowded through as though going through a 
 gateway. When we had passed on for some distance 
 I looked back, and the phenomenon was gone. I asked 
 the teamster why he had stopped the team, and he gave 
 me a characteristic reply, ''Gosh, I was afraid it would 
 fall on me. I heard a Sunday School teacher say once 
 that the Lord was going to put up one of those things 
 every once in a while to show that he was not going to 
 destroy the earth by flood any more." "That's all right 
 for Western Kansas," said Bill, "but it does not apply 
 to Arkansaw where they are drowned out every spring " 
 We reached our ranch by sundown, and turned the 
 cattle loose to graze. We unsaddled our horses with a 
 sigh of relief that the long trip into the Territory -vas 
 over. By the time we washed ourselves and combed the 
 sand out of our whiskers, supper was ready and we sat 
 down and placed our feet under a table for the first 
 time in months. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 The Opening of the State of Oklahoma; The Race for 
 
 Land; Irrigation in the Panhandle; Postmasters of 
 
 Early Days; New Locations, etc. 
 
 In the spring of the year 1889, the president of the 
 United States issued a proclamation that Oklahoma was 
 opened for homestead settlement, the few Indians that 
 had already settled there to be allowed to remain in 
 undisturbed possession of their holdings. As the proc- 
 lamation included but a small portion of the present 
 state, the other little nations were left for future con- 
 sideration. 
 
 The manner in which the homesteader secured his 
 claim is unique in the annals of history. I do not believe 
 that any other people under the sun ever acquired the 
 right and title to a homestead in quite the same fashion 
 as that employed to dole out to homeseekers the claims 
 which they had acquired a right to by registering at 
 the land office. I am under the impression that it is an 
 institution peculiarly American. Whatever the merits of 
 the system maybe, it produced results more or less 
 beneficial, according as you look at it from the point of 
 view of the homeseeker, or the grafter. For the benefit 
 of posterity I shall set it down that they may see, at 
 least, how it was done, and be able to judge of the merit 
 of the means employed to insure the results intended. 
 
 On the day set aside for the opening of the new 
 territory to homeseekers, all those who had filed on an 
 allotment, were to take their position on a line marked 
 for the purpose, just as the foot-racer toes the scratch 
 awaiting the signal for the dash. Some had been there 
 for some time, others came at the last moment. No one 
 was permitted to invade the new territory until a -signal 
 
138 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 was given and then they were to rush pell-mell to secure 
 the claim they found to be the most in accordance with 
 their wishes. It was a strange sight to behold them 
 drawn up in every conceivable kind of vehicle, and those 
 who had no vehicle were on horse back, mule back, or 
 on foot. Anxiety was pictured on every countenance. 
 Those who had waited longest had their patience tried 
 to the limit. In order to insure every man a chance for 
 an equal opportunity, a company of soldiers was drawn 
 up to prevent any one taking any undue advantage of 
 his neighbor. At least, they were supposed to do so, but 
 under the cover of darkness during the night before, 
 hundreds of persons known afterwards as "Sooners," 
 crept through the line and hid themselves in some con- 
 venient ravine and remained there under cover until the 
 signal was given next day. These men, as soon as the 
 word was given to go, rushed out and staked a claim, 
 and when the lawful owners appeared, they were ordered 
 to move on, and the order was enforced at the end of 
 a gun. The Sooner was not only in posession, but stood 
 ready to defend his claim against all comers as he had 
 witnesses to prove his statements about the preemption 
 of the property and his prior right to the land in ques- 
 tion. 
 
 On the day appointed for the start of the race, every 
 one was in a fever of expectancy. The starter was eyed 
 keenly in his every move to detect some indication of 
 the signal about to be given. Horses heads were pushing 
 over the line, the driver standing in his wagon ready to 
 ply the whip to produce the required speed for the occa- 
 sion, old ramshackle buggies were there whose very 
 appearance signified that this was likely to be their last 
 run. Even oxen with their necks bent beneath the 
 weight of their bows, felt the fever of the excitement 
 and were anxious to be off. Horsemen stood in the 
 stirrups with a quirt ready, to make a dash across the 
 rolling plains. As the hands of the watch crept toward 
 twelve, one could notice a tightening of the jaws and 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 139 
 
 a look of grim, resolve come over the countenances of 
 those participating in the race. Eagerly they looked for 
 the signal, slowly the hands of the watch in the time- 
 keeper's hand moved on. The starter was seen to move 
 his hand to the pistol scabbard and draw his weapon 
 Up it rose slowly in the air and absolute silence prevailed. 
 For one moment he held the gun aloft and then, "Bang" 
 went the forty-five and the race was on. Yelling, whoop- 
 ing, swearing, off they dashed in their mad flight. 
 Wagons rumbled and bounded over the uneven ground, 
 whips were wielded with pitiless abandon; horses dashed 
 in mad affright to gain the front of the wild careening 
 mob; oxen tossing their wide-spreading horns, with lum- 
 bering gait, dragged their burden of a rattling wagon in 
 their mad dash. All was confusion in the first mad 
 plunge. Then slowly but surely the better mounted and 
 better bred gradually drew away from their slower-footed 
 competitors, and disappeared on the horizon. Naturally 
 those in advance secured the better locations, excepting 
 where the sooners had stealthily pre-empted some desira- 
 ble location. With the slower ones, it was a case of take 
 what was left and make the best of it. In case a man 
 found himself dispossessed by a Sooner, there was only 
 one recourse remaining and that was to buy him out at 
 once, or go to court about the matter, and that was as 
 hazardous as trying to drive him out, as the courts were 
 largely operated on the kangaroo plan. The judge of 
 today might be the criminal of tomorrow, and the crim- 
 inal of today might be tomorrow seated on the judge's 
 bench administering justice? in a very summary manner. 
 
 This transpired a quarter of a century ago, and 
 some of those who went into court to contest for their 
 rights are still pleading their cases with little likelihood 
 of their ever attaining a solution of the difficulty as long 
 as there are fees to be collected. 
 
 I noticed in my experience during the opening of 
 the territory to homeseekers, that Cash, Clemency, and 
 Justice traveled on parallel lines, and when the Cash 
 
140 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 failed to put an appearance, Clemency and Justice dis- 
 appeared also, as the dew dissolves before che morning 
 sun. There were some Sooners sent to the penitentiary 
 for perjury, but they were likely to be pardoned in time 
 to vote at the next election. In view of the number of 
 felons who have been set at liberty, one is forced to con- 
 clude that there have been some very tender-hearted 
 Governors in the state. 
 
 When the first homeseekers were drawing up in line 
 for the mad race across the plain, I joined them. I was 
 very curtly told that I had not any right to take part in 
 the free-for-all scramble for property, as I had 640 acres 
 of land in the Panhandle of Texas. Being that they felt 
 that way about it, I did not press my right, but grace- 
 fully withdrew, and took only an observer's interest in 
 the headlong gallop that occurred. When the excitement 
 had somewhat subsided, I returned to my holdings in 
 the Panhandle and took up the burden of making what 
 improvements I thought necessary to make it a desirable 
 homestead. I had in view the completion of an irrigation 
 ditch that I had begun before I left to see the opening 
 in Oklahoma. On my return I hired a few laborers to 
 help with the work. It took considerable labor and 
 money to complete the task, and when I had it done, I 
 found that all my labor and money had been in vain. 
 When I did not need water, there was too much of it, 
 and when I did need it, the creek that was to furnish me 
 the supply, was as dry as a bone. I became disgusted 
 with that place and sold out for about fifty per cent of 
 what the improvements cost me. Times were hard just 
 then. There was but little money in the country, a long 
 hard winter had killed off multitudes of the range cattle, 
 and the long dry summer had killed off all hopes of re- 
 lief to be found in successful farming. To make our 
 condition more lonely, the mail facilities were not what 
 th'ey should have been for some time. Sometimes a week 
 would elapse, and very frequently several weeks would 
 pass by without our hearing anything from the outside 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 141 
 
 world. Our postmaster was not entirely to blame as he 
 did the best he could in fulfilling his duties. As he could 
 read or write very little, it placed him at a great disad- 
 vantage, but he struggled along against the disadvantage 
 of his lack of training to try to satisfy his patrons. 
 When the mail arrived, he opened the sack and dumped 
 the contents out on a barrel head and permitted each 
 patron to help himself. If Big Jim, or Little Ike hap- 
 pened to be in from some ranch or other, they would 
 look over the pile and take the number of letters they 
 thought belonged to their respective ranches, put them 
 in the pocket of their slicker, mount their ponies and 
 ride away. Perhaps, in a week or so, some of the letters 
 would be returned to the office marked, "opened by mis- 
 take," and others were never returned at all. I will say 
 that there were more letters opened by mistake in that 
 office than in any office in the whole United States, tak- 
 ing into consideration the numbers of letters received. 
 As many years have passed since that time, I have often 
 wondered what became of the efficient postmaster of 
 Wolf Creek. As he was a good, loyal Democrat of the 
 Andrew Jackson type, I thought I might see him some 
 time in the Oklahoma Senate, but have looked in vain. 
 He may have received an appointment to an Ambassador- 
 ship in Mexico, but I have not heard of it. However, 
 wherever he is, if he be living, I wish him well. 
 
 About the time of which I am writing, it was cur- 
 rently reported and generally believed that a millionaire 
 named George R. Timms was building a city at the head 
 of Kiowa Creek, and that there were churches, schools, 
 and all the improvements that go to make a prosperous 
 town. One could get all the advantages of such a place 
 by buying a lot .or two on the installment plan. I de- 
 cided to take advantage of such a brilliant opportunity 
 of getting into closer touch with civilization. I rounded 
 up my horses and cattle and set out toward the land of 
 so much promise. Imagine my surprise and even aston- 
 ishment when I reached the place, to find it almost to- 
 
142 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 tally abandoned. I rode around through the deserted 
 streets without seeing a single person. I was about to 
 pronounce the thing a complete failure, from the point 
 of view of population, when I discovered a bench-legged, 
 bullet-eyed individual approaching me. Where he came 
 from I do not know. In questioning him about the place 
 I was informed that he had been one of the original in- 
 habitants, that the rest had left, but he couldn't get 
 away for lack of means. In his desire to take advan- 
 tage of opportunity, he offered to sell me a 
 town lot. 1 replied that I did not think there 
 was any great demand for town lots just then, and 
 that there was little likelihood of a boom there for some 
 time if present conditions were any indication of the 
 business prospects of the town. I inquired where I could 
 find a house to move into, and he told me to take my 
 choice of the whole place. I looked the town over and 
 finally decided that the hotel was about the best building 
 for my purposes just then. There I remained during my 
 stay in Timms City. I made some further inquiries of 
 my fellow townsman as soon as I had taken up my abode 
 in the Timms House, and he told me that all the popu- 
 lation had gone away to Oklahoma to take up land ; that 
 there were only two persons left behind. I remained in 
 the forsaken city for some time, and spent my leisure 
 moments in hunting antelope. I did not meet with much 
 success in this line of endeavor, as there were very few 
 left in the locality. 
 
 One day, while sitting in front of my new abode, I 
 was called upon by some ranchmen in the neighborhood. 
 They asked me if I would take charge of the postoffice. 
 They explained that it was very difficult for them to get 
 their mail, and if that office was closed up, it would leave 
 them in a very serious predicament. I replied that it 
 was impossible for me to take charge of the office as I 
 was about to take a trip East, and hence would not be 
 able to attend to the official duties of the place. I told 
 them that I appreciated the confidence they had in me, 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 143 
 
 a stranger, thanked them for the offer, but declined 
 firmly to undertake the duties of the position. I made 
 mention of the fact that my wife had had some experi- 
 ence in the work, and if she would be willing to under- 
 take the running of the place, it would be agreeable to 
 me. She undertook the task and after three months of 
 trouble and worry incident to the business, the returns 
 showed that she had received ONE DOLLAR AND 
 THIRTY-NINE CENTS, a handsome sum for the time 
 and energy spent upon the thankless task. After that 
 matter was disposed of, they requested me to accept the 
 office of " Justice of the Peace," an offer that I declined, 
 as I never had any hankering for political preferment. 
 They told me they had to find some one to fill the office 
 until the next election took place. They gave me to 
 understand that the man who had filled that important 
 position knew nothing of the Texas laws. To give me 
 an example of his mental acumen and his judicial integ- 
 rity, they said that, one one occasion he tried a man for 
 stealing a cow. The theft was proven beyond the shadow 
 of a doubt. When the evidence was all in, he took the 
 case under advisement for ten days, and then he sent 
 the man who owned the cow to jail for ninety days and 
 turned the thief loose. When asked why he had taken 
 such a course in his administration of justice, he replied 
 that, in his judgment, they were both thieves, and he 
 had sent the man to jail who could best endure the con- 
 finement. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 The Messiah Craze; A Thrilling Experience; An Arkan- 
 saw Traveler, Etc. 
 
 A short time prior to the period of which I am writ- 
 ing, there had heen taught and promulgated by some 
 half-breed, a religion which afterwards became known as 
 the " Messiah Crazs." It had spread all over the North- 
 west territories and finally reached Oklahoma. The prin- 
 cipal tenet of this strange religion was that the Great 
 Spirit was going to remove all the white folks and re- 
 store the buffalo to his native plains, which were to be- 
 come a sort of "Happy Hunting Grounds" for the In- 
 dians, or a heaven on -earth where everything was to be 
 peace, joy, and chuckaway without end. 
 
 I had heard something about it, but had paid little 
 or no attention to it. The current of events lent an 
 aspect of truth to the prophecy, as, about that time the 
 cowmen were being removed from the Cherokee Strip, 
 their fences and ranches torn down and moved away. 
 All this seemed to say to the half -crazed Indians that the 
 white man's race was about run. All they had to do 
 was to wait a while and their earthly paradise would be 
 opened for Indian occupation. I could not see things in 
 the same light as the Indian enthusiast. It looked to me 
 as if the Government intended to throw the Cherokee 
 country open to homestead settlement. The truth of this 
 conjecture was proven shortly afterwards, and showed 
 that I had the correct solution of the movement. 
 
 I made up my mind to make a journey down through 
 that section to learn something of the topography of the 
 place and also to find a good location in which to make a 
 settlement when it was opened for the purpose. I fitted 
 out my wagon with the necessary supplies for the jaunt, 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 145 
 
 took five head of horses, and took my little boy, Emmet, 
 then about twelve years of age, for company. When 
 all preparations were properly made, we started out on 
 what was to be a perilous journey. 
 
 On our first night out, we stayed with Judge Gard, 
 on Mammoth Creek. He was County Judge, one of those 
 whole-souled men who never knew what it was to pull in 
 the latch-string-that hung on his door. We spent the even- 
 ing very pleasantly exchanging experiences of former 
 dayis. Next morning we set out before dawn, and sunrise 
 found us on Wolf Creek trail. We followed this along the 
 creek until we reached its mouth, where it joins the 
 Beaver, and forms the head-waters of the North Can- 
 adian River, about a mile and a half from Ft. Supply. 
 From there we took the trail leading to the little town 
 of Woodward, only a station erected alongside the rail- 
 road which had been recently built through that coun- 
 try. Here I had the pleasure of meeting Thomas Bug- 
 bee, an old-time cowmen who was shipping his cattle 
 preparatory to leaving the Cherokee Strip. I had a 
 friendly chat with him, and then pulled out and pro- 
 ceeded on my way along the Canadian River. We had 
 not gone very far 011 our way when we met an old 
 frontiersman and prince of scouts, Amos Chapman, tak- 
 ing a band of Cheyenne Indians to Camp Supply to draw 
 their rations. As it was now past noon, we stopped to 
 let the horses graze while we prepared something for our 
 wants. Whilst there we inquired of Amos how things 
 were running down the river. He told us something 
 about the excitement that had been stirred up. While 
 we were eating the Indians filed by, and their appear- 
 ance was not any too encouraging. Before parting with 
 us, he advised us to keep a close watch on them as they 
 were all affected with the Messiah Craze; that they had 
 been making medicine, and were liable to break out at 
 any time, but that up to the present they had done noth- 
 ing more than was customary with them. As he had 
 several bullet marks as souvenirs of former encounters 
 
146 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 with them, and had also lost one leg in an Indian fight, 
 I knew that I was talking to a man of no small experi- 
 ence, and felt that his advice was worth taking. He 
 noticed that I had some good horses with me, and 
 warned me to keep them picketed close to me while I 
 slept, as a good horse was a very great temptation to 
 an Indian, especially a bad one, but generally speaking 
 my stock was safe enough. I thanked him for his coun- 
 sel, and as the afternoon was fast slipping away, I moved 
 on. 
 
 As the cowmen had nearly all left that part of the 
 country, and as the Indians had all gone to Camp Supply 
 for their rations, we did not meet many travelers on the 
 trail that afternoon. We went into camp early, and pur- 
 suant to the advice given us, we picketed our horses 
 near at hand. There was no curfew rung that night, but 
 there was a good substitute, for, about a mile away 
 there was camped a company of soldiers, sent out from 
 the Fort ostensibly for the purpose of exercise, but in 
 reality to watch the movements of the Indians. At the 
 passing of every hour we could hear the sentry call out 
 that all was well. As this was my first night to camp 
 out in some time I did not sleep very well, and, conse- 
 quently, was up at daybreak ready to start. The usual 
 formalities of breakfast for ourselves and attention to 
 our outfit had been attended to, and we took up our 
 journey once more. We had not gone more that a mile 
 when I discovered a lone man standing beside the trail 
 with a gun in his hands. What he was doing there was 
 a mystery to me. I could not see any horse near him, 
 nor was there anything else in sight to give a clue to 
 his presence there. In the meantime I kept mov- 
 ing on, with one eye on the man and the other on the 
 trail. When I was within a few hundred yards of him, 
 he raised his gun and fired. I could see the smoke and 
 hear the report, but could not discover the object he 
 was trying to shoot. As I approached him, I discovered 
 that the man before me was an Indian, bare-headed with 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 147 
 
 his hair plaited down his back, and wearing a good suit 
 of Uncle Sam's clothes. His foot-gear consisted of a 
 nicely beaded pair of moccasins. His was a majestic 
 figure as he stood there straight as an arrow and meas- 
 uring about six feet, four inches in height. He saluted 
 me with the customary Indian, " How," and I returned 
 his salutation. I enquired of him what the difficulty 
 was, as it was an unusual thing to meet a lone Indian 
 on the p rairie. I knew there was something out of the 
 ordinary, or he would not be there. Then my difficulty 
 began. He knew comparatively nothing of the English 
 language and I knew less of his sign mode of communi- 
 cation. He seemed rather eager to communicate with 
 me, and I was anxious to know the cause of his rather 
 unusual predicament. It seemed a hopeless task to try 
 to make anything out of what he was trying to tell me. 
 However, by battling with his broken English, and mix- 
 ing in a few Cheyenne words that I knew, I arrived at 
 some solution of the difficulty. The fact was that he 
 had been over on the South Canadian on some mission 
 from the sub-agency, and his horse had thrown him and 
 left him afoot on the prairie. As there were no Indians 
 in the neighborhood from whom he could borrow a horse, 
 (they were all away attending the Messiah dance), he 
 was trying to make his way back on foot. As he had 
 had nothing to eat since the day before he had been 
 trying to shoot a prairie dog, but he had met with no 
 success. Then I knew that he was hungry. 
 
 The Government has succeeded in moving the In- 
 dians around from one agency to another, and in some 
 instances the agents have plundered the wards of the 
 Government of their provisions and clothing, but they 
 have never succeeded in removing a live Indian's appe- 
 tite. 
 
 That Indian's condition aroused my sympathy, and I 
 felt that something should be done to relieve his imme- 
 diate wants. I reached behind the seat to the grub-box, 
 and brought forth some cold biscuits that remained from 
 
148 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 the meal of the day before. When he saw what I had in 
 my hand, a broad smile of satisfaction spread over his 
 face. When I saw that he relished the biscuits so much, 
 I cut open a can of tomatoes and handed it to him. This 
 seemed to delight him even more than did the biscuits, 
 and it was a pleasure to see him drink the liquid first 
 and then with a broad grin eat the tomatoes one after 
 another with all evidence of deep content. There I was 
 doing as the Good Samaritan had done, to the man that I 
 thought was standing beside the trail to shoot me. 
 During my interview with the Indian, one of the horses 
 had strayed away some distance, and Emmet had ridden 
 after him to bring him back to the buck-board. When 
 the Indian saw him, he said admiringly, "Heap good 
 papoose." He seemed to take a great interest in the 
 boy, but I was wondering whether it was the boy or the 
 rifle he was carrying on his saddle. As I had learned 
 the direction of his teepee I invited him to take a seat 
 beside me so that we might be moving onward. When 
 he settled himself into the seat, he gave a loud grunt 
 of satisfaction. We rode along for several miles to where 
 the river make a bend, and came close to the trail. 
 There I decided to camp as it was convenient for wood 
 and water. I turned in there, and I had no sooner 
 stopped than the Indian was out gathering wood and 
 kindling to start a fire. I unhitched and Emmet drove 
 the horses down to the river to get a drink, and let them 
 graz'e until they were needed again. At this time I 
 needed no interpreter. I handed the Indian a knife and 
 a side of bacon, pointed to the skillet, and he understood 
 the signs perfectly. He immediately set to work to 
 attend to the frying and I undertook the work of getting 
 the dishes ready for our meal. As I had a guest, I took 
 out an extra quantity of coffee, and an extra plate, etc. 
 The Indian showed himself no novice in the line of 
 cooking, and we soon had a repast ready that would 
 satisfy the craving of any hungry man, prince, poten- 
 tate, or plebeian. Some folks might think it intolerable 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 149 
 
 to dine in the manner employed on such occasions. We 
 bade defianc'e to all the germ theories that were being 
 advanced at that time, and adapted ourselves to the 
 conditions of time and place. After the horses had 
 grazed for some time we hooked up again, and set forth 
 without any further ceremony. My guest seemed to 
 wish to communicate some idea to me and kept his hands 
 and fingers as busy as a Drogheda weaver, but all to no 
 purpose as I could not understand him. I drove along 
 on my mission, the Indian all the time making his signs. 
 At times he looked disgusted because he could not 
 break through my ignorance. Probably, if I had made 
 more of an effort, I might have understood enough to 
 avoid some unpleasant complications which followed 
 soon afterwards. In the meantime, Emmet, boylike, had 
 been keeping his eye open for anything in the shape of 
 game and held his gun in readiness to bring it into 
 immediate play. We were jaunting along rapidly 
 enough, and the rattling of the buckboard disturbed the 
 repose of a coyote that was lying in the sage brush 
 along the trail. When he jumped up to take a survey 
 of the situation, Emmet fired at him and, whether 
 through accident or good marksmanship, I cannot say, 
 brought down the beast on the spot. At the crack of 
 the gun, the Indian turned his head just in time to see 
 the coyote fall, then turned loose some more sign lan- 
 guage and closed his efforts by saying, "heap good pa- 
 poose." We proceeded along our way until we were in 
 the neighborhood of Cantonment. Then my fellow-tra 
 veller made a sign that he wanted me to stop, which I did. 
 He left the buckboard and started off through the brush, 
 I suppose, to where his teepee was located, some place 
 along the river. 
 
 I learned afterwards tnrougii an interpreter that my 
 companion was not a bad Indian, but one of the nu- 
 merous Red Men appointed by Uncle Sam to look after 
 the movements of the different tribes who at that time 
 
150 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 were taking part in the Messiah craze, and report to the 
 fort or agency the condition in which he found them. 
 
 In the distance I could see the timber which skirts 
 a small creek running into the river, where I concluded 
 there would be a good place to camp as there would be 
 plenty' of wood and water there, and likewise good 
 pasture for the horses. It was now past the middle of 
 the afternoon, and I decided to go into camp early so 
 as to have a good night's rest, and give the horses an 
 opportunity for a good graze to freshen up after the 
 long drive. 
 
 It did not take me long to reach the creek, and 
 when I drove over the hill and down into the bottom 
 lands, what was my surprise and consternation to find 
 that I had driven into the storm center of the Messiah 
 Dance then being held on the bank of the river. There 
 were between five hundred and a thousand Chyennes 
 and Arpahoes in the assemblage. Just at the moment 
 they were holding what the cowmen call a "powow." 
 I was evidently in a very ticklish situation. What to 
 do I did not know. One thing I decided on in a very 
 hasty manner, and that was that there was no use in 
 showing the white feather just then. I drove up within 
 about twenty rods of their headquarters. I got out and 
 began to unhitch. I was certainly 1 taking the dilemma 
 by the horns and determined to make the most of the 
 situation. While trying to make myself feel comforta- 
 ble, which I was far from doing, I told Emmet to hobble 
 the rest of the ponies to prevent their wandering away. 
 Then I set to work to make flap-jacks and coffee, and 
 I do not believe that flap-jacks were ever turned out 
 under such circumstances before or since. I had been 
 doing a lot of thinking over the situation, but found 
 that, no matter what angle I viewed it from, I was in 
 difficulties. I did not dare to tell Emmet what was 
 passing through my mind for fear he would lose his 
 courage, and I must say that my own was fast ebbing. 
 I did not libe to acknowledge to my boy that I was 
 
OK THE DULL KNIFE RAID 151 
 
 afraid. They say that God hates a liar, and I must say 
 that I am no greater admirer of such a man myself, 
 but when Emmet ask me what the disturbance was all 
 about, I had to evade his question and put him off by 
 saying that there was nothing wrong, that the Indians 
 were out on one of their picnics, which they were accus- 
 tomed to hold frequently. I knew I was deceiving him, 
 but felt that it was the best I could do under the cir- 
 cumstances. I knew that the Indians claimed to be in 
 touch with Messiah and Messiah had promised to remove 
 the white man and restore the buffalo to his native 
 plains, and I began to think seriously that I might be 
 the first pale-face on which that order might take effect. 
 While making my flap-jacks for supper, I had a 
 visit from some eight or ten bucks dressed up in white 
 sheets. They came and stood around me in a half 
 circle. They did not speak a word, nor even utter a 
 grunt. I continued to give my undivided attention to 
 the w r ork at hand, apparently unaware of their presence. 
 They remained there motionless as statues for fifteen or 
 twenty minutes. If one of them moved a muscle, I did 
 not know it. Their presence was rather disconcerting, 
 to say the least, but what could I do about it? Why 
 they were wearing those white sheets, I could not under- 
 stand. It might, probably, have been a part of their 
 regalia for the ceremony. Whatever it was, it did not 
 add anything to my feelings of comfort. At a signal 
 from headquarters they left me as uncerimoniously as 
 they had come. I had a Winchester leaning against the 
 front wheel of the wagon, and a six-shooter lying on 
 the top of the grub-box, and Emmet had a rifle close 
 at hand, which went to show that we were pretty well 
 able to look after ourselves in case of emergency. Just 
 then my attention was attracted by the rumbling of 
 wheels and on looking around I saw a man driving a 
 small team of ponies in my direction. I was rather 
 glad of his arrival, whoever he might be. Some one 
 has said that "misery loves company," and I have yet 
 
152 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 to learn which was the greater nuisance, my misery or 
 my new-found arrival. I was anxious for a relief from 
 the present embarrassing conditions, and invited him 
 to stop and have something to eat. He complied with 
 my request, or rather invitation. He unhitched his 
 ponies, not a very difficult task as he employed a simpli- 
 fied harness of the chain variety, with corn-husk collars, 
 and no throat-latch to the bridles. When he went 
 towards the wagon the old ponies seemed to know what 
 was coming, and shook their heads and the bridles fell 
 off, and they went to grazing. While Emmet was making 
 more coffee and frying an extra quantity of meat, I 
 went over to inspect his outfit. It was certainly a 
 strange make-up for a man on a journey. There was no 
 bedding in sight, and no kind of cooking outfit. There 
 was an old gun that had once been a flint-lock, and 
 might have seen service in the battle of Waterloo. The 
 breach had been cut off and it had been restocked. The 
 barrel was about four feet long, and for a front sight 
 it had something that very much resembled a brass 
 collar button. The butt of the stock was wrapped in 
 a gunny sack and tied up carefully with binder twine, 
 which I learned afterwards was for the, purpose of 
 lessening the concussion on his shoulder when firing it. 
 
 My guest sat down to eat, and while he was thus 
 occupied, I made bc-id to question him as to whence he 
 came and whither he was going. He informed me that 
 he was from Arkansaw and was on his way to N,o-Man's 
 Land where he had relations. I then ask him to men- 
 tion some of the folks he was going to bless with his 
 presence. From the reply he gave me I knew that I 
 was face to face with an artistic liar, as I knew all the 
 settlers up in that part of the country. Having in 
 earlier years made a study of phrenology, I thought this 
 the proper time to put some of the principals I had 
 learned to the test. I began to make a sort of mental 
 examination of the formation of his cranium and came 
 to the conclusion that he would violate at least seven 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 153 
 
 of the commandments without a second thought, and the 
 remaining three would have to depend upon circum- 
 stances for their observation. One thing I found in his 
 favor and that was that he would not commit murder 
 as the bump of combativeness was almost entirely lacking 
 a view which in a very short time proved to be correct, 
 for almost immediately, without any preliminaries or 
 forewarning, as if by magic the Messiah Dance was 
 opened, and the man from Arkansaw almost melted 
 away through fear. 
 
 As it was now dark, I could see plainly the move- 
 ments of the Indians by the glare of the camp fires 
 around their teepees. Their leader commenced intoning 
 a wierd Hi-Yi-Hi-Oh-Yip-Yip-Hi-Oh, and maintained the 
 monotonous chant as an accompaniment to the tom-tom. 
 This was kept up without intermission until the first 
 set of dancers! became exhausted. Then everything 
 became quiet once more. The silence remained unbroken 
 until the next performance was ready. When the 
 recess had lasted about half an hour, the signal was 
 given a second time, and all the dancers, bucks and 
 squaws, fell into line and began a performance which 
 resembled very much a continHiatioin of the old-time 
 hop-step. They leaped and chanted at the same time. 
 The melody of their song was very much in keeping 
 with the music of the tom-tom, but entirely unlike any- 
 thing I had ever heard, before or since. Most of the 
 bucks were decorated with the insignia of the rank they 
 held in their respective tribes, while the remainder were 
 clothed in the regulation blanket, moccasins, and breach 
 clouts. The squaws, like their white sisters, endeavored 
 to outdo each other in the matter of fantastic habili- 
 ments. They wore no head dress, and their hair was 
 done up in the latest style. They wore some splendid 
 blankets which I judged were of Navajoe make, and 
 were highly ornamented. Besides this they wore mocca- 
 sins beaded in many colors, and leggings. 
 
 Still the dance went on with the same powow, with 
 
154 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 no variation in the music. It was left for the third 
 and final dance to make the grand display of the even- 
 ing. When they had enjoyed the second recess in sullen 
 silence, they broke forth in one grand effort to make 
 the finale the piece-de-resistance of the evenings enter- 
 tainment. They seemed to have restrained themselves 
 for this special production of their hideous and welkin- 
 splitting pandemonium. Everything they had done in 
 the way of cavorting in the complex measures of their 
 former dance, seemed to be nothing to what was expected 
 of them in the last grand splurge. Prom my own 
 observation of the performance I should best describe 
 it by saying that it seemed as if the infernal regions 
 had been turned loose for a holiday. The readers 
 imagination will have to picture what really took place 
 in that final orgy of riot and disorder. Words cannot ade- 
 quately describe it, and I would be unwise to attempt 
 to do so. But just to give a faint idea of what really 
 took place I will say that at a given signal they all 
 fell into line again as in the previous performance. In 
 addition to their former efforts, they included the call 
 or cry of every bird or beast known to them, from the 
 guttural growl of the wild bear to the call of the peewee. 
 It was all there in one jumble of discordant sound, the 
 neighing of the horse, the roaring of the bull, the call 
 of the bobwhite, the barking of dogs, the howl of the 
 coyote, the call of the peacock, the familiar gobbling 
 of the wild turkey, etc. This was continued until they 
 dropped from sheer exhaustion. The revel and riot was 
 at length completed and silence reigned again. 
 
 In all my experience I have never heard or seen 
 anything like it. Anything that I had ever seen before 
 was like a children's picnic when compared with the 
 Messiah Dance. I had read of Tarn O'Shanter peeping 
 through the crannies of the Auld Kirk of Alloway, feast- 
 ing his 'eyes upon the dance of the witches, but it was 
 not to be compared with the Messiah Dance, for here 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 155 
 
 there were real, live mortals enacting a dance that was 
 incomparable in its weird peculiarities. 
 
 When the festivities had ceased, I asked my Arkan- 
 saw guest what he thought of it. He replied that he 
 had just about concluded to leave at once. "If," said 
 he, "they do such things in play, what would they do 
 to us if they took the notion to put into practice some 
 of the barbarities for which the Indian is famed." I 
 told him to get that notion out of his head immediately, 
 for, if he did, the Indians would likely follow him and 
 take his scalp for a prelude to what they would do 
 afterwards to him. I assured him that there was some 
 security in remaining where we were, but that there 
 would be none in leaving, as they would think he was 
 afraid and then would follow him with results not to be 
 desired. After a good deal of persuasion, I induced him 
 to share my blankets with me and my boy, which was 
 a great trial for him. 
 
 The bucks and squaws had, by this time, retired to 
 their tents, and everything was quiet. The camp fires 
 were still burning and lit up the trees and shrubbery 
 so plainly that one could see each separate branch and 
 twig. The reflection of the blaze lit up the little valley 
 in such a way that we seemed to be walled in by a cordon 
 of liquid fire. 
 
 As I was fatigued after the day's journey', I turned 
 in like a trooper's horse, with my shoes on, to be ready 
 to meet any emergency that might arise. As innocence 
 knows neither crime, nor danger, Emmet was curled up 
 in sleep like a babe in its mother's arms. But such 
 was not the case of the Arkansaw Traveller. He was 
 lying on the opposite side of the "bed," next to Emmet, 
 but in spite of the fact that he was removed from me 
 in that manner, I could hear his heart beating so dis- 
 tinctly that it seemed like the fluttering of a bird trying 
 to break from its cage. For myself, I just trusted in 
 a kind Providence, and slept the sleep of the weary. 
 
 At daybreak we were up and thankful that we were 
 
356 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 still alive. We went about the preparation of break- 
 fast as though nothing unusual was taking place around 
 us. As the weather looked as though we would have 
 rain very soon, I set about the task of building a teepee, 
 as I had no shelter. I intended to cover it with a wagon 
 sheet, as that was the most serviceable for the purpose 
 of keeping us dry'. In the meantime Emmet had strayed 
 off through the trees and brush to see what he could 
 find in the way of game. I had just cut some willows 
 to make the framework of my teepee, when the boy 
 came running excitedly back to camp and exclaimed, 
 "papa, papa' come down to the river and see what those 
 Indians are doing!" As I saw he was excited about 
 something, I dropped everything and followed him to 
 the river which was not far from our camp. There I 
 saw something that was novel to me. There were about 
 five hundred bucks and squaws in the water taking their 
 morning bath. They were not in one group, but were 
 separated about seventy-five yards, bucks in one group 
 and squaws in another. Between them was animaginary 
 dead line over which, by tribal custom, no young buck or 
 brave 'had the temerity to cross. They were splashing 
 around in the water like nymphs, disporting themselves 
 after their own fashion. I did not notice that indis- 
 pensable attache of refined society, the chaperon domi- 
 neering over those simple, stainless daughters of the 
 plains to keep them from drifting from the path of 
 moral rectitude. A native sense of modesty, as well as 
 tribal traditions dispensed with such a guardian. There 
 was no need of one. There were no ladies of high-degree 
 lolling on benches on the bank, with a broad brimmed 
 hat, and all the other follies that go to make up what 
 is called "style," neither were there any little, black 
 nosed, red eyed, fluffy-haired dogs with expensive collars 
 around their necks, nor pugs with tails curled up so 
 tightly that it would be almost impossible for their hind 
 legs to touch the ground. No, they were not there, 
 neither were many other devises that go to improve 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 157 
 
 the figure to make it Juno-like, nor were bathing suits 
 in evidence, but in spite of all that they seemed to be 
 enjoying the frolic in the water. 
 
 As I had left the kettle of beans simmering on the 
 fire, I had to return and look after them as the mind 
 of the man from Arkansaw was too much perturbed to be 
 in condition to mind anything so commonplace as beans. 
 When I reached my outfit, I was surprised to find a 
 half dozen Indian police awaiting me. They bore a 
 message from the Indian agent stating that he wished 
 to see me. As I was rather anxious to depart from 
 that locality, I was not long in making the necessary 
 arrangements to do so. When I arrived at the agency, 
 I made inquiries of those who were there as to the 
 whereabouts of the agent. I was directed to the office. 
 I entered and introduced myself and inquired what was 
 wanted of me. The agent, who introduced himself as 
 Boak, a very nice gentleman, told me that the Indians 
 were holding their Messiah Dance and did not care 
 for the presence of white folks, as witnesses. As they 
 had seen me begin to build a teepee they came to the 
 conclusion that I was going to become a permanent 
 fixture there, and they requested the agent to invite me 
 to choose another locality for my habitation. Of course, 
 he informed me that I was welcome to such hospitality 
 as the agency could furnish. I believed him and thanked 
 him for his generosity. I assured him that it had not 
 been my intention to disturb the Indians in their religious 
 proceedings. I did not say anything about my being 
 afraid that I would be disturbed by them. It chanced 
 that our feelings in regard to the matter were mutual. 
 The more we discussed the matter, the more he seemed 
 to insist upon my partaking of his hospitality, which 
 led me to believe that he was rather uneasy on account 
 of the Messiah Dance and wanted not only my company, 
 but whatever assistance I could give in case the Indians 
 became threatening. I did not find any fault with him 
 for having that feeling, and it would take a man better 
 
158 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 versed in Indian lore to tell what was likely to happen 
 next. 
 
 As it was getting along in the forenoon, and I saw 
 there was no further use in prolonging the interview, 
 I left the agency, went and got my belongings and set 
 out on my journey up along the river. I took the bottom 
 trail that wound a zig-zag course through the timber 
 My progress seemed to be made through a leafy tunnel. 
 The trees on each side of the trail were heavily leaved, 
 and the branches above reached across the trail, forming 
 a beautiful corridor-like passage. When I had gone on 
 my way for a mile or more, I happened to glance behind 
 and saw an Indian on a pony, with a Winchester across 
 his saddle, who seemed to be following me.I did not like 
 the looks of things just then. I concluded that if the 
 Indian had any trouble he wanted to settle, the best 
 thing was to have the matter attended to without delay. 
 I drove on until I came to a rather lengthy passage, 
 free from windings, and then stopped the team. I 
 motioned for him to come up to where I was. He did so. 
 When he arrived, I asked him in on uncertain tone of 
 voice what he wanted? He uttered but one word, 
 "tobac." I had about half a sack of Duke's Mixture 
 which I handed to him. He took it hastily, turned his 
 horse around and plunged into the brush at the side of 
 the trail, and that was the last that I saw of him. I 
 found it hard to reconcile myself to the belief that it 
 was tobacco alone that he was wanting. 
 
 The rain had begun falling in the meantime, and to 
 say that it was merely raining will not convey the 
 proper idea to the mind. It poured in torrents, and con- 
 tinued to do so all day long. About noon we stopped and 
 tried to make some coffee for dinner, but it was no use. 
 We set out again and plodded along in the deluge until 
 late in the afternoon. I was continually on the look-out 
 for some sort of shelter, and my sight was at last grat- 
 ified by observing at some distance from the river, a 
 stockade building. I set off in the direction of the 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 159 
 
 expected shelter, and when I reached it, found that it 
 had a good dirt-roof, but no windows nor doors. It was 
 what is called a wind-break and I determined to pre- 
 empt it for the night. I knew it belonged to some 
 Indian, but as he was likely off to theMessiah Dance, he 
 would not return just then, and even if he did, I would 
 try to make him as comfortable as circumstances would 
 permit, divide my chuckaway with him, even go so far 
 as to share my blanket with him, but as for deserting 
 that shelter just then, it was not to be thought of. If 
 he were to become hostile and wanted to fight, I would 
 accomodate his longing as there would be little or no 
 chance to seek safety in flight. I made preparations to 
 cook some supper, and Emmet attended to the horses, 
 hobbled them and turned them loose to graze. In the 
 meanwhile, I must not forget to say that Arkansaw had 
 been following me like a shadow ever since I left the 
 agency. To see him as he was then in his bedraggled 
 condition, with his ramshackle outfit, one would think 
 that the genius of famine and desolation had descended 
 upon the land. I carried the chuck-box, bedding, guns, 
 and utensils into the shelter preparatory to getting things 
 ready for supper and bed. I enlisted the services of 
 Arkansaw to gather some wood to build a fire, and I 
 must say as a hauler of wood he was a dismal failure. 
 However, we finally managed to get a fire started and set 
 in to dry our clothes, bedding, 'etc., along with getting 
 something to eat. We were all ravenously hungry, and 
 the flap-jacks disappeared with wonderful alacrity. 
 "When our appetites had been satisfied, things did not 
 look so bad to us. It was not the most comfortable 
 place to spend the night, but it was far better than the 
 rain soaked ground. To add to our discomfort, it began 
 to turn cold. We crawled under the partially dried 
 blankets in the hope that wearied nature would provide 
 a good sound sleep. As we were not distracted by such 
 howling and yelling as we had endured the night before, 
 things would have been favorable for a good night's 
 
160 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 rest. But I cannot say there was much prospect for a 
 refreshing sleep as it is one thing to find repose under 
 dry blankets, and another to seek the same balm i'or a 
 wearied body under bedding that has been exposed to 
 a downpour of rain for hours. No, it was not going to 
 rest, it was just lying down for want of something else 
 to do. I noticed that the heart of the Arkansaw Trav- 
 eller did not beat as loudly as on the preceding night, 
 and it was not long until he began to snore with all 
 the variations of a steam calliope. I was glad to know 
 that he at least could find sleep under such conditions, 
 but for me, there was not much comfort. I thought that 
 by this time my fellow traveller was over his scare, but 
 in the midst of his dreams he let a yell out of him and 
 exclaimed, "Let up on that, you can't scalp me, I'm from 
 Arkansaw." I reached over and gave him a poke in the 
 side and told him that it made no difference whether he 
 was from Arkansaw or New Jersey, that he would be 
 scalp-ed unless he was ready to put up a pretty stiff fight. 
 When we rolled out shivering in the morning, we found 
 that it had frozen during the night. We welcomed the 
 coming of the dawn, as the night had been one continual 
 toss from one side to the other, and no comfort was 
 found. I arose and shook myself to see if I were all 
 there, and found myself intact. The others followed my 
 example with the same results. I stepped outside to 
 see how the horses were faring and found they had 
 wandered off. I left word for Arkansaw to prepare 
 something to eat and went off in search of the ponies. 
 I had a rather good idea of where they had gone, and 
 after walking about a mile I found them. They were 
 huddled together for warmth. Their hobbles were frozen 
 stiff. I removed the frozen hobble from one of them, 
 mounted him, and drove the others back to camp. When 
 I returned to the shelter, breakfast was ready and soon 
 attended to. I gathered up my belongings once more 
 and we set out again. It was a beautiful morning and 
 the sun seemed to be trying to compensate us for the 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 161 
 
 hardship we had endured during the night. The horses 
 seemed anxious to go, and their speed shortened the time 
 of our journey considerably. We rode on for about ten 
 or twelve miles, when we came to a beautiful grazing 
 ground sheltered by a sand hill. With such a fine loca- 
 tion I decided that this was a good opportunity to spread 
 out the bedding to dry, and attend to our other wants. 
 It seemed as if we were always hungry, and when a 
 fine opportunity presented itself for preparing a repast, 
 we simply had to yield to the occasion. I set Emmet and 
 Arkansaw to cooking, while I attended to the horses. 
 I then took a ramble around for 1 had seen where there 
 was evidence of a flock of wild turkeys in the neigh- 
 borhood. It was no great difficulty to follow their trail 
 in the soft earth, and I soon happened upon a flock of 
 forty or fifty feeding on the heads of wild rye that was 
 growing in a sort of pocket formed by the hill. I took 
 in my surroundings at a glance, and to my agreeable 
 surprise I saw a deer about two hundred yards away 
 nibbling at the leaves of a shin oak. I determined to 
 take a chance with the deer first. I took careful aim 
 and fired. My shot was not true, but I succeeded in 
 breaking his hind leg. He did not seem to realize where 
 the shot came from, and turned and came straight for 
 me. I will admit that his advance upon me was dis- 
 concerting as it was so unusual. I waited until 'he had 
 come within about twenty yards from me, and fire^l 
 again. The bullet struck within about six! inches of 
 where I was aiming, which showed that I was influenced 
 by what is called "buck fever." While all this was 
 taking place, the turkeys had flown off over the hill. 
 I followed them, knowing that they would not be far 
 away. I came upon them. They were all huddled to- 
 gether in one dense mass. I sent a bullet into the midst 
 of them and succeeded in killing two of them. The 
 others flew away, and I knew by their flight that more 
 of them had been hit. I gathered up the two that I 
 had brought down and took them back to where the 
 
162 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 deer was lying. I found that I had carried them about 
 as far as I cared to, and went off to get some dinner, 
 intending to have Emmet saddle up his pony and bring 
 them in later. I accompanied him as he was too young 
 to attend to the matter alone. I hung the turkeys on 
 the saddle horn, and the pony seemed to object as he 
 bucked considerably. He did not take kindly to drag 
 ging the deer after him and showed his displeasure by 
 performing such gyrations as only a Texas cow pony 
 can accomplish. However, we succeeded in persuading 
 him to perform the task and set out for camp. When 
 we had returned to our outfit, and I had begun to dress 
 the deer, Arkansaw came to me in an apparent state of 
 trepidation and told me that, during my absence, a band 
 of Indians, seven in number had called at the camp and 
 left word for me to leave the reservation. To be sure that 
 I understood him aright, I asked, 'how many?' "Seven" 
 said he. I asked him if they were all on horseback and 
 he said that they were, that one of them wore a war- 
 bonnet. I made no reply to this, but when I had com- 
 pleted the task of dressing the deer and turkeys, I made 
 a circle around the camp, about fifty yards out, and 
 found no traces of any Indians being there. When I 
 returned to the camp, I felt satisfied that Arkansaw 
 was about the most artistic and monumental liar west 
 of the Mississippi. I then knew that he was still 
 frightened and wanted to get as far away from there 
 as he could and that as soon as possible. He was afraid 
 to go alone and originated the tale to induce me to set 
 out at once. I did not tell him what I thought of the 
 originality' of design he manifested, but if he had an 
 ounce of judgment he would have seen that I would 
 easily detect his falsehood as my horses were all shod, 
 and I could easily detect the marks of the unshod Indian 
 ponies in the soft earth if they had been in the neigh- 
 borhood. I did not make any preparations to depart 
 immediately, but left Emmet and Arkansaw to look after 
 the things about the camp, and set out again to secure 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 163 
 
 more game if possible. It was with reluctance that my 
 brave? friend consented to do such a little thing as 
 greasing the buekboard, as he felt there was grave 
 danger in delaying there any longer. Before leaving I 
 informed him that I was thinking of departing next 
 morning, but if any more Indians appeared on the scene 
 while I was gone, to inform them that I was not in a 
 hurry to leave those parts, and, furthermore, if they 
 were looking for trouble, I was there to accommodate 
 them. 
 
 The absence of danger is sometimes a great stimulus 
 to a man's courage, and I felt that there was no peril 
 in store for us as it was most likely that there was not 
 an Indian within fifteen miles of us, and, besides I wanted 
 to scare the Arkansaw Traveller properly. 
 
 I took my gun and sauntered off over the hill, enjoy- 
 ing the walk after being cramped up in the buckboard. 
 I could have killed several turkeys, but preferred to get 
 another deer if possible. In my meanderings I came 
 upon an Indian grave. He had been laid to rest upon 
 a platform, rolled in his blanket and wrapped in an 
 outer covering of bark. I must confess that I had an 
 uncanny fe'eling as I approached the last resting place of 
 that noble red man, but it was a sensation entirely 
 different to the ones I had experienced in meeting some 
 of them in the flesh. However, since he was there and 
 I was close by, I thought it a good opportunity* to 
 satisfy my curiosity about their customs of burial. I 
 approached him with about as much alacrity as one 
 would expect u&der jthe circumstances. I found the 
 blanket in which he was rolled, incrusted with sand that 
 had blown upon it from the neighborhood. It was rotten 
 from long exposure to the elements and had about the 
 same consistency as paper. I turned back one corner to 
 get a view of the condition of the remains. The flesh 
 had disappeared, the long braided hair was there, but 
 from its appearance I could not tell whether he had been 
 there thirty days, or three years. It had a gloss to it 
 
164 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 that seemed to indicate that his burial took place 
 recently. I turned back the blanket and left him as I 
 found him. I retraced my steps towards camp, as I was 
 beginning to have another attack of what usually ailed 
 me, hunger. On my way, I discovered another deer near 
 the place where I had killed the first one, and was able 
 to bring him down at the first shot. I left him where 
 he fell and went back to where Emmet and Arkansaw 
 were whiling away the time making ready for the next 
 lap of our journey. I sent the boy back with the pony 
 to bring in the game. 
 
 While we were alone, Arkansaw, while watching me 
 get supper, grew confidential. He told me about leaving 
 his native state, and how he had traded coonskins for 
 the gun with the remarkable action. I asked him why 
 he did not use it when an occasion presented itself for 
 bagging a few turkeys. He replied that he was rather 
 afraid to shoot the weapon, as, just before leaving his 
 home, he was short of ammunition and had no oppor- 
 tunity of procuring any. Besides that, one of his neigh- 
 bors told him that he would be likely to meet some bad 
 men on the way to the Territory, and advised him to 
 put a plow bolt down the barrel to keep the load that 
 was in it from getting damp. He said that he was afraid 
 the bolt had rusted in the barrel and consequently he 
 had not the courage to fire the gun. Just to add to his 
 pleasurable feelings at that moment, I thought I would 
 give him some of his own coin and told him that I had 
 seen an Indian on my travels, who was dressed differently 
 from those we had seen at the Messiah Dance, and that 
 there were likely more in the neighborhood. I warned 
 him to prepare for an emergency by getting that gun 
 into working shape. I advised him to pour bacon grease 
 into the lock and try to get it into working order, for 
 if those Indians he saw would return, there would be 
 some moments of activity around that neck of the woods. 
 As Emmet had by this time arrived with the deer, I set 
 to work to dress it and put things in shape for our 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 165 
 
 departure in the morning. To have some more sport 
 with Arkansaw I tried to get him to stand guard during 
 the night. I told him that now that his gun was in 
 good shape he would be in a position to protect himself, 
 and at the same time warn us of the approach of Indians. 
 He tried for a while, but I could see that he was suffer- 
 ing agony untold on account of his fear of an attack. 
 The rustling of a leaf caused him to tremble, and any 
 louder noise made him jump. It is a wonder that in his 
 excitement he did not turn loose with the old gun, but I 
 suppose he forgot all about it. I took pity on him and 
 told him to lie down, that there was little or no danger. 
 He gladly sought the shelter of the blanket and was soon 
 giving me selections on the calliope. Next morning we 
 still found ourselves in possession of our scalps, and felt 
 much refreshed after the good night's rest. We gave 
 the usual attention to breakfast, which did not take 
 long. We were about ready to start, except for one 
 thing. I did not like the idea of Arkansaw carrying 
 that old gun around with him, especially since I learned 
 that it was loaded with a plow bolt. I tried to get him 
 to fire it off as the jarring of his old wagon or some 
 other concussion might explode it and kill some person, 
 or injure some of the horses. To rid myself of the 
 danger, I agreed to fire it for him, to which he readily 
 consented. I took the gun and tied it to a tree, fastened 
 a rope to the trigger and when all preparations for our 
 farewell salute were made, I pulled the trigger. The 
 old gun went off in two different directions. The barrel 
 went forward, and the recoil kicked the old stock back- 
 wards about five feet and it stuck fast in the sand. 
 Right there my worry about the old gun terminated. 
 
 With our game packed on the buckboard and 
 covered with the] wagon sheet to keep off the sand 
 which was blowing plentifully at the time, we started 
 for Timms City. Th'e horses were fresh and the trails 
 in good condition, and we advanced rapidly. My only 
 trouble was to keep Arkansaw and his festive steeds out 
 
166 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 of the way, as he was determined to put as much distance 
 between iiim and the scene of his fright as possible. At 
 times he had his poor old nags on the gallop. Such a 
 pace they could not maintain, and about noon time they 
 gave out. We stopped for refreshments. When we 
 were ready to set out again, I pointed out the way to 
 Sod Town in No-Man's Land and left him. When I 
 parted company with him I felt that I had met one of 
 the strangest characters I had ever encountered in all 
 my days. I reached home the same night. In conclu- 
 sion of this article I wish to say that I have never had 
 another hankering to attend a Messiah Dance. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Conditions Prior to the Indian Raids; The Frontier Line; 
 
 Savages on the Warpath; Ouster's Fate; General 
 
 Forsythe's Predicament. 
 
 Before setting down the narrative of the Dull Knife 
 Raid, or any other, it is not amiss to relate something 
 of the conditions that prevailed prior to those events. 
 
 In 1878, and for ten years prior to that time, the 
 most of the plain Indians had been on the war-path for 
 some reason or another. To give an idea of the size of 
 the country which was the scene of their endeavors, it 
 is well to outline the frontier as it existed then. Civili- 
 zation was supposed to have terminated its advance at 
 the Saline, Solomon and Cottonwood rivers, though a 
 few straggling settlers had established themselves on the 
 Little Walnut, and White rivers, with a colony at Council 
 Grove. Beyond that line the domination of the white 
 man was supposed to cease, and it was not the Indian's 
 fault that it did not. He did his best to have it do so. 
 but the result was far from successful from his point 
 of view Bey'ond the line above mentioned there existed 
 only the Indian, the buffalo and a few venturesome spirits 
 who formed the trains that forced their way overland 
 to Colorado and the Black Hills, or endured the more 
 hazardous undertaking of making the long march to 
 California in 1849. They were, indeed, venturesome, for 
 to undertake such a trip, one took his life in his hands, 
 and the result was that many of them paid the penalty 
 for their daring. Not only were they harassed by the 
 Indian tribes they encountered on their way, but priva- 
 tions beset them on all sides and starvation often traveled 
 with them to their sorrow. At any moment such a wagon 
 train as they conducted was liable to attack from savage 
 
168 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 bands, and there then occurred a fight for life. Nor 
 were all those attacks engineered by the Indian alone. 
 The Mormans did their share of the dastardly work 
 under the guise of the Indian. This statement may 
 appear a trifle strong, but it is proved beyond all doubt 
 that John D. Lee with a gang of cut-throats perpetrated 
 the Mountain Meadow massacre, with all the ferocity 
 and butchery of the most savage of tribesmen. He did 
 his work too well, and endeavored to cover up his tracks 
 by making it appear that it was the work of the Indian. 
 He not only murdered the members of the train, but 
 mutilated the dead bodies of the slain after the fashion 
 of the Indian. He and his accomplices then looted the 
 train, and what they could not carry away, they de- 
 stroyed. The world was well rid of such a man when 
 he was shot off his own coffin lid to pay the penalty 
 of his crimes, though in his death he did not make com- 
 pensation for one per cent of all the butcheries he had 
 committed. To return to the thread of the narrative, 
 all that scope of country lying between the western 
 boundary of settlement and the foot hills of the Rocky 
 Mountains, was estimated by competent judges to contain 
 about fifteen hundred square miles of territory. It was 
 the grazing ground in 1870 for about three million buf 
 falo. The fighting forces of the Indians roaming that 
 huge tract of country at the time was approximately 
 six thousand, five hundred men of different tribes, not 
 to say anything about the number of squaws who fol 
 lowed in their wake dealing death to the cripples and 
 mutilating the dead. At that time, each lodge had on 
 an average of about 125 or 150 ponies for use in their 
 raids. Taking all these things into consideration, one 
 must come to the conclusion that there was a formidable 
 force to contend with, especially as the Indian mode of 
 fighting was not governed by the laws of civilized war- 
 fare. To protect the settlers from the destructive raids 
 of these tribes, the Government had erected a line of 
 forts manned with an insufficient force for the work at 
 
OK THE DULL KNIFE RAID 169 
 
 hand. The list of such forts comprised, Ft. Hays, Ft. 
 Wallace, Ft. Harker, Ft. Larned, Ft. Dodge, Camp Sup- 
 ply, and Ft. Elliot. As I said, they were poorly garri- 
 soned, as the best men they had, had been called away 
 to fill vacancies in the regiments used in the Civil war, 
 and their places were supplied by raw recruits, or old 
 soldiers who had re-enlisted for want of something else 
 to do. To add to their inefficiency in Indian warfare, 
 they knew nothing of the topography of the country in 
 which they were expected to serve. One can imagine 
 what a predicament they would be in on the first occa- 
 sion of their engagement with the natives of the plains, 
 and an example will be shown presently. I do not wish 
 my reader to think for a moment that I want to say 
 anything derogatory' of the valor of the American sol- 
 dier. His reputation for bravery established on scores 
 of battle fields, is too well founded to be shaken by 
 anything I might say to the contrary. But this I will 
 venture to state, namely, that when he came face to face 
 with the Indian mode of warfare in a country of which 
 he knew practically nothing, he was confronted by a set 
 of circumstances over which he had no control, and all 
 the military training of former years was of little value 
 to him. This is true both of officers and' privates. 
 Bitter experience has proved that both officials and men 
 in the ranks were in the same predicament as regards 
 the best mode of meeting the wily Indian on his own 
 ground. To give the proof of this assertion I shall 
 mention two cases, one briefly and the other at greater 
 length, to bring into full view what these men had to 
 contend against. 
 
 In the first case, the disaster to Gen. Custer proves 
 the correctness of my contention. Gen. Custer was a 
 man with a national reputation for valor and military 
 experience, yet he allowed that wily old Indian chief, 
 Sitting Bull, to inveigle him into following him and his 
 band into the valley of the Little Big Horn where he 
 turned upon him with all the savagery of which the 
 
170 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 Indian nature is capable, and not only defeated, but 
 totally annihilated 'his command. No, not a living man 
 was left to tell the tale of the disaster. 
 
 In the second case which I will present to the reader, 
 I shall show not only the inefficiency of a man trained 
 in any other school than that of the " plains," to fight 
 the Red Man on his native heath, but will bring out 
 some of the characteristics of the Indian's mode of 
 procedure. 
 
 Gen. G. A. Forsythe was the man whose military 
 reputation as a commander was second to none in the 
 service of Uncle Sam, a man in whom Gen. Phil. Sheridan 
 placed the greatest confidence, a man with whom the 
 same Gen. Sheridan took counsel in any matter requiring 
 military strategy. To show the General's esteem of this 
 man's skill, and at the same time show his appreciation 
 of his worth, Sheridan took him with him to Germany 
 to view the manoeuvres of the Franco-Prussian war. 
 The above will give the reader an indication of the 
 character of the man who met with so much ill success 
 when fighting the Indians. 
 
 In 1868 Gen G. A. Forsythe was located temporarily 
 at Ft. Wallace, having gone to that point for supplies. 
 While there, daily reports were brought to him of the 
 numerous depredations committed by the Indians along 
 the railroads. The last report to reach him brought the 
 unpleasant announcement that two freighters had been 
 murdered and their stock driven off. This was too 
 much. The Indian seemed to be committing all manner 
 of misdeeds with seeming impunity, and he decided that 
 he must put an end to such a state of things and at the 
 same time punish the guilty ones for past misconduct. 
 With this purpose in view, he gained permission from 
 Gen. Sheridan to organize an expedition against them. 
 The license was granted and with forty-seven scouts, 
 among whom was Surgeon Moore and Lieut. Beecher, 
 
 he set out about the tenth of the month of , in 
 
 a north-westerly direction to overtake the savages. In 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 171 
 
 the inception of this expedition he made one grave mis- 
 take for which he paid dearly in the near future. He 
 took along provisions for only ten days, on pack mules. 
 He had no ambulances, nor wagons. In the case of an 
 engagement he did not have men enough, nor sufficient 
 quantity of supplies, to meet the requirements of a cattle 
 round-up, much less an undertaking of the kind he had 
 in view. He set forth in high spirits, for he did not 
 realize the magnitude of the undertaking he had mapped 
 out for himself, nor the danger into which he was rush- 
 ing. The weather was favorable and the country rath'er 
 level, so there was nothing to impede his rapid progress, 
 On the fifth day out, some of the scouts discovered a 
 few Indians. Their trail was picked up and as they 
 progressed it became plainer, which showed that they 
 were nearing the vicinity of the foe. On the fifth even- 
 ing out, they went into camp in a small valley in the 
 northwest corner of the state of Kansas, and not far 
 from the eastern line of Colorado, just where a small 
 stream called theArickaree flows into/ the Republican 
 river. In that little stream was a small island covered 
 with scrubby timber. It could not be exactly called an 
 island, as the water flowed on one side of it only, and 
 at a depth of only about a foot, while the other channel 
 was absolutely dry and filled with coarse grass and 
 brush. As they were all weary with the long march 
 already made, they lay down in their blankets to secure 
 a good rest, little thinking what the next day had in 
 store for them. About daylight, the next morning, some 
 of the scouts heard a commotion among the horses and 
 jumped up to see what was wrong. They discovered 
 the Indians in the act of endeavoring to stampede the 
 horses, and they gave the alarm. As soon as the scouts 
 saw the situation, they opened fire upon the redskins 
 and drove them away. The shooting was a signal for 
 all to rise. They realized that danger was near, and 
 they did not have long to wait until it was present. 
 In less than an hour's time, between five and six hun- 
 
172 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 dred Chyenne warriors appeared on the hill side, painted 
 and decked out in all the p<araphrenalia of a full-fledged 
 war party under the leadership of Roman Nose who -it 
 that time was the Bonoparte of the Chyenne tribe. 
 
 It seems that the Indians, had been keeping close 
 watch on the movements of the little parties of scouts, 
 and as they were now about eighty or a hundred miles 
 from their base of supplies, thought that if they could 
 stampede the horses, they would be able to secure the 
 band as an easy prey. When they failed to make way 
 with the horses and mules, their next move was to open 
 fire upon the men, which they did without delay. This 
 turn of affairs was so sudden and unexpected that the 
 General seemed to lose his head, and stood there in pro- 
 found amazement. While the General was in this state 
 of uncertainty as to what to do, with his men exposed 
 to the Indian fire, Jack Stillwell, a boy of nineteen, with- 
 out any regard for formality of ceremony, yelled out, 
 ' ' Why in blazes don 't you go over on that island 1 ' ' The 
 General took the advice so freely and informally given 
 by his subordinate, and all broke on the run for the 
 shelter of the pseudo-island. They arrived there, but not 
 before several of them, were wounded in the dash in 
 which several of the horses were killed, or crippled. The 
 scouts utilized the dead horses as breastworks and poured 
 such a hot fire into the Indians that they withdrew to 
 the shelter of the hills. The scouts employed their time 
 in digging rifle pits, as they were sure that the Indians 
 were not going to give up the fray without another ef- 
 fort to wipe out the little band. It was only a very 
 short time until the Indians were seen coming down the 
 hillside with intensified ferocity due to their first repulse, 
 howling warwhoops from six hundred lusty, savage 
 throats, and adding to the din by beating tomtoms. It 
 was a sight to send a chill to the stoutest heart to see 
 them wildly flinging their arms in the air to the accom- 
 paniment of their thunderous yells, the rumbling of the 
 flying horses as they descended upon the little band, in 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 173 
 
 their mad career. At their head rode Roman Nose en- 
 couraging his followers and urging them on to deeds of 
 valor with shout and gesture. One may imagine the 
 chill that crept over many a heart at such a terrifying 
 spectacle, but it was not time to show the white feather, 
 as they could expect no quarter from the blood-thirsty 
 band coming upon them with all the intensity of a whirl- 
 wind of fury. When the Indians were within rifle shot, 
 the scouts opened upon them with a fusilade of bullets, 
 with deadly effect. Many a horse was tumbled to the 
 earth and many an Indian bit the dust, either entirely 
 killed, or mortally wounded. The savages returned the 
 fire with but little effect as the scouts were entrenched 
 behind the dead horses, or in their rifle pits. On they 
 came undaunted by the first shock of battle. They ad- 
 vanced almost to the bank of the little stream that 
 flowed between the half-island and the main land. There 
 Roman N.ose was seen to reel and fall from his saddle, 
 shot through his body. Another chieftain, I shall not 
 say more daring than the others, but more favored by 
 good luck, succeeded in fording the little stream and 
 advanced to the very bank of the sand bar, or island, 
 before he fell riddled by the bullets of the desperate 
 little band. The continuous fusilade of bullets poured 
 into the serried ranks of the Indians at such close range, 
 together with the loss of their leaders impelled the sav- 
 ages to retreat to the hills once more. This they did 
 accompanied by a shower of bullets that emptied many 
 a saddle before the retreating savages were out of dan- 
 ger. They disappeared behind the hills, but not with 
 the intention of giving up the fight, as they considered 
 their plans for massacreing the little band to be too well 
 laid to be set aside on account of the two repulses they 
 had already received. They waited till afternoon to 
 make a third and final assault upon the island. On they 
 came again, but with the same result as 'before. They 
 were driven back before the galling fire of the besieged. 
 Determined to continue the fight at all hazards, they 
 
174 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 kept themselves out of range of the rifles of the island- 
 ers, but maintained a desultory fire which had no effect 
 upon the men entrenched in the rifle pits. They then 
 spread themselves out and rode around the island in a 
 circle, but out of range of the guns of the entrapped 
 soldiers. It was plainly their intention to starve the 
 scouts to death or into submission, which was all the 
 same to them. 
 
 In the meantime the situation on the island was far 
 from pleasant. Though they had defended themselves 
 with desperate valor, the members of that heroic little 
 band did not escape from all injury. The dead num- 
 bered a score, among whom was Lieut. Beecher, a nephew 
 of the renowned Henry Ward Beecher. Among those 
 seriously wounded was Surgeon Moore, who was lying 
 at the point of death, and General Forsythe, with a bul- 
 let through his leg and his scalp creased with another 
 leaden missile. 
 
 The situation was critical in the extreme. Their 
 food was gone, and the only substitute they had was the 
 flesh of the dead horses that lay around them. From 
 these they cut pieces of flesh which they ate raw, &.j 
 there was no opportunity for cooking it. This stayed 
 their hunger for a time, but it was a poor substitute at 
 best. They lacked, also, for want of water, for, although 
 the stream lay within a few feet of them, to reach it 
 was impossible, for, if a man showed his head but for a 
 moment he was greeted with a shower of bullets that 
 made him seek cover without delay. The exigency of 
 the situation made them inventive, and as they were al- 
 most desperate from want of water, they had recourse 
 to a very slow method of digging down to the water 
 level in order to secure even a scant supply. They cut 
 open a canteen in such a way that it would serve the 
 purpose of a shovel, and with this crude implement went 
 to work to scoop up the sand to such a depth as would 
 bring them to the object of their search. Their patience 
 and persistence was rewarded better than they expected. 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 175 
 
 Not only did they obtain sufficient to meet their immedi- 
 ate needs, but also plenty to bathe the General's wounds. 
 As far as the dead were concerned, to bury them could 
 not be thought of, as even the movement of a branch 
 would be a signal for a dozen or more bullets which 
 would drive them back to the shelter of their defenses. 
 Though the Indians seemed to realize the predicament of 
 the beseiged, they did not have the temerity to make a 
 final dash to complete the work of butchery they had 
 originally planned. Their first, second, and third at- 
 tempts had cost them too dearly, and they were content 
 to hover near with the intention of cutting their foe to 
 pieces if they should make an attempt to escape. They 
 waited patiently, apparently secure in their conviction 
 that the beseiged would eventually make a dash for lib- 
 erty, and if such were to occur they would descend upon 
 the stricken little band and with one fell swoop annihi- 
 late them completely. Their long desired wish was never 
 accomplished. Intent upon the final destruction of the 
 whites, they neglected to bury their own dead, not only 
 because they were too busily engaged in watching the 
 besieged, but principally because they did not care to 
 risk the danger of adding to the already too long list of 
 their fellow tribesmen who had recently gone to the 
 Happy Hunting Grounds. Moreover, the approaching 
 night would give them a better opportunity to secure 
 the bodies of their slain without incurring any risk of 
 being sent to join them in the land of their forefathers. 
 Night fell, and with it came a cessation of hostili- 
 ties. It must not be concluded that the Indians had 
 abandoned the fight, for they did not, but kept a wary 
 eye upon that little island, knowing that delay would 
 surely put the palefaces in their possession. Nor did 
 they make any venture to attack the stronghold of the 
 enemy under cover of darkness. That was not the In- 
 dian's way of conducting his warfare. The hour favor- 
 able for the Indian raid is just about dawn, when they 
 expect to find the enemy asleep, when they fall upon 
 
176 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 their unsuspecting victims and butcher them unmerci- 
 fully. As for the little band on the island, they put in 
 a most miserable night. An enemy could not wish them 
 more discomfort than what they experienced. Tired, 
 hungry, surrounded by their dead companions, they were 
 not in a condition to find comfort in a situation where 
 they' were surrounded by their mortal enemies who, they 
 thought, would take advantage of the darkness to crawl 
 up to the very edge of their retreat and do them to death 
 without mercy. However, in spite of such unpleasant 
 conditions, the besieged kept up some show of cheerful- 
 ness. Morning found them far from depressed though 
 the situation had not changed for the better. One wag, 
 in spite of the fact that death might be lurking in his 
 path, cheerfully remarked, "Well, boys, I guess I shall 
 have to rustle some mule meat for the General's break- 
 fast. I suppose he will like a change of diet as he had 
 only horse meat yesterday." It was this spirit of mirth 
 amid trying surroundings that kept the little band alive 
 and ready during the long days of imprisonment that 
 followed. 
 
 The next evening did not bring any change in their 
 environments. The day had been spent very much like 
 the preceding one, except there were no direct assaults 
 upon the island. In the meantime the General's leg had 
 become badly swollen, and inflammation had set in. 
 Whilst bathing it, one of the boys discovered the bullet 
 close to the surface, and with the General's permission 
 performed a surgical operation with a pocket knife and 
 removed the shapeless mass of lead. In order to keep 
 the inflammation down as much as possible, the embryo 
 surgeon continued the application of cold water to the 
 affected part, which was somewhat efficacious. With the 
 condition of the camp in such a demoralized condition, 
 the outlook did not appear very promising. Even though 
 the Indians should leave, which was not very lively, the 
 situation would not be relieved to any great extent, as 
 the General could not travel without the aid of a horse, 
 
STARVING ELK 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 177 
 
 and just then all the horses were dead, or had been 
 stampeded. Things were beginning to assume a desper- 
 ate aspect. Their food supply was about reduced to 
 nothingness as the horse flesh on which they had been 
 subsisting was no longer available as it was fast becom- 
 ing tainted. This told them only too plainly that their 
 stay upon the island was to be of short duration, and 
 the prospect of relief from the outside world was very 
 slight. Their only hope, and that a forlorn one, was to 
 cut their way out through the ranks of the hostile In- 
 dians, and even the prospects of success in such a ven- 
 ture were not very alluring. Though they might succeed 
 in breaking through the red cordon that held them pris- 
 oners on the island, the hope of reaching Port Wallace 
 could hardly be thought of in their enfeebled condition. 
 It would amount to this, that they would have to fight 
 their whole way back to the fort without so much as a 
 cracker or a drink of water to sustain them on the way. 
 It is hardly possible to imagine a body of men in such 
 straitened circumstances keeping up, and even fighting 
 against hope for delivery. After reviewing the situa- 
 tion from all its different angles, and with the despera- 
 tion that urges a drowning man to grasp at a straw, the 
 General saw but one way, and that one indicated very 
 meager chances of success, namely, to call for volunteers 
 who would endeavor to make their way to the Fort and 
 bring assistance. Immediately, upon the proposal being 
 made, S. E. Stillwell, better known by the name of Jack, 
 and another scout named Pierre Truedell, expressed their 
 willingness to make the attempt. It was sad enough to 
 have to admit the failure of the expedition and report 
 the news of the disaster, especially when they had started 
 out with high hopes of success, but it was a measure that 
 had to be taken if any relief was to be exp'ected. 
 
 It was a perilous undertaking fraught with all man- 
 ner of hardships. Danger lay all around them, and 
 whether they would reach the end of their journey, or 
 be taken prisoner and tortured by the Indians, they did 
 
178 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 not know, but brave at heart, they feared not, but set 
 out to do their best or perish in the attempt to bring 
 succor to their beleaguered companions. That same 
 evening they stole forth from the camp and crossed the 
 little stream, taking with them the best wishes and pray- 
 ers of their fellow scouts for success. If ever men prayed 
 fervently and expressed sincere wishes, it was on that 
 occasion. No sooner had they crossed the stream than 
 their difficulties began. As soon as they had crossed the 
 water, they found their shoes filled with sand and water, 
 and they were compelled to stop and empty them as 
 well as they could. Then they started on their perilous 
 undertaking in earnest. They did not know at what 
 moment they' would encounter some of the lurking foe 
 and be compelled to fight for their lives. They did not 
 dare to walk upright, but got down on all fours and 
 crawled along over the sloping hillsides like dry land 
 terrapins. Slowly, carefully, they wound their way 
 among the dead Indians that littered the plain. Pain- 
 fully they picked their way with tedium through the 
 sullen foe, at times making haste as best they could in 
 their stooping position, at times lying flat upon the 
 ground while some restless Indian kept guard and 
 patrolled his beat upon the hillside. During one of those 
 unavoidable delays, Stillwell took time to change his 
 shoes from which he had not been able to entirely re- 
 move the sand, and which were hurting his feet on that 
 account, for a pair of moccasins which he removed from 
 the feet of a dead Indian he encountered in his slow 
 progress. After creeping like an infant on all fours or 
 worming themselves along on their stomachs for over a 
 mile they decided to risk standing up and in this man- 
 ner increasing their speed, as they felt certain they were 
 outside of the circle of Indians who were keeping watch 
 on the little band of their comrades on the island. Their 
 conclusion about their position relative to the savages 
 proved correct. When they had gone far enough to per- 
 mit them to risk whispering to each other, Truedell com- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 179 
 
 plained that his feet were hurting him on account of the 
 quantity of sand in his shoes. As there was no dead 
 Indian near who had no further use for moccasins, he 
 adapted himself to the necessity of the case and removed 
 his shirt. This he tore into bandages in which he wrap- 
 ped his feet. They were well aware of the fact that there 
 was no time to be lost in their mission, as every moment 
 of unnecessary delay meant hardship, suffering and dan- 
 ger to their companions recently left behind. They strode 
 on at a greater speed than before, but did not feel safe 
 in talking in their natural tone of voice until they had 
 put several miles between themselves and their starting 
 point. Daylight found they still trudging hastily on, but 
 the light compelled them to seek shelter in a friendly 
 canyon, as the Indians would be sure to find their trail 
 sometime during the hours of light and likely set out to 
 overtake and kill them. Into the canyon they crawled 
 and sought the shelter of the most secluded nook they 
 could find. They then sat down to take a much needed 
 rest. Fortunately for them, they had taken the precau- 
 tion to bring with them some of the horse meat. They 
 had matches but did not dare risk lighting a fire as the 
 smoke would attract the attention of the Indians and 
 bring them down upon them post-haste. They contented 
 themselves with making the best of a bad situation and 
 ate the horse meat raw. Then they turned over and 
 went to sleep. Nightfall found them on their way again 
 with renewed energy and determination. They felt that 
 the loss of a whole day on their journey meant added 
 sufferings to their companions, but such delay was un- 
 avoidable if they wished to reach the Fort alive. 
 On through the darkness they went, now running, 
 now stumbling over the uneven ground, but 
 doggedly moving forward with unceasing ardor. Day- 
 light found them far from the cany'on where they had 
 spent the preceding hours of sleep. The only shelter that 
 presented its'elf to their view was a dry buffalo wallow. 
 Into this they crawled and spent the remaining hours of 
 
180 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 the day in sleep if possible, or reflecting on their trying 
 difficulties. They had neither food nor water. It had 
 been hours since they had taken the last sup of water, 
 and they suffered acutely. Their lips were beginning to 
 swell and they found talking difficult. Hunger, too, 
 added to their discomfort, but there was no relief at 
 hand. They had to make the best of a bad situation and 
 hope for the best. They were willing to suffer the pangs 
 of hunger and thirst, if they could only bring relief to 
 their beleaguered friends. Night came at last, and they 
 dragged themselves out of the wallow to make the last 
 desperate effort to complete their journey. Hungry and 
 thirsty they plunged into the darkness. Their progress 
 was impeded owing to their weakened condition, but on 
 and on they went, staggering and stumbling along, half 
 mad with thirst, and tormented by hunger. Morning 
 found them in a pitiable condition. Weary and wan 
 they seemed as the morning sun showed them that they 
 were not yet within sight of the fort they sought. Half 
 maddened with suffering they were ready for anything. 
 Truedell shot a rabbit, more by accident than design, 
 and this they fairly tore to pieces and ate raw. They 
 were too ravenous to wait until they could build a fire 
 to cook it. On they went again, until they came to a 
 buffalo hunter trail leading to the Fort. Footsore and 
 weary they dragged themselves along till almost ex- 
 hausted they found their way into Fort Wallace. They 
 sought Colonel Bankhead's quarters where they deliv- 
 ered to him the news of the disaster that had befallen 
 the ill-fated expedition. This first and most important 
 duty done, they then sought the canteen where they found 
 everything that was necessary to satisfy their pressing 
 wants. Relieved of the excitement of the journey, tired 
 and worn in every member, conscious of the fact that 
 they had done their share in forwarding relief to their 
 friends still in distress, they sought convenient bunks 
 and were soon dead to the world in deep repose. 
 
 The next night after Stillwell and Truedell had left 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 181 
 
 the island, the General deemed it a prudent move to 
 send two more scouts on the same mission. He feared 
 that, perhaps, some misfortune had overtaken the first 
 emissaries, and if such were the case, the report of the 
 disaster would never reach the Fort, nor would succor, 
 come to him and his command. He called for two more 
 volunteers who would be willing to try to elude the hun- 
 dreds of savage eyes that were glinting with hate on the 
 courageous little band, and watching every' movement 
 that took place in their primitive defense. No sooner 
 had he issued the call than two volunteers offered them- 
 selves for the perilous undertaking. They realized the 
 danger they would dare, but as they then stood, there 
 would hardly be more peril in their efforts to break 
 through the encircling foe, than there would be if they 
 remained inert upon the island with starvation staring 
 them in the face, and a band of bloodthirsty Indians 
 ready to pounce upon them at the very moment they 
 showed signs of distress. 
 
 If they did not go, total annihilation awaited them; 
 if they did go, there was some slight chance of being 
 liberated from their present predicament. With the odds 
 against them, they were willing to do their best. The 
 two courageous volunteers for the second effort were A. 
 J. Pliley who now lives in Kansas City, and Jack Dono- 
 van. They set out in about the same manner as their 
 two companions did on the night before, and were very 
 successful in eluding the foe. Things went well witjji 
 them until the second day. Perhaps their first success in 
 eluding the Indians made them over-bold, but the fact 
 remains that they were followed by a band of Redskins 
 who discovered their trail. On the second day out on 
 their mission they experienced a great scare. They were 
 lying in a dry buffalo wallow when Pliley heard a noise. 
 He peered carefully over the edge of the wallow and 
 discovered in the distance, about half a mile away 1 , a 
 band of about thirty warriors coming directly towards 
 the spot where they were lying concealed. He turned 
 
182 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 to his companion and said, "Jack, I guess it is all up 
 with you and me. There are about thirty Indians com- 
 ing straight for this wallow." "Well," replied Jack, "if 
 that is the case, I am not going to trade even; I want 
 two for one." They were certainly in a dreadful pre- 
 dicament. Surrounded as they knew they would be by 
 those relentless warriors, they determined to sell their, 
 lives as dearly as possible. They knew the process only 
 too well. They could see already that band of warriors 
 riding around the wallow in a circle, shooting at them 
 on the run, or perhaps, even making a rush of it to over- 
 power them by weight of numbers, and murder them 
 heartlessly. Perhaps, they might make them prisoners, 
 to be reserved for future torture. Carefully keeping an 
 eye upon the oncoming band, Pliley kept his friend in- 
 formed of their movements. It would not do to expose 
 themselves too soon, as there might be some hope that 
 the Indians had not discovered their actual whereabouts. 
 On they came, and the two men spontaneously reached 
 for their weapons to defend themselves. Nearer and 
 nearer they came, and the besieged made ready to give 
 them an opening salutation of welcome. A little nearer 
 they approached and then they 'halted. They cast a 
 scanning glance over th'e surrounding country, and ap- 
 parently they were satisfied that their intended victims 
 had eluded them. Then they turned their ponies and 
 rode away in the direction whence they came. With a 
 sigji of relief, the two men put back their guns, and felt 
 that they were safe for the present. That night when 
 they set out again, they hastened their steps as rapidly 
 as possible, knowing that the foe was on their trail. 
 Stumbling along in much the same condition of hunger 
 and thirst as the two former scouts had done, they reeled 
 into the Fort th'e same evening as Stillwell and Truedell. 
 It was needless to say that there were heartfelt congratu- 
 lations expressed when those four scouts met at Fort 
 Wallace. 
 
 The band of Indians seen by Pliley and Donovan, 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 183 
 
 were undoubtedly a part of the Roman Nose contingent. 
 They had discovered the trail of tm3 men shortly after 
 their escape from the island and pursued them with the 
 determination to overtake them and put them; to death, 
 but all to no purpose. They little knew how close they 
 came to being successful in their 'efforts, especially as at 
 one time they were within about forty rods of them as 
 they lay in the dry buffalo wallow. Apparently they 
 became discouraged in their efforts and gave up the 
 chase. 
 
 Having received the message delivered by the four 
 men, it did not take Colonel Bankhead long to call out 
 every available man and horse, to fit out ambulances, 
 and wagons laden with provisions, and make whatever 
 preparations were necessary to relieve the wants of the 
 distressed. 
 
 When the Indians knew that the messengers had 
 eluded them and had likely reached the Fort in spite of 
 all the measures they took to forestall such an event, 
 they thought prudence the better part of valor and with- 
 drew their forces from the neighborhood of the island. 
 They foresaw that relief would come to the brave defend- 
 ers of the little sand bar in a very short time, and as 
 they had such small success with a small band, they felt 
 that they would hardly be able to contend with a greater 
 force which would be certainjy sent out for their relief. 
 
 Once the relief corps got in motion, it did not let 
 the grass grow under its feet. Their progress was neces- 
 sarily slower than that of the expedition on account of 
 the baggage they were carrying, and, also, because they 
 had to exercise the greatest care in marching for they 
 knew not at what time they would encounter a band of 
 hostile Indians. The journey to the locality of the dis- 
 aster occupied several days. They 1 were rather surprised 
 to find the nearer they approached their destination the 
 less the presence of Indians was noted. When they drew 
 up in sight of the island, not a savage was to be seen 
 or heard of. 
 
184 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 In the interim of the departure of the scouts for 
 relief, the prisoners on the island suffered acutely. 
 Around them lay the dead bodies of some of their com- 
 panions whom they did not dare to venture out to bury. 
 They were rapidly decomposing and the atmosphere was 
 laden with the nauseating smell that accompanies such 
 a condition either of animal, or man. Added to this was 
 the number of dead horses, which added to the intensity 
 of the malodorous smell. The wounded suffered more 
 and more as inflamation set in or increased. Their con- 
 dition was pitiable as very little could be done to relieve 
 their sufferings. Above all this, they had to endure the 
 pangs of hunger, which every day grew more and more 
 irksome It was a sad spectacle that the eyes of the 
 relief corps beheld when they came upon them first. 
 Hardly able to raise their weakened bodies from a re- 
 cumbent position, the wounded endeavored to give a 
 cheer at the sight of their deliverers, but it was such 
 a mockery of cheer that it was enough to bring tears 
 to the eyes of many a veteran. Those who had not been 
 wounded, and they were few, lent a willing hand to the 
 administration of medical assistance to their stricken 
 companions. They felt so overcome with joy themselves 
 that they could hardly express themselves in the inten- 
 sity of their happiness. But their newly-arrived fellow 
 scouts and soldiers knew by their looks the depth and 
 sincerety of their feelings of gratitude, and felt happy 
 to be able to reach them before death had overtaken the 
 whole band. 
 
 The first duty to be attended to by the relief party, 
 was the burial of the dead. Delay would have been 
 dangerous and, perhaps, fatal, as they were, as mentioned 
 above, badly decomposed. They performed the sad duty 
 over the remains of their former companions with all the 
 reverence that their circumstances would permit. Next, 
 they had to look after the wants of their General. He 
 had been suffering intensely from the wound in the scalp 
 and in the leg. They administered such remedies as they 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 185 
 
 had, which produced some relief. The rest iof the, 
 wounded were attended to in much the same fashion, 
 each one receiving what attention could be given them. 
 When all this had been done, they made ready to set 
 out for the fort. It was a slow journey, but in time 
 they reached their destination where proper remedies 
 soon restored them to fighting condition again. 
 
 The expedition of Gen. Forsythe, which he insisted 
 on making against Roman Nose and his band, terminated 
 in dismal failure. It had cost the lives of several val- 
 uable and experienced men, and marred to some degree 
 the reputation for success which he had hitherto gained. 
 Nevertheless, the lesson bore fruit. It taught the Amer- 
 ican people at large, and General Forsythe in particular 
 that all the knowledge of Indian warfare is not taught 
 at the military academy at West Point. In fact, it was 
 impressed upon the minds of several who were in a 
 position to profit by the lesson, that the "University of 
 the Plains" was far better adapted to produce men who 
 would be successful in that mode of fighting than any of 
 the academies established for the purpose of instructing 
 the neophyte in the art of conducting warlike man- 
 oeuvres. 
 
 The writer is indebted to S. E. Stillwell, better 
 known to his friends as 'Jack," for the information 
 regarding the battle of Arickaree, in which he played 
 so prominent a part. His feat, alone, of bearing the 
 message from Gen. Forsythe to Fort Wallace was suf- 
 ficient to win him undying fame. In such high esteem 
 was he held by those to whom he lent his services, that 
 Gen. Phil. Sheridan characterized him as being the 
 bravest and most daring young man he ever knew, and 
 he knew a multitude of them. He was, later on, the 
 trusted and boon companion of Buffalo Bill, "Col. W. 
 Cody," in fighting the Indians on the plains. At one 
 time, later on, he was Police Judge of the City of El 
 Reno. This position he retained until he was appointed 
 United States Commissioner at Anadarko, Okla. This 
 
186 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 position he resigned and went to the North Plate, Neb., 
 where he died and was buried within a day's ride of the 
 battle ground of the Arickaree. While he was filling 
 the office of Commissioner at Anadarko, the writer fre- 
 quently spent hours with him chatting over the events 
 of former days upon the plains. During one of those 
 visits, he ventured to inquire of the Commissioner if 
 he thought he himself had killed Roman Nose. He re- 
 plied that he did not know, but after taking a few puffs 
 of his cigarette, he naively remarked that if he did not, 
 it was attributable to his aim and not to his intention 
 as he gave him his undivided attention from the time 
 he came within range of his rifle until he fell from his 
 horse. He paused then and took a few more puffs, and 
 closed the subject by remarking, "perhaps, some of the 
 other boys did it." 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 The Whirlwind Raid; Great Expectations Reduced to 
 Disappointment, etc. 
 
 For several years succeeding to terminations of the 
 Civil War, the whole plains country, as I have said in 
 the previous chapter, from the frontier settlements west- 
 ward including a great portion of the Rocky Mountains, 
 and from the British line on the north to the Red river 
 on the north line of Texas, was claimed by the Indian 
 by virtue of his title begotten of prior possession, and 
 was used by him, as a hunting ground, and also as the 
 theatre in which to stage the settlement of tribal dif- 
 ficulties. As a variation from those internal battles, or 
 wars, as you may wish to call them, they frequently 
 made raids upon the white settlers, killing and scalping 
 the men, kidnapping the women and children, and run- 
 ning off their stock as spoils of war. They roamed that 
 vast expanse of territory at will, seeking their sustenance 
 from the abundance of wild game with which the plains 
 were teeming. Buffalo and deer were there in innumer- 
 able quantities and were easily slaughtered. Smaller 
 game abounded 'everywhere. When the bucks returned 
 from the chase with a buffalo or a deer to show for his 
 efforts, the squaws took possession of the carcass, cutting 
 off huge chunks of meat for provisions, and then tanning 
 the hides at which they were experts. In times of peace 
 they worked faithfully at the task of converting the 
 green hide into something serviceable, but when the war 
 alarm was sounded, they readily threw aside the work at 
 hand to follow their lord and master on the warpath, not as 
 an idle onlooker, but armed with a scalping knife and 
 tomahawk, they followed up the work of slaughter by 
 assisting in the scalping, or mutilating the bodies of the 
 
188 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 dead. In this last feature of the raid, they seemed to 
 be carried away by a sort of frenzy, and the manner in 
 which they treated the corpses of those slain, was brutal 
 and inhuman in the extreme. In my own experience I 
 have known squaws who were so fascinated by this kind 
 of brutality or rather ghoulishness, that at\ the first 
 notes of the war song they deserted their white husbands 
 to follow in the wake of the war, although at the time 
 they were drawing rations from the government and 
 were in possession of comfortable homes. 
 
 In this connection, it may not be amiss to say some- 
 thing of the Medicine Man, and the part he played in 
 the Indian raids. I might say that he was the most 
 important factor in such undertakings, as well as in the 
 inter-tribal disputes. He seemed to have such an influ- 
 ence over the destinies of the tribe in which he was 
 operating, that the chiefs and their followers placed 
 implicit confidence in his dicisions. On him alone, rather 
 than the chiefs in council,depended the undertaking of 
 any raid, or struggle. Whenever there was any prospect 
 of trouble arising, he called the chiefs and warriors and 
 held a seance in which he made inquiries of them as to 
 their opinions and views regarding the matter under 
 discussion. This done, he set about a series of orgies 
 and incantations to discover from some secret agency 
 the advisability of making the venture, or abandoning 
 it. A consultation of this kind often took several days, 
 but when he arrived at some conclusion, it was announced 
 to the chiefs and their followers, and his decision in 
 the matter was final and devoid of any appeal. As soon 
 as the result of his incantation was promulgated, the 
 warriors buckled on their armor, if I may use the ex- 
 pression, though there were few buckles and oftentimes 
 no more armor than a breach-clout and a blanket with 
 some instrument of warfare, and made ready for the 
 raid on some white settler's cabin and stock, or to engage 
 in a death struggle with some other tribe. The success 
 or failure of his prediction did not affect the medicine 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 189 
 
 man in any great degree as regards his position in the 
 tribe. If the raid was a success, he became the lion of 
 the hour and the tribe looked upon him as something 
 of a supernatural being, but if, on the contrary, things 
 resulted adversely, he had little to lose except his repu- 
 tation, and that would be so badly shattered that no 
 other member of the tribe would care to wear his mantel 
 of prophesy. To illustrate the case in point, I shall 
 mention what befell chief Black Kettle's Medicine Man. 
 After holding a seance for several days, he arrived at 
 the very pleasing conclusion that the white man's gun 
 was no good; that the bullets would fall to the ground 
 close to the muzzle of the gun and consequently would 
 not injure an Indian. When Gen. Ouster fell upon him, 
 one winter's morning, on the Washita and killed more 
 than one hundred of his warriors with Black Kettle 
 himself, and took the remainder of the band prisoners 
 and brought them to Camp Supply, the estimate on that 
 Medicine Man's ability as a prognosticator was dimin- 
 ished to a vanishing point. We are inclined to smile at 
 the credulity of the Indian in the matter of consulting 
 the Medicine Man,but, in this curiosity to secure a 
 knowledge of future events, especially where they refer 
 to his welfare, they were not much different from the 
 rank and file of white folks who consult some street fakir 
 or clairvoyant, turning over half a dollar to find out 
 whether a business man is dealing fairly or otherwise, 
 or to discover if the partner of one's joys and sorrows, 
 is travelling the path of rectitude or not, or to discover 
 some secret source of wealth that will place the inquirer 
 beyond the reach of want. Such foolish curiosity is not 
 confined to any race or tribe, as I find in my varied 
 reading that the practice of clairvoyancy, soothsaying, 
 etc., has been in practice and fashion from the days 
 when Moses led the Children of Israel out of Egypt down 
 through the ages to the present day, and you will find 
 on investigation that the clients of the fakir are not 
 limited to the unlettered class, but embrace members' 
 
190 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 from every grade of society from the proletariat to the 
 Four Hundred. However, to return to the thread of 
 my story, I must say that since the day when the long 
 range gun has been put in the hands of man, the calling 
 of the Medicine Man has become almost obsolete. 
 
 In regard to the manner of conducting campaigns, 
 mere was no fixed rule, but every chief conducted 
 his fight as circumstances dictated, and some of the 
 later day chieftains manifested an ability in their cant 
 paigns that would stamp them as Napoleons of theii 
 tribes and times. Precision and alacrity were seldom 
 wanting in the raids.,U; they came in contact with the 
 soldier, they outclassed him to some degree, as, after 
 the first few volleys, they scattered and disappeared 
 from view with a readiness that was astonishing. Nor 
 could the trained soldier of the line follow up his foe 
 to any advantage as they seldom left a trail behind that 
 would guide him to their hiding place. The untrained 
 eye of the military man militated against any success 
 he might otherwise have had, and it required the scout 
 of x the plains to ferret out the marks and signs that 
 would give any opportunity for pursuit. In the mean- 
 time the Indian on his fleet-footed ponies would likely 
 be fifty or one hundred miles away from the point of 
 encounter. 
 
 The Indian did not always confine his raiding pro- 
 pensities to the white man, but as frequently gave his 
 attention to some of the neighboring tribes with whom 
 they had some matter to adjust. N,eedless to say, when 
 two tribes met in conflict, the fighting bore a character 
 of savagery that was in keeping with the untamed nature 
 of the participants. Naturally, the Indian was compelled 
 to confine himself to the use of such weapons as his 
 limited ingenuity could provide, but in the use of what 
 he had he was an adept. Before the introduction of 
 fire-arms his chief weapons consisted of the bow and 
 arrow, the tomahawk, and the scalping knife,but if an 
 opportunity presented itself for him to make use of the 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 191 
 
 more up-to-date weapons of warfare, he took advantage 
 of it, as is instanced in the case of the raid made upon 
 the Sack and Fox Indians by their more southerly 
 neighbors. 
 
 The Sack and Fox Indians were located in Kansas, 
 and by reason of their close proximity to the settlements 
 of white men, and also on account of carrying on trade 
 with them, they came into possession of fire-arms which 
 they used with considerable success in hunting the buf 
 falo. They found it to their advantage to use the 
 weapon for laying up supplies of meat and hides. This 
 opened up an avenue of trade for them as they found 
 a ready market for the buffalo skins they procured, but 
 in their prosperity they nearly were overcome by dis- 
 aster. The plain Indians learning of the success of the 
 Sack and Fox Indians, became jealous of them and re- 
 solved to exterminate them. A conference was called 
 and invitations issued to the different tribes to take 
 part in the general pow-wow. The assemblage was to 
 take place on the Arkansas River, where they were to 
 decide on what measures to take, or, in other words, lay 
 out a plan of campaign. The Kiowas, Comanches, Arappa- 
 hoes, Apaches, and Chyennes presented themselves 011 
 the day appointed, and initiated the proceedings with 
 a Medicine Dance. Then a council of war was called 
 and they came to the unanimous conclusion to go north 
 to the Smoky Hill river and wage relentless war upon 
 the Sack and Fox Indians and thus terminate the 
 slaughter of the buffalo on the plains. The leadership 
 of this expedition was by common consent bestowed 
 upon Chief Whirlwind. They then indulged in their 
 customary war-dance and set forth upon their mission 
 of destruction. 
 
 It was Robert Burns who wrote that, 
 
 The best laid plans of mice and men 
 Gang aft aglee, 
 
 And lea ' us naught but grief and pain 
 For promised joy. 
 
192 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 This quotation applies definitely to the Whirlwind 
 raid.He started forth like a "plumed knight" chanting 
 his war song and whooping along the way to instill 
 courage into his braves, each of whom carried a back- 
 load of arrows and a couple of well-strung bows as his 
 weapons of war, and expected to share in the glory of 
 a great victory. Nor did the chanting and roaring of 
 their chieftan fail of its purpose. By the time they 
 reached their destination they were all strung up to the 
 highest tension, in fact they were all but counting the 
 scalps they were about to carry away in triumph, etc. 
 They reached the canyon in the Smoky Hill country 
 where the Sack and Fox Indians had secreted themselves, 
 prepared to give the invaders of their hunting ranges 
 a warm, reception. Whirlwind and his band advanced 
 in confidence, knowing they outnumbered their intended 
 victims, but they were not acquainted with the new ally 
 of their foe. They knew absolutely nothing of the use 
 of fire-arms, their efficiency, and death dealing powers. 
 They had not become acquainted with the sound of the 
 carbine, nor of the shot-gun. This was a power they did 
 not to reckon with, nor knew how to estimate its value. 
 The only thing that concerned them just then was to 
 make a sudden whirlwind dash upon their foe, butcher 
 them, and carry off the spoils. They were led up to the 
 mouth of the canyon chanting and shouting, when the 
 muzzles of a hundred guns belched forth thunder and 
 lightning, and a hail of leaden bullets flew around them 
 in death dealing myriads. They turned and fled, stam- 
 peded like a herd of antelope toward their starting 
 point. They reached the Arkansas, but oh! how their 
 bright expectations had been rudely shattered. One 
 conclusion they arrived at as the result of their un- 
 profitable venture, and that was that bows and arrows 
 was no weapon to offset the effect of a musket or a 
 carbine. It was a sad return for all their brilliant hopes. 
 Behind them lay the corpses of fifty of their bravest 
 warriors, whilst twice that number came limping back 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 193 
 
 home, crippled by the unthought-of ally of their foes. 
 Nor could the loss be estimated at the death of their 
 fellow braves, nor in the wounds borne by the cripples, 
 nor in the number of horses that had been shot from 
 under them, but in the blow to their tribal pride. There 
 they suffered most, for it was inconceivable to think 
 that one-hundred and twenty-five Sack and Fox Indians 
 should in any manner possible overcome the flower of 
 the various tribes that participated in the raid. It is 
 estimated by those who know, that there were between 
 twelve and fifteen hundred warriors of the southern 
 tribes under the command of the mighty Whirlwind. 
 As a battle, there was little or nothing to it. The chief 
 with all his experience could not get his men to face 
 that leaden hail that smote the ranks so mercilessly. 
 There was nothing to do but turn tail and flee, which 
 he did. 
 
 When they returned to the Arkansas, they mutually 
 agreed that the expedition from the view-point of results 
 obtained was a failure. From there they made their way 
 south until they reached the North Canadian river and 
 there disbanded, 'each tribe seeking its own reservation, 
 or hunting grounds as it saw fit. They never again 
 returned to molest the Sack and Fox tribes in their 
 peaceful occupation. 
 
 It was currently reported and believed by many 
 that Whirlwind on his return to the hunting grounds 
 on. the North Canadian, said that every feather had been 
 shot from his war bonnet during the 'engagement, in the 
 Smoky Hill canyon. I never had the pleasure of being 
 intimately acquainted with that doughty warrior, but I 
 have seen him on several occasions and have also seen 
 his war bonnet, and I know something of the amount 
 of feathers required to decorate it. Since he has passed 
 to the Happy 1 Hunting Grounds, I shall take this oppor- 
 tunity of denying that he ever made such a statement, 
 for I do not believe that he ever said it, as the evidence 
 would plainly indicate that he would not be telling the 
 
194 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 truth, which would be plain to all. Knowing how much 
 the wily old warrior prized the emblem of his former 
 prowess in the field of battle, I feel certain that he 
 would never submit to have it disfigured by the bullets 
 of his foes, particularly, whilst his head was beneath 
 it. So I shall repeat what I said before, "He did not 
 say it." 
 
 The reader may be pleased to have a little insight 
 into the general character of Whirlwind, the leader of the 
 expedition that failed. Like all leaders whether white, 
 black, or bronze, he always made it his motto to win. 
 Kill, conquer and destroy were the methods he employed 
 in his campaigns. In the heat of battle, he was relent- 
 less and uncompromising, but when the battle was over 
 and he had returned to his own hunting grounds, he 
 showed a spirit of forgiveness and generosity, as well 
 as many other redeeming qualities, for which he should 
 receive due credit. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 The Sun Dance ; Preparations ; Its Religious Significance ; 
 and Purpose ; How it was Conducted, etc. 
 
 It may not be amiss to insert here a description of 
 what was known to the various Indian tribes as the Sun 
 Dance. Each nation, people, or tribe in past history 
 has had some ceremony, symbolic in its nature, by which 
 honors and dignities were conferred upon those who 
 sough honor and preferment. Nor has this custom been 
 confined to any particular class, for all have, at different 
 times, indulged in the practice, nor was it without its 
 influence and effect upon those who sought advancement. 
 The Knights of the Middle Ages, when in the act of 
 receiving the symbols of their office and vocation, were 
 compelled to submit themselves to some kind of ordeal 
 by which they manifested their fitness to wear the honors 
 they sought. So, too, it was with the denizens of the 
 plains, as the following narrative from unimpeachable 
 authority will illustrate. Just as in the days of old, 
 the ceremony was partly religious in its development, so, 
 too, the children of the plains invested the conferring 
 of honors and rights to preferment with religious cere- 
 mony and physical tests. 
 
 The Sun Dance, as practiced by the Cheyenne tribe of 
 Indians, dates back to time immemorial. In the perform- 
 ance of it, the Indian makes a profession of faith in the 
 Supreme Being, and at the same time subjects those 
 who engage in it, to a physical test that is sufficient to 
 try the heart and soul of even the most valiant. The 
 first step in the proceedings of this semi-religious festival, 
 is to select the proper location for the celebration of it. 
 Weeks, and perhaps months in advance, some pow-wow 
 is held at which they make the selection of the place in 
 
196 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 which they wish to hold their festival. Usually some 
 well-known camping ground is chosen on account of the 
 abundance of fuel and water, both of which were neces- 
 sary for the proper conduct of the ceremony, for it was 
 essential that there should be means at hand for pre- 
 paring the final feast, as well as an abundant supply 
 of water for the multitudes assembled from the different 
 districts for the purpose of watering their stock, as well 
 as, affording bathing facilities to such a vast number. 
 
 For several days prior to the actual enactment of 
 the ceremony, Indians would begin to assemble, strag- 
 gling in from long distances, bringing with them the 
 greater part of> their hou^eh'old belongings. North, 
 south, east, and west sent their contingents. "Whole 
 families with their teepees, ponies, and dogs, assembled 
 from all parts of the reservations or the plains to par- 
 ticipate in the festivities or to be merely on-lookers 
 hoping in their mere presence to receive some benediction 
 from the Great Spirit Whom they assembled to worship. 
 Long before the arrival of these scattered bands, the 
 Medicine Man was on the scene to give his attention 
 to whatever preparations were required for the occasion. 
 He usually selected some central point wherein to erect 
 his place of worship. In this chosen spot he was to 
 enact the two-fold role of High Priest and Medicine 
 Man, to minister to their spiritual and corporal 
 necessities. 
 
 Many days elapsed before the arrival of the final 
 contingent, and the intervening time had to be employed 
 as best they could. This gave those who had already 
 arrived on the scene, an opportunity of visiting their 
 relations and friends, whom they had not met, perhap^ 
 since the preceding Sun Dance. The older folks were 
 content to while away the passing hours in social con- 
 verse, whilst the young engaged in feats of skill, con- 
 testing in games peculiar to the tribe. It was quite 
 evident that they were supremely happy in their childish 
 amusements, and enjoyed them as thoroughly as their 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 197 
 
 white contemporaries found pleasure and enjoyment in 
 their more up-to-date and scientific play toys. One 
 thing particularly noticeable in all their endeavors was 
 the spirit of prompt obedience to parental authority. 
 The control that the Indian parent exercises over his 
 child is marvelous, and in all my intercourse with the, 
 children of the plains, I have never known of a parent 
 chastizing his child in a cruel or harsh manner. It is 
 a thing unheard of, that a child ever raised a hand or 
 uttered an unfilial expression of contempt towards his 
 parents. I believe that if an Indian child were to 
 emulate the example of many white children, whom I 
 have known not only to treat their parents with con- 
 tempt, but even go so far as to treat them contumeliously, 
 the Indian father would be so staggered by such an out- 
 break and disregard for the proprieties of his position, 
 that it would require a council of chiefs to decide upon 
 the proper mode of dealing with the case, as it would 
 lack all precedent. The little redskin is attentive to 
 the wants of his parents, and at all times exercises a 
 continual watchfulness over their wants to forestall anj 
 command to fulfill some duty. Nor do the parents fill 
 the childish mind with tales of goblins and hobgoblins 
 to excite terror in his little heart. Even the customary 
 punishment of locking the little child up in some dark 
 corner, is lacking, for there is no need of it. Obedience 
 to authority is part of the nature of the Indian child 
 and it comes so easy for him to render it that it never 
 becomes irksome. 
 
 When the last stragglers have arrived, and the inter- 
 change of social courtesies is fulfilled, the large central 
 teepee, or ampitheatre is erected and ready for occu- 
 pancy. In the center of this teepee is placed a large 
 pole much the same as the old-time May pole used by 
 the people of the Middle Ages 011 the occasion of their 
 annual celebrations, but in this case the purpose was 
 very much different, as will be seen later on in this 
 narrative. 
 
198 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 During the time the rank and file of the Indians 
 were 'enjoying their intercourse, the young men who 
 were candidates for honors in the trials of endurance, 
 were busying themselves plaiting their hair and painting 
 their bodies. They< decorated their faces and other 
 portions of the body with every conceivable kind of 
 animal and reptile that human ingenuity could invent, 
 as taste or custom suggested. Some of the productions 
 were very artistic, and some were rather grotesque, but 
 the tout-ensemble served the purpose for which the work 
 was intended. They were no novices in the art of 
 extracting colors from the plants and shrubs that grew 
 in abundance on the plains, and at the same time had 
 developed the art of applying them to the human body 
 for decorative purposes. The paints were not indelible, 
 consequently they could be easily removed and another 
 application made as circumstances required. At times, 
 the renewal of the decoration took place as many as 
 four or five times a day. 
 
 Th'e ceremony lasted four days without any inter- 
 mission. During that time the candidates for honors 
 were obliged to such a strict fast and abstinence, that not 
 a morsel of food, nor a drop of water passed their lips 
 during the time. One favor was conceded to them ; they 
 were allowed to smoke. One might be inclined to think 
 that, at times, the regulation was not faithfully observed, 
 but there he would be mistaken. There were too many 
 eyes upon the candidates to permit of his stealing off 
 to the commissary department of the assemblage, nor 
 could he by any means carry off beneath the folds of 
 his garments a morsel of food as the extent of his 
 habiliments would not permit such a thing as his outfit 
 consisted of a breach-clout around his waist and a few 
 feathers in his hair. 
 
 At the hour appointed for the opening of the cere- 
 mony, a chief mounted his horse and rode throngh the 
 assembled throng crying out that the ordeal was about 
 to begin. It was his duty also to set down the rules 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 199 
 
 and regulations governing the performance. When he 
 had explained the ordinances sufficiently to be understood 
 by all the candidates, he withdrew and the Medicine 
 Man appeared on the scene. He was decked out in his 
 most gorgeous array of feathers and finery, with his hair 
 plaited down his back and ornamented with more feathers 
 and quills. Truly, he was an imposing spectacle to the 
 simple minded tribesman and they looked upon him with 
 a species of awe. In his hand he bore the wing of an 
 eagle. He took up his position in a very conspicuous 
 place and struck an attitude very much like some of the 
 Indians we see pictured standing on some eminence with 
 his hand shading his eyes and looking far away over the 
 plains in search of something of interest. The Medicine 
 Man assumed about the same attitude, using the eagle 
 wing to protect his eyes from the sun. He stood motion- 
 less for a period lasting about half an hour, gazing in 
 the direction of the blazing sun. I never came to learn 
 the true meaning of this action on the part of the Med- 
 icine Man, but I presume he expected to discover some 
 supernatural visitor coming from the direction in which 
 he was gazing. I can readily imagine what his conster- 
 nation would be if one of our modern aeroplanes passed 
 close over his head while he was making observations 
 of the heavens. There is no doubt he would drop his 
 eagle wing and make a dash for his teepee laboring 
 under the impression that the devil was out making 
 morning calls. Such an apparition would most likely 
 interfere with the completion of the programme, and the 
 tribesmen would probably seek shelter or protection from 
 the whirring, roaring monster, in the depths of the near- 
 by timber. However, as no such occurance took place, 
 the Medicine Man continued his vigil until such time as 
 he thought proper to terminate it. Upon his return to 
 camp, the tomtom sounded and the dance was on. All 
 the braves fell into line, and the pow-wow started with 
 each brave keeping step to the beatings of the primitive 
 instrument.No squaws were permited to engage in the 
 
200 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 ceremony as it was to be a strict, test of physical en- 
 durance. Much less, are white men permited to partic- 
 ipate in the Sun Dance, as this is an institution 
 particularly appropriated to the Indian tribes. The 
 squaws had their share of the work to do, and while 
 the ceremony was going on, they spent their time in 
 making preparations for the feast that was to follow 
 upon the completion of the dance. The young men who 
 were not otherwise engaged and who did not care to 
 undergo the terrible ordeal about to follow, mounted their 
 ponies and scoured the plains for game. This was a 
 necessary undertaking, as the amount required to supply 
 the throng present with food, was very great. True, 
 each tribesman brought some provisions, but that supply 
 would be inadequate to the demands of such an 
 occasion. 
 
 If any white man had an opportunity to witness the 
 proceedings of the Sun Dance, he would most likely 
 arrive at a very erroneous idea of the intent and purpose 
 of the occasion, nor would he understand the significance 
 of what he might see. The wild, wierd scene before 
 him, the fantastic movements of the participants in the 
 drama would probably create in his mind a false im- 
 pression of the nature and character of the ceremony. 
 However, to arrive at the true meaning of what was 
 being done, it is sufficient to say that the heads of 
 numerous families were present on the occasion I speak 
 of, to do homage and worship the Great Spirit, and offer 
 thanks for favors received in the past. This goes to 
 show that the Indian was not unmindful of his obligation 
 to the Great Spirit, but brings out to our view a side 
 of the Indian character that is very seldom mentioned by 
 those who appear or seem to know all about him. They 
 were grateful for the gifts received from the hand of 
 their Creator and on occasions of this kind strove to 
 show it. They probably had some friend or relative 
 who escaped from some calamity. If so, this was the 
 occasion on which they showed their gratitude to the 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 201 
 
 Father of all. Perhaps, some of them had wives and 
 children who had recently recovered from some ailment. 
 If so, they were grateful.Sundry were the purposes for 
 which they assembled on this occasion to offer up their 
 meed of praise and thanksgiving to the Great S'pirit. 
 Their devotion was as sincere and deep-seated as the 
 Pilgrims who made long pilgrimages to the Holy Land 
 to visit the sepulchre of Him who died for us all. The 
 scoffer may not be able to see it, but there is One who 
 sees and judges, and who will render to each and all 
 the just reward on the day of the final reckoning, and 
 the Indian may not be as bad as painted when seen in 
 the light of the Kingdom of Heaven, where he will be 
 judged according to his lights. 
 
 When the hunters have returned from the chase, 
 each deposits in the commissary department the trophies 
 of the hunt, antelope, deer, badgers, coons, rabbits. All 
 is grist that is brought to that mill. Even the dogs con- 
 tribute their share to make the supply equal to the grand 
 display of culinary art that is to be staged at the close 
 of the ceremony. It may appear strange to the reader 
 that the turkey had no place on the menu card of the 
 feast. The reason of this lay in the fact that the Indian 
 considered him too cowardly and timid to be food fit 
 for the brave and warlike members of the tribe, as it 
 would have a tendency to diminish, if not destroy their 
 spirit of bravery and fortitude. 
 
 In the meantime, all had been a scene of activity 
 in the ranks of those who were contending for honors, 
 as I have mentioned in a former paragraph. The 
 tom-tom had sounded the call to the test. The old 
 warriors and the young bucks who were out for pre- 
 ferment, had formed a procession and were marching 
 toward the ampitheatre. The old bucks who had won 
 their honors on the war-path were- dressed in .their 
 fanciest blankets, while those who were to undergo the 
 ordeal wore nothing save the breach-clout, and a few 
 feathers. When the excitement of the preliminary 
 
202 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 movements had taken possession of the young men, one 
 of the most reckless of the young bucks broke from the 
 ranks and began to dance around the pole. There he 
 gave himself up to a frenzy of movement, gyrating and 
 gesticulating in a manner marvelous to behold. Swing- 
 ing his hands, kicking up his heels, twisting, twirling, 
 performing antics of all kinds supposed to be of the 
 nature of warlike movements, he all the time gave vent 
 to a series of yells, whoops, and screams of the most 
 unimaginable kind. At the proper moment, a new 
 feature of the ceremony took place. A man selected for 
 the purpose came forth bearing a knife in his hand. 
 His duty it was to make incisions in the back of the 
 aspirant for honors. Two incisions were made on each 
 side of the back, about half an inch apart. When the 
 knife had done its work, the flesh was raised between 
 the gashes and a skewer of wood, much resembling the 
 old-fashioned husking peg, was forced through the flesh 
 beneath the skin. Around the projecting ends of this 
 was tied a buckskin thong to which was tied a lasso. 
 This operation was performed on b'oth the incisions. 
 A buffalo skull was then tied to the lasso at its further 
 extremity. The operation is then complete, unless the 
 young brave should request an additional skull which 
 would be provided if convenience, or opportunity, per- 
 mitted. If it were not possible to provide a buffalo head 
 for the occasion, the skeleton of a deer, or a bear would 
 answer the purpose as well. In fact, the skeleton of 
 any beast of prey was considered to suffice, as it was 
 supposed to engender a warlike spirit in the candidate. 
 This feature of attaching the skeleton of a beast of prey 
 was not always performed in the same way, as some of 
 the tribes preferred to have it attached to their breasts. 
 When properly equipped with this new attachment, 
 whether buffalo skull or skeleton of a deer or other 
 animal, the young buck was then turned loose. He 
 joined in the chanting and kept step with the other 
 dancers, but did not mingle in the ranks, as the appen- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 203 
 
 dage attached to him and dragging along might interfere 
 with the rythmical movements of the dancers. He did 
 not fail to keep step with his fellows, nor neglect his 
 part of the singing, but confined the field of his opera- 
 tions, separate from the others, where he could conduct 
 himself with what freedom the impediment he was 
 dragging, would permit. There he discovered himself 
 confronted with difficulties at several points, as the 
 buffalo skull might become entangled in a tuft of grass 
 and intensify the pain he was already suffering so hero- 
 ically. In case of difficulty of the kind, he received no 
 assistance from outside sources, but was compelled to 
 wiggle and twist until he succeeded in loosing it from its 
 hold or tore the flesh and skin from his back. It might 
 happen that the first obstacle that he met would break 
 the fleshy bonds that hold the skewers in pla.ce, and fre'e 
 him from his burden, or he might drag his burden around 
 for days. Oftentimes, in a spirit of playfulness, some 
 young redskin, promped by the genius of mischief, would 
 jump on the skull and tear it loose from its moorings, 
 but lacking this fortuitious event, and weary of the 
 burden, he would frequently in desperation wilfully be- 
 come entangled in something or 'other and break it of 
 his own volition. When he became detached from the 
 buffalo skull in the manner described, there necessarily 
 was left a gaping wound with ragged edges. Then he 
 received attention from the Medicine Man who was close 
 at hand for such an 'emergency. With his knife he 
 trimmed off the rough edges and expectorated the juice 
 of some herb which he had been chewing, into the wound. 
 This remedy was supposed to be sufficiently potent to 
 eradicate any infection that might be lurking there, 
 and produce beneficial results owing to the healing qual- 
 ities of the plant ire masticated. That was the total of 
 the medical treatment the candidate received during the 
 whole term of his torture. Frequently there were as 
 many as a dozen candidates on trial at the same time, 
 and all were compelled to endure the same torture. It 
 
204 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 frequently happened that some of them weakened by 
 hunger and exhausted from the pain they were suffering, 
 fell in a swoon. If such were the case, he was left where 
 he fell, and no attempt was made to render him any 
 other assistance than throwing a buffalo robe or blanket 
 over him where he lay. There they permitted him to 
 lie, to recover or die as the case might be. It made 
 no difference to the other dancers what his condition 
 might be, they continued their gyrations apparently 
 indifferent to the condition of the victim of hunger and 
 troture beneath the blanket. If he revived, he began 
 again his dancing and chanting as though there had 
 been no interruption, which he continued until freed from 
 -his burden. The test is the same for all, and the atten- 
 tion and medical assistance rendered is identical in every 
 case. 
 
 As I said before, other tribes prefer to have the 
 incisions made upon their breasts, but in such a case do 
 not bear the burden of a buffalo skull, but are attached 
 by the lariat rope to the limb of a tree, or to the centre 
 pole of the ampitheatre round which they dance until 
 they succeed in breaking loose by tearing the skewer 
 through the flesh that holds it. As for the medical 
 treatment, it is the same in all cases. 
 
 The ceremony is continued until the supply of vol- 
 unteers for honors is exhausted. Those who have passed 
 through the ordeal successfully are in line for promotion 
 to the higher offices of their respective tribes providing 
 a vacancy occurs through death or accident. They are 
 considered the proper material to fill the offices of chief. 
 They have been put through a test sufficiently harsh to 
 try the heart and soul to its utmost capacity for suffer- 
 ing. Their courage and constancy was beyond question, 
 and henceforth were looked upon as men having a prior 
 right to fill the place of any old chief who might go to 
 the Happy Hunting Grounds. They were not only proud 
 that they had borne the test successfully, but also were 
 more pleased that they had lived up to the traditions .of 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 205 
 
 the family. They were firm believers in heredity, and 
 were proud of the distinction of being descended from 
 some former warrior of prominence as the present day 
 white man is jealous of his descent from the first colonists 
 who came over in the Mayflower. I have met Indians 
 who gloried in their descent from Roman Nose, Black 
 Kettle and other noted leaders who have long since passed 
 away, and I have found others who traced their lineage 
 back to Tecumseh, and Black Hawk. 
 
 The system of dancing just described was suppressed 
 by Col. Woodson whilst he was in charge of the Darling- 
 ton Agency, as he considered it too cruel and barbarous 
 to be permitted on the Reservation because he thought 
 it would have a tendency to retard any progress the 
 younger Indians might be making towards a more civi- 
 lized manner of life. I understand, however, that Col. 
 Woodson 's order was rescinded by another Commissioner 
 of Indian Affairs at a later date, and they are now per- 
 mitted to practice it in a modified form. 
 
 It has been my lot to witness nearly every form of 
 dance from the Irish Jig to the latest form of Tango, or 
 Bunny Hug, Scotch Reels, the French Four, the Dutch 
 Waltzes, the old American Cotillion, and the Virginia 
 Reel, but all these combined and set in motion at the 
 same time to the wildest and weirdest music known to 
 the white race, would fail to produce the soul thrilling, 
 hair-rising emotions created by the Cheyenne Sun Dance 
 when in full swing. The sound of Patrick Gilmore's 
 band, in its palmiest days, would be as the twittering 
 of the snow bird in comparison with the roar of the 
 Rocky Mountain lion, when the festivities were at their 
 height. 
 
 When the time limit of the Sun Dance expired, 
 everything was placed away for future use. The buffalo 
 skulls, sacred utensils of the feast, were carefully se- 
 creted, and the ampitheatre removed. Nothing remained 
 but the trampled grass to show that anything beyond 
 the ordinary had taken place. 
 
206 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 The Dance having been completed, the feasting be- 
 gins. During all the time the braves have been engaged 
 in their soul thrilling, hair-raising performance, the 
 squaws have been busy. They were running back and 
 forth, making preparations for the banquet. Some spent 
 their time skinning a coyote or other animal, others 
 dressing and cooking the food already prepared, others 
 looking around for choice morsels to tempt the appetite 
 of some lord and master, as they felt he might be in 
 need of something delicate to meet the wants of a stom- 
 ach sensitive from long fasting. "Whatever the occupa- 
 tion, they were all busy, as the number to be waited upon 
 might number thousands. It was no easy task, but they 
 were equal to the occasion. At the signal given as be- 
 fore, the feast is on. To see them plunging with reckless 
 abandon into the midst of the feast, one would be forced 
 to conclude that the long fast had little effect upon their 
 appetites except to render them sharper. All thought 
 of the stomach being in a delicate condition was forgot- 
 ten, and the chief work at hand was to give undivided 
 attention to devouring as much of the viands within 
 reach as the capacity of the stomach would permit, and 
 that was some capacity. Nicety of choice was not mani- 
 fested to any great degree, for their hunger was usually 
 at such a pitch that they could devour anything that the 
 teeth could masticate to some degree. Here you might 
 see a lordly old chief manipulating the hurricane deck 
 of a gray wolf, or a skunk with wonderful dexterity ; 
 there another warrior bold making a savage attack upon 
 a handful of raccoon claws, and so it went from one end 
 of the multitude to the other, each earnestly intent upon 
 demolishing the pile of viands set before him and won- 
 dering if there was any more left for a second assault. 
 The time generally allotted for the repast was sunrise. 
 Then 'each and all squatted upon the ground anxious for 
 the welcome ordeal to begin. Sitting on their haunches, 
 facing the rising sun, not a word was spoken. It might 
 have been that they were too worn out from the long 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 207 
 
 fast, or perhaps they were so pre-occupied with the 
 thought of the great spread before them that they had 
 no inclination to talk, but the more probable reason is 
 that it was one of the regulations set down to govern the 
 termination of the festival. No matter what the motive 
 was that governed the conduct of the throng in the mat- 
 ter of maintaining silence and avoiding undue noise, the 
 fact was that they set to the work of supplying the wants 
 of the inner man without delay, either in beginning, or 
 continuing the work of demolition. All the rules of 
 etiquette, as prescribed for the four-hundred, were sus- 
 pended. It was a case of "Reach what you can, and 
 while making way with it keep the eye on the lookout for 
 more. Anything you do not see is not good for you." 
 They did not merely eat their food, they seemed to ab- 
 sorb it. The execution was rapid and effective, and the 
 final result might have been summed up in a huge pile 
 of bones from which the meat had been thoroughly re- 
 moved. 
 
 The breakfast, as one might call the repast just 
 Bended, did not terminate their stay in the locality, but 
 each and all felt it a bounded duty to remain as long as 
 there was any of the huge pile of provisions _remaining. 
 They were all jubilant over the happy termination of 
 the ordeal, and the young men who had endured the 
 test successfully strutted about with a pardonable pride 
 in their bearing. Feasting took the place of fasting and 
 all were merry as far as their method of life would per- 
 mit the expression of that feeling. When the last vestiges 
 of the immense store of game disappeared, they all 
 gathered up their possessions and made ready to set out 
 to their respective camping grounds. Prior to their de- 
 parture they held a sort of conclave in which they decided 
 when and where to hold the next meeting, and also out- 
 lined the nature of tire dance to be performed on the 
 
208 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 occasion. It might be a Medicine Dance, or a Green 
 Corn Dance, or some other festivity peculiar to the no- 
 tions of the tribes and the exigencies of the occasion. 
 Whatever the decision was, it was abided by faithfully 
 on the time appointed. This settled, they returned home 
 with the satisfaction of having done what they consid- 
 ered a duty, and felt that they had fulfilled their obliga- 
 tions to the Great Spirit. 
 
 I feel very much indebted for the above description 
 of the Sun Dance, to a lady who spent many of her 
 younger years among the tribe who conducted it. She 
 is familiar with the customs of the tribe, knows their 
 traditions, and, in fact, may be considered an authority 
 on things relating to the history of that nation. Her 
 name, at the time of which I write, was Mina B. Ash- 
 pard, but was changed by the Indians to Tat-ta-voe-e-tau, 
 or Blue Beads, on account of the string of blue beads 
 which she usually wore around her neck. She was loved 
 and admired by the whole tribe, but particularly by 
 several young chiefs who sought her hand in marria.-o. 
 Her affections, however, leaned to another direction and 
 she afterward married W. C. Ross, who owns a large 
 tract of land adjoining the flourishing City of El Reno, 
 the Queen City of the North Canadian. Mrs. Ross is to- 
 day the mother of a large family of sons and daughters 
 who are a credit to her and an honor to the State of 
 Oklahoma. Even today she delights in telling how she 
 used to enjoy riding out on a broncho, lassoing a wild 
 antelope, or deer, and dragging it back to camp amid 
 the cheers and acclamations of the whole tribe. 
 
 W. C. Ross, through his foresight and good business 
 management, succeeded in locating his family allotments 
 in close proximity to the City of El Reno, as I have men- 
 tioned above, and his location proved to be one of the 
 most valuable in the Canadian Valley. By its increase 
 in value, due to its location, and by his knowledge of 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 209 
 
 farming, he has placed himself and his family 1 above the 
 reach of want. He is educating his sons and daughters 
 in the Catholic School of El Reno, and they have proved 
 themselves good students. Their native talents devel- 
 oped in such surroundings, show that they are or will 
 be capable of fulfilling the duties of responsible positions 
 in the very near future. 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 The Adobe Wall Raid; Reason for Description; A Day 
 
 and a Night of Terror Some Hitherto Unknown 
 
 Heroes, Etc. 
 
 Before setting down in detail the series of events 
 that comprise what is called the 'Adobe Wall' raid, I 
 wish to put forth my reason for undertaking the task 
 of making known to the public an event that will long 
 be remembered, not only by those who took part in the 
 occurrence, but, also, by many of the early settlers of 
 the then Far West. So many accounts of the above men- 
 tioned raid have been written that it is impossible for 
 the seeker after the truth in the matter to discover what 
 he is looking for, that I deem it proper to narrate the 
 story of the raid as it was told me by 1 one of the most 
 prominent members of the little band who so heroically 
 defended themselves from the murderous assault of the 
 Indian marauders. So much has, also, been written in 
 the past, that sets the real West before the unenlightened 
 in a manner that is misleading, that I think it fitting to 
 give credit to whom credit is due wherever it is due. 
 The ordinary writer from the East is not in a position 
 to narrate the occurrences of the West, because he has 
 no immediate knowledge of events, and, moreover, when 
 he undertakes to set them before the public after re- 
 ceiving them from another, his narrative will lack the 
 ring of truth because he does not know the 'environments 
 and the atmosphere of the events he is trying to describe. 
 True, the rank and file of readers may not know the dif- 
 ference, but for those who know the facts of the case, 
 the effort to portray the history of the West by writers 
 who have gleaned their knowledge by hear-say, is pitiful 
 and puerile. 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 211 
 
 In regard to the narrative of the "Adobe Wall" 
 raid, I shall state again, before proceeding farther, that 
 my authority for the facts to be mentioned hereafter 
 was a member of the fighting squad. I have had the 
 honor of the acquaintance of several of the individuals 
 who took part in the defense of the place, and have had 
 the story related by them, and in its entirety, they all 
 agreed on the most salient features of the narrative, and 
 being men of integrity, their word is sufficient guarantee 
 for the truth of what I write about the matter. The 
 story I tell was related by Jimmie Langton. If the 
 reader wishes any corrobation of my tale, he may refer 
 to R. M. Wright, Charlie Rath, or James Langton, whose 
 addresses I shall append to the end of this article. 
 
 The "Adobe Walls" ranch was situated about one 
 hundred miles west of the north line of the Indian Ter- 
 ritory, and about thirty-five miles south of what was 
 then called No-Man 's-Land, on a little creek, about a 
 mile and a half north of the South Canadian River, in 
 what is now called Hutchinson County, Texas. The set- 
 tlement consisted of one sod building, a saloon, and a 
 blacksmith shop. The sod building was used as a store 
 and in it occurred the chief events of this narrative. The 
 saloon was owned by a man who went by the name of 
 Jim Hanrahan, and the blacksmith shop was operated by 
 Andrew Johnson, who now resides in Dodge City, 
 Kansas. 
 
 The store, or what was then called the "Dobe 
 Walls," was owned by R. M. Wright, Chas. Rath, and 
 James Langton, better known as Jimmie, and who per- 
 formed the duties of book-keeper for the firm. As I said 
 above, I am indebted to Jimmie for the facts of the story 
 as he was the only one of the partners present in the 
 store at the time of the raid, the others being in Dodge 
 City. 
 
 Those who took part in the fight numbered, at most, 
 about fifteen, not fifty or sixty, as some writers have it. 
 In the saloon at the time there were five or six, but their 
 
212 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 part in the fray was only a minor one, as the Indians 
 did not have any particular purpose in making an attack 
 on that place. In the store were Jimmie Langton, Andy 
 Johnson, Billy Tyler, Miller Scott, A. J. Chappell, Bat 
 Masterson, Mr. and Mrs. Olds, who did the cooking for 
 the ranch, and six or seven other freighters or travellers 
 who happened to be there at the time. 
 
 Of the Indians who took part in the raid, I shall 
 enumerate them by tribes, with their chiefs. 
 
 Big Bow led the Comanches on the occasion. Quanah 
 Parker was not present, as he was too young to be a 
 participant in the capacity of chief. 
 
 The Kiowas took part in the raid under the leader- 
 ship of Lone Wolf. This gentleman now resides in Ho- 
 bart, Okla., and has become so much converted to the 
 white man's mode of life that he wears a celluloid collar 
 and a derby hat. 
 
 The Cheyennes, who played no small part in ttoe ex- 
 pedition, were led by Red Moon, Chief Mininic, and Gray 
 Beard. Chief Mininic also played the role of Medicine 
 Man, and claimed that his medicine was so strong that 
 the bullets of the white man's gun could not injure him. 
 However, when his horse was shot from under him, he 
 explained the matter by saying that the bullet struck a 
 part of his horse's anatomy where there was no paint. 
 
 Besides the above mentioned tribes, there were the 
 Arpahoes, who, however, did not have a hand in the 
 fight. True, they had come for the purpose of extermin- 
 ating the white man from the buffalo-hunting grounds, 
 but when they had arrived at the scene of action, the 
 Comanches informed them that they were not to take 
 part in the annihilation of the pale-faces, but requested 
 them to remain in the distance and see how they, the 
 Comanches and their other friends, would put an end 
 to the intruders on their sacred plains. I believe it was 
 not the mere quest of glory that induced the Comanches 
 to forbid the Arpahoes taking a hand in the extermina- 
 tion of the common foe, but rather the knowledge that 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 213 
 
 there were several hundred high power buffalo guns and 
 an abundant supply of ammunition that would be part 
 of the spoils of war when they wiped out the obnoxious 
 white man, and they did not care to have too many on 
 hand when the dividend was to be declared. That they 
 would surely secure such a prize, they had no doubt, but 
 whether they did or not remains to be seen. 
 
 The list of the white men killed on the occasion of 
 the raid is comprised of only about half a dozen, and 
 nearly all of them were killed before the raid took place. 
 There were the Scheidler brothers who were slain and 
 mutilated at some distance from the ranch. They had 
 gone off to seek new pasture for the cattle, as that 
 around the ranch house was completely destroyed, both 
 by being eaten off and then being tramped out of the 
 ground by the stock. According to the usual Indian 
 custom, they were also scalped. There was also a Mex- 
 ican " bull- whacker " who happened to be camping near 
 the Scheidler brothers, and he met the same fate as they, 
 and a negro. The only other death among the wiiite 
 folks, was that of Mr. Olds, who met his end in a very 
 peculiar manner, as will be shown later on in the nar- 
 rative. 
 
 On the morning of June 27th, 1874, the Indians 
 made their descent upon the ''Adobe Walls" ranch. 
 There had been rumors of Indian outbreaks in other 
 parts of the country, but those present at the ranch on 
 the occasion had not the remotest idea that there was an 
 Indian within the neighborhod of fifty miles. As they 
 did not come with the blare of trumpets to announce their 
 arrival, the little party at the ranch did not know that 
 death and destruction was prowling in the neighbor- 
 hood until the early hours of the dawn, on the morning 
 of the 27th of June. That was the hour the Redskin pre- 
 ferred in making his calls upon his white neighbors, 
 especially if the visit was to be one of a warlike nature, 
 and they were on the war-path on this occasion. There 
 is a good deal of philosophy in the Indian's reason for 
 
214 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 i 
 
 preferring the early hours of the dawn for his first at- 
 tack. It gives him an opportunity to steal upon his 
 enemy unawares. He made it 'his business to hide his 
 approach so that his white foe would fall asleep in ap- 
 parent security, and then with one fell swoop, rush in 
 upon him and deal death and disaster before the unsus- 
 pecting victims could become alive to the dangers of the 
 moment until it was too late. On this occasion, they 
 followed their usual custom and crept silently on the 
 sleeping inhabitants of the little hamlet. The first warn- 
 ing that the sleeping white men had, originated in the 
 screams of the negro who was being done to death at 
 the door of the ranch house. The night was hot, and 
 for the sake of fresh air and whatever coolness he could 
 find, he spent the night in a wagon box at the door of 
 the ranch. Were it not for the coolness and calmness 
 of Miller Scott, the whole party would have suffered the 
 fate of the negro. As soon as he heard the first scream 
 of the unfortunate black, he immediately divined that 
 the Indians were upon them. Without a moment's de- 
 lay, he seized his gun and through the open door of the 
 ranch poured out such a deadly fusilade of shot that the 
 invaders were compelled to flee. The shouts of the In- 
 dians and the roar of the buffalo gun pouring out its 
 relentless fire, soon turned the little peaceful hamlet into 
 a den of confusion. How many there were in the attack- 
 ing party' at that moment he did not know, and apparently 
 did not care, for he was determined to defend himself 
 against all odds or die in the attempt to do so. Appar- 
 ently the Indians had enough of the entertainment offered 
 on that occasion as they withdrew in a hurried fashion 
 to the protection of the timbers and the hills. Nor was 
 Miller Scott the only one that took a part in giving their 
 unwelcome guests a vigorous welcome, but the others who 
 played their parts were rather slow in getting into action. 
 They had just awakened from a sound sleep and it took 
 some time for them to realize their predicament, but 
 when they did, there was no further delay, but they set 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 215 
 
 out to aid Scott in repelling the attack as vigorously as 
 possible. When the Indians had retreated nursing their 
 discomfiture and several wounds, the first attack was 
 repulsed. 
 
 The object the Indians had in view was to get 
 possession of the stock of goods and fire-arms that were 
 in the store. Mr. Langton says that he had more than 
 one hundred buffalo guns, and about eleven thousand 
 rounds of ammunition. Besides these desirable commo- 
 dities, there were on the outside several horses, mules, 
 and oxen, that attracted the attention of the Indians. 
 There was also the additional reason that they wanted to 
 exterminate the buffalo hunters who had been killing off 
 the game in large quantities, shipping the hides East, and 
 leaving the bulk of the carcasses on the ground to become 
 the food of coyotes, wolves and buzzards. They had laid 
 their plans well, and as far as they could see, they were 
 sure to produce a successful issue, but they had no means 
 of knowing that a negro teamster would offer such stren- 
 uous objections to shuffling off the mortal coil that he 
 would arouse the whole neighborhood in the loudness of 
 his protestations. That the ranch people would be in 
 a position to offer any vigorous resistance, they did not 
 dream. They knew they had that little band of pale 
 faces surrounded, and there remained only the formality 
 of killing them with the usual amount of ferocity, take 
 their goods and return to their camping grounds and 
 plot another raid. For the ranch folks, there was noth- 
 ing to do but fight like grim death. One thing favored 
 the little band in the ante-chamber to eternity. The 
 walls of the building were about three feet thick and 
 were impervious to the bullets from such guns as the 
 Indians then had. It was, moreover, impossible to set 
 fire to the building from a distance, as the invaders tried 
 that procedure later on and failed. As far as guns and 
 fire were concerned they were as safe as if they were 
 defended by the Rock of Gibraltar. 
 
 Nor were things inside the adobe building very 
 
216 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 inviting. They all realized that it was no holiday affair. 
 In fact, most of them had just about come to the conclu- 
 sion that they were about to assist af; their own funeral 
 with the flowers and music lacking. Nor could one blame 
 them for feeling that things had a very hopeless appear- 
 ance. There they were, a mere handful, surrounded by 
 hundreds of hostile Indians in war dress, ready to swoop 
 down upon them at any time, without the least chance 
 of assistance from outside sources. If anything were to 
 be done, it had to be done by themselves, or perish in 
 the attempt. It was certainly 1 critical enough to try the 
 stoutest heart. I have no doubt that, at the first charge, 
 there were not half a dozen of them that were fully aware 
 of what was occurring around them, and whatever they 
 did, they performed on the spur of the moment because 
 they saw others doing it. Some of them became so 
 excitedly helpless that they were unaccountable for what 
 they did, and it was providential that they did not do 
 anything imprudent. Others became nauseated and 
 freely parted with the contents of their stomachs. Mr. 
 Langton confesses that he himself became so overcome 
 with the realization of the horror of the situation that 
 he too parted with his supper of the night before and 
 the only reason why he did not lose his breakfast was 
 that he had not had time to eat it when the first attack 
 was made. He recovered his composure hurriedly, as the 
 exigences of the situation were such that one could readily 
 forget a little inconvenience when one's life was at stake. 
 After the first display of nervousness had passed he did 
 his duty like a man, and played a very important part in 
 the defense of the ranch. It is not to be imagined that 
 the Indians had not put up some kind of a fight. The 
 fact of the matter is that they did considerable shooting 
 in their own behalf, and that they failed to accomplish 
 anything in the way of killing the white folks was due 
 to the fact that they were rather hurried in their move- 
 ments. How many of the Indians were killed in this 
 first encounter, it is not possible to say, but the sight 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 217 
 
 of several empty saddles, and several lifeless bodies on 
 the ground around the ranch bore testimony to the fact 
 that the bullets from the buffalo guns had done some 
 execution. Stationed at the one window of the store, 
 stood Miller Scott spiting out death and demoralization 
 from the mouth of his buffalo gun upon the savages as 
 they madly careered around the place on their wiry 
 ponies. Crack, crack, as fast as he could push home the 
 charge, went the gun, and another warrior was sent to 
 join his forefathers in the Happy Hunting Grounds. As 
 soon as one gun became too hot to handle, another was 
 put in his hands to carry on the defense. Mr. Langton 
 personally saw to it that he was amply provided with 
 ammunition and guns to perform his duty. Nor were the 
 other members of the party idle all the while. They 
 punched holes in the sides of the building and through 
 the opening did what execution their opportunity afford- 
 ed them. 
 
 It was an appaling situation for a dozen people to 
 be over a hundred miles from civilization, surrounded by 
 five or six hundred, yelling, whooping, devil-daring red- 
 skins thirsting for their blood. There they rode, painted 
 in all manner of colors, cavorting like demons around 
 them, roaring defiance, and threatening at every moment 
 to break through the zone of fire and burst in upon them 
 in overwhelming numbers and put them to death merci- 
 lessly. It was well for them that they did not lose their 
 nerve completely, as the situation was one to try the 
 stoutest heart. It was well for them that Miller Scott 
 rose to the importance of the occasion and dealt out 
 such a rain of death dealing bullets as to appal the 
 intrepid Indians. Outside roared and ranged the howling 
 mob and inside things were not any too assuring. Poor 
 Mrs. Olds fainted. She was the only woman in the 
 hamlet. Kind hands poured water on her face until 
 she revived. When she recovered her senses, the realiza 
 tion of the predicament in which they all were, and 
 particularly the awful fate that awaited her, if they 
 
218 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 were overcome, so overpowered her that she tried to 
 commit suicide. She set up a series of yells and screeches 
 in her fright, that the Indians outside must have thought 
 they were killing one another to save themselves from 
 butchery. Strong hands prevented her from doing vio- 
 lence to herself, but there was no way to prevent her 
 screeching, and the only thing to do was to give her 
 freedom to screech until she became exhausted. 
 
 In the meantime, the Indians, feeling that their at- 
 tack was somewhat of a failure withdrew to the shelter 
 of the hills. According to the words of an old timer, 
 the first assault upon the place was not a howling suc- 
 cess. But the little party in the ranch knew that they; 
 would return, and they made what preparations they 
 could to entertain them on their arrival. They did not 
 seem to be in any particular hurry about making the 
 second attack, as in the distance could be seen Indians 
 riding in pairs, scurrying back and forth on their war 
 ponies, dragging the dead and wounded between them. 
 All of the rider that was visible was an arm and a leg. 
 They made a dash on each side of a fallen victim, and 
 seizing him by the hair, dragged him to a place of safety, 
 either for the attention of the Medicine Man, or for 
 burial. Whenever an opportunity presented itself to the 
 little band of whites to take a shot at them, they did so, 
 and in this manner, if they did not do much damage, 
 they, at least, hastened their movements to a considerable 
 degree. 
 
 The little party within the ranch was delighted with 
 the success of the first repulse. None of them had been 
 injured, and beyond the first nervousness, or nausea, 
 suffered nothing. They realized to its fulness the neces- 
 sity of meeting the marauders when they returned. 
 Every man saw to it that enough weapons were within 
 reach for immediate use, besides having near at hand a 
 dish of cartridges for rapid reloading when the fight was 
 at its zenith. With anxiety and nervousness they awaited 
 the second attack. They did not have long to wait. In 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 219 
 
 less than an hour after the first repulse, they saw them 
 breaking over the hills and descending upon them in 
 dense array. On they came chanting their war songs, 
 or raising their raucous voices in wild war whoops in the 
 weirdest manner possible. For some reason or other, 
 they seemed to halt at some distance from the ranch. 
 Out of their midst rode a chief, who swept on his way 
 chanting wildly, dragging a dry buffalo hide by the 
 tail. Apparently he was trying to incite them on to 
 glory by performing a deed of valor. It may have been 
 that they were a trifle bashful about exposing themselves 
 to the galling fire of the little band entrenched behind 
 the walls. Whatever the reason of their delay,it had no 
 effect upon the lone rider who advanced fearlessly up 
 to the very door of the ranch, gesticulating in a wild 
 manner. He threw the hide upon the ground, and with 
 a spring from his pony landed upon it and began a weird 
 chant to incite his followers to follow his example. To 
 show his contempt for those within, he seized an empty 
 barrel that happened to be standing near and threw it 
 with full force against the door of the building. Just 
 as he let fly the missile, a bullet from Miller Scott's 
 rifle tore its way through his chest. He gave a leap into 
 the air and with a wild shriek fell dead upon the buffalo 
 hide. "When his followers saw their chief fall, their 
 enmity was aroused and on they came in one wild charge. 
 Bullets spat upon them as they came, emptying many a 
 saddle in their wild charge. Pit, pit, the bullets sank 
 into the three foot walls of the ranch, and boom, boom 
 responded the buffalo guns in a roar that was interrupted 
 only for such time as it took to send another charge 
 home, and then they boomed again. Indians were falling 
 thick and fast, dead and dying, men and horses were 
 tumbling about on the open plain in a confused mass. 
 Pitilessly the little band poured out the rain of bullets, 
 until no living being could stand the galling fire. The 
 Indians retreated sullenly before their deadly aim, to 
 the shelter of the hills, once more. 
 
220 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 The little incident of throwing the empty barrel 
 against the door, called to the attention of the defenders 
 of the ranch the necessity of barricading it. In the 
 excitement of the first charge they entirely overlooked 
 that important matter, arid it was only the foolhardiness 
 of the Indian chief that called the matter to their minds. 
 As soon as they saw how much they were exposed to 
 danger through their oversight, willing hands began to 
 pile sacks of corn and other commodities against the door 
 until there must have been a ton of material stacked up 
 against it. Apparently it was the intention of the chief 
 to break in through the door, and had he succeeded, his 
 followers would have completed the work begun by him. 
 Happily for them, Miller Scott's bullet cut short his 
 career, and probably saved them all from death. 
 
 The death of the chief had rather a chilling effect 
 upon the rest of the invaders. Instead of continuing 
 the rush upon the place, they withdrew to a rather safe 
 distance, and contented themselves with doing some long 
 range shooting. The firing became desultory. The In^ 
 dians had withdrawn for about a mile, and though the 
 buffalo guns would carry that far, it was practically 
 impossible to do any accurate shooting at such a distance. 
 The only chance of doing any execution was possible 
 when any of the Indians gathered in any prominent 
 locality. Then a bullet from a buffalo gun would sing 
 around them, and they would seek safety in the shelter 
 of the hills. Another motive that impelled the besieged 
 to save their ammunition was that they did not know 
 how long they would have to entertain their unwelcome 
 visitors, and it was necessary to keep that thought 
 in mind. 
 
 The Indians seemed to have re-organized again, and 
 once more set out to make their third attack on the 
 resolute little band. It was galling to their pride to 
 think that a mere handful of pale-faces wer-3 able to 
 withstand their onslaughts so successfully. Besides, it 
 was rather disconcerting to have the principal object of: 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 221 
 
 their invasion frustrated just when success seemed to 
 perch upon their banners. The killing of the few in- 
 habitants of the ranch was not so important as securing 
 the arms and ammunition they knew was stored up 
 behind the " Adobe Walls." It was doubly galling to 
 the Comanches to think that they had invited the Arpa- 
 hoes to remain out of the fight to witness the extermina- 
 tion of the hated pale-face, and now they would have to 
 suffer the humilation of defeat where they expected to 
 return laden with the spoils of victory. On they flew 
 the third time, urging their little ponies to topmost speed, 
 m,ore maniacal than ever in their wild shouts and ges- 
 tures. Around the little ranch they rode in a fulisade 
 of shots as they passed and repassed, but all to no pur- 
 pose. Their ranks were thinning through the unflinching 
 fire of the beseiged. When a buffalo gun boomed, it was 
 a signal for an Indian to throw up his hands with a 
 screech and fall dead or wounded from the back of his 
 flying steed. The nearer they approached the ranch, the 
 hotter became the fire, until it was impossible to draw 
 sufficiently near to do any damage. They fully realized 
 that their shooting had been in vain. They experienced 
 no diminuation in the rapid fire of the little band within 
 those three-foot walls. They felt that it was useless to 
 attempt to take the place by assault, and consequently 
 they withdrew beyond the range of the guns of the be- 
 sieged, beaten. Three times seemed to satisfy their efforts 
 for pillage and murder. They hovered around at some 
 distance as they did not wish to abandon their dead 
 and wounded. There was no Red Cross Society there 
 to attend to that matter for them, nor was there any flag 
 of truce hoisted to denote a cessation of hostilities. As 
 far as the besieged were concerned, they took good aim 
 and shot to kill whenever an enemy' came within range. 
 
 Several times during the day they had attempted 
 to recover the body of the chief lying before the door 
 of the ranch, but all their efforts proved futile. They 
 finally gave the matter up for a time, acting as though 
 
222 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 they thought the whites were using him for a bait to 
 lure them on to destruction. They did not intend, however, 
 to leave him there, for, during the night that followed, 
 under the cover of darkness, they succeeded in removing 
 the body from where it lay. Apparently one of them 
 sneaked up during the night and fastened a rope around 
 it, hitched the other end to a pony and dragged the body 
 off to their encampment. He did not do this without 
 attracting the attention of those within. Anxious ears 
 were listening for every move outside, and when they 
 heard the body begin to drag along the ground, they 
 knew that someone was near, and they immediately 
 poured out a volley upon the rescuer. If they did not hit 
 him, they, at least compelled him to hasten his footsteps 
 on his way. They afterwards came to the conclusion 
 that the rescuing party got away successfully as there 
 was no sign of his dead body encumbering the plain 
 the next morning. 
 
 As may be imagined, there was no sleep during the 
 night that followed the day of the battle. What the 
 Indians could not do during the light of the day, they 
 might attempt at night, and this thought kept 'every 
 man alive to the exigencies of the desperate situation. 
 Every man did sentry duty all night long, not on the 
 outside, as that would have been suicidal, but within 
 the walls. When not pacing back and forth across the 
 floor, they strained their ears listening at the openings 
 in the walls for any noise that would indicate the ap- 
 proach of the foe. Light they had none, as they did 
 not dare to so much as burn a match. It was maddening 
 to have to spend the weary hours waiting for they knew 
 not what. They tried to be brave, but it was a difficult 
 matter to do so at such a critical time. There was not 
 a one of them that was not willing to die in defense 
 of the ranch, but the uncertainty of the situation was 
 more galling than the attack itself. Hour followed hour, 
 each one seemed an age, and yet there was no sign of 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 223 
 
 another assault. Wearily, anxiously they waited, 'each 
 moment dreading what the next might bring. 
 
 Morning dawned at last and the little band breathed 
 easier. They felt that there was more than an even 
 chance while daylight lasted. The condition of the place 
 was deplorable. With weary haggard looks they gazed 
 at each other in the pale morning light and tried to 
 smile encouragement to each other but it was a wan 
 effort. The excitement of the previous day, and the 
 anxiety of the night just passed, was plainly visible on 
 their countenances. But one thing remained, they were 
 undaunted and ready to face their foe again if necessary. 
 The sanitary condition of the place resembled the Black 
 Hole of Calcutta in a lesser degree. True, they had food 
 in abundance, but their water supply was 'exhausted. 
 Fortunately for them, there was a supply of canned 
 goods in the store. Some of these they cut open, and 
 drained off the liquid to quench their thirst. It was not 
 entirely satisfying as water, but it tided them over a 
 difficulty. 
 
 In the meantime the silence from their enemies con- 
 tinued to cause them considerable uneasiness. They could 
 not imagine what new kind of deviltry they were plan- 
 ning to effect the purpose of the raid. They awaited 
 another attack, but apparently it was either being de- 
 layed purposely, or the Indians had decided to forego 
 any further attempt on the place. Which of the two it 
 was, they did not know. Finally, when their anxiety 
 became unendurable, Mr. Olds, the husband of the good 
 lady who 'had stirred up so much excitement in the 
 early part of the fray, volunteered to make a reconnoitre. 
 For this purpose he built a temporary ladder. When 
 the rude implement was constructed, he ascended to the 
 roof of the building. Then he proceeded to make an 
 opening in the sod roof, through which he might make 
 a survey of the country in the neighborhood. To guard 
 against any attack from nearby, he took a rifle up with 
 him, for safety. He looked out through the opening he 
 
224 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 had so laboriously made, and reported that there was 
 not an Indian in sight. All were overjoyed at this bit 
 of information. Then Mr. Olds began to descend. In 
 some way or other, his gun caught in one of the rounds 
 of the ladder and was discharged when he was about 
 half way down. With a lurch from the ladder he fell 
 heavily to the floor. Whether from the force of the blow 
 as he fell on his head to the hardened earth, or whether 
 it was the bullet that struck him, his brains were scat- 
 tered round about in gruesome fashion. It was a very 
 unfortunate occurance, and it cast a gloom over the 
 whole party. Mrs. Olds was heartbroken over the sudden 
 and untimely death of her husband. Needless to say, 
 the other members of the heroic little band offered her 
 what consolation their rough ways would permit. As 
 she had just experienced the fidelity of the manhood 
 around about her, she was much comforted, but it was 
 hard to bear the burden of her loss with the evidence of 
 the accident before her. 
 
 When the first duties to the afflicted had been ac- 
 complished, others thought of the feasibility of making 
 a more extended reconnoitre from the outside of the 
 ranch. There was also another reason for wishing to 
 breathe again the pure air of the plains. Their water 
 supply needed replenishing, as they were all suffering 
 in some degree from the want of it. With anxious 
 hearts, they removed the barricading sacks from the doo* 
 and prepared for what might come. Andrew Johnson 
 proposed that some one should go for water, and offered 
 to make the journey himself. To this they all agreed. 
 He took a bucket and as he stepped out, he took a go- d 
 look around forj any possible redskin that might be 
 lurking in hiding. Seeing nothing to indicate the pres- 
 ence of the foe in the neighborhood, he set out for the 
 creek. His companions covered his journey all the way 
 with their buffalo guns, so that if any Indian put in 
 an appearance, they would have either driven him to 
 flight, or adorned the landscape with his remains. Hap- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 225 
 
 pily for all, no foe appeared and Mr. Johnson made the 
 journey without molestation. When he returned, he 
 was gre'eted by his friends in misfortune, with all manner 
 of expressions of gratitude. As there was no indication 
 of the presence of the foe, they did not barricade the 
 door again. 
 
 The next move was to send out scouts to discover, 
 if possible, whether there was any further danger of 
 attack. Needless to say, they did not wander far afield, 
 as, just then, it was a \vise proceeding to be in close 
 proximity to the base of supplies and protection. Those 
 who did not go on the scouting tour, performed the 
 humane task of burying Mr. Olds, and those who had 
 been killed outside the ranch house. With what tender- 
 ness their natures possessed they laid away the mortal 
 remains of their companion not far from the spot where 
 they had spent such a heart-rending day and night. As 
 for burying the Indians that lay around them on the 
 plain, they left that part of the duty to the coyotes and 
 the buzzards. At least, I have never heard of any burial 
 service being read over them on that occasion. Such a 
 method of procedure was common enough in those days, 
 as it seemed to be the usual way in which the enemy 
 regarded the disposal of the remains of his victims. They 
 could not be charged with neglect of duty, as, of all the 
 white men that I have heard of being scalped, murdered, 
 and mutilated in any part of the West, I do not know 
 of one case where the Indian ever took th'e time and 
 trouble to bury them. There is more truth than poetry 
 in the remark of Gen. Sherman, that "War is Hell," and 
 the little skirmish had a strong resemblance to a section 
 of the infernal regions while it lasted. 
 
 The above is the general outline of the fight as it 
 occurred. As I have said in the beginning, my authority 
 for the truth of what I have said was one of the leading 
 men of the battle, if there were any leading men in that 
 terrific struggle where every man stood up to the fight 
 like a 'man.' I have read several accounts of the affray 
 
226 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 from sources that are unreliable. As a proof of what T 
 say in that regard, though the article purport to be 
 written by soiree one who had a hand in the affray, it 
 is apparent that they did not write them personally, but 
 left it to some scribe to put down some of the salient 
 features, passing over some of the most important events* 
 of the struggle. How would it be possible for a writer 
 who had a share in the battle to forget the important 
 part played by Miller Scott? You say it would be im- 
 possible, yet I have seen accounts of the battle in which 
 he is not even mentioned. How could he forget the 
 tragic death of Mr. Olds? However, some writers fail 
 to mention it. How about the killing of the negro in 
 the wagon? And some of them narrate the story in an 
 entirely different manner. I fear that the imagination 
 of many a writer has filled up with fancy when facts of 
 the most thrilling kind were at hand. I know that a 
 writer, in narrating a hair-raising episode, under the 
 pressure of excitement is liable to overlook some im- 
 portant feature, nevertheless, for the sake of accuracy 
 and truth, he should revise what he has written and 
 correct the error when discovered if he knows it. 
 
 To satisfy the curiosity of the reader in regard to 
 the origin of the Adobe Walls, and how it happened 
 that there were buffalo hunters in that neighborhood in 
 preference to any other locality, I shall append an 
 explanation as well as mention many of the old-timers 
 who followed that occupation. 
 
 In regard to the origin of the Adobe Walls, of which 
 some writers appear to know nothing, I shall narrate the 
 story as told me by those who know. The original walls 
 were built of brick dobe made out of clay and grass, and 
 were sun-dried before being set into place. Under the 
 ordinary care, these walls would have lasted one hundred 
 years or more. These walls were built by the Mexicans 
 before the country was granted its freedom, and long 
 before it entered the union. There was a chain of such 
 structures built across the country to be utilized as 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 227 
 
 trading posts, as well as for fortifications. This chain 
 of little forts extended from, the Wichita Mountains down 
 through Texas to Mexico. The reason of their being 
 located so far northward was due to the fact that there 
 were mines in operation in the Wichita range long before 
 the country gained its freedom, and these forts served 
 as protection to the freighters who were engaged in 
 transferring the ore down to Old Mexico. When Texas 
 gaine<j her independence, all these forts and supply 
 stations were abandoned, and in course of time were 
 rubbed and horned down by the countless buffalo that 
 ranged at will over the territory. Then the country 
 became almost a waste, the home of the buffalo, the 
 cougar, and the other wild beasts that grew in number 
 unmolested by man. 
 
 About thirty-five years ago I became acquainted with 
 two Mexicans named Romero. They told me that they 
 had freighted ore from the Wichita mountains to old 
 Mexico, and that if I would go with them they would 
 show me where they got it. As I did not know anything 
 about mining I declined the kind offer. Today there are 
 hundreds of men exploring these mountains in search 
 of the precious metal, and if ever they come upon the 
 site of the Mexican mines, their fortune is assured. 
 
 In regard to the presence of the buffalo hunters near 
 the Adobe Walls, I am compelled to say that they were 
 there, more by necessity than by choice. The trail passed 
 by the Adobe Walls and offered an opportunity for the 
 hunters to ship their hides into Dodge City, the only 
 trading post within the radius of over a hundred miles. 
 They were compelled to pitch their camp where they 
 could find water for their stock as well as for themselves. 
 For this reason they located themselves at the head of 
 Wolf Creek, in what is now Ochiltree county, Texas. 
 Others located their outfits in the breaks of Clear Creek, 
 on the south line of No-Man's Land, and a few more 
 were established in the hills on the north side of the 
 South Canadian river, and west of the Adobe Walls. 
 
228 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 They could not possibly camp on the flats on account 
 of the scarcity of water. There extended there a strip of 
 territory thirty-three miles wide where there was no water 
 except after a prolonged wet-spell, which seldom occurred. 
 Regarding the other conveniences, such as fuel and other 
 things, they had little difficulty, as the buffalo chips 
 supplied the demands in abundance. 
 
 As an aftermath of the raid, when the various hunt- 
 ing outfits received word of it, they assembled on Clear 
 Creek for mutual protection, as they did not know when 
 they might receive a visit from the same band who would 
 not be in any friendly mood after the defeat at the Adobe 
 Walls. When they had all assembled, they began to 
 discuss the matter from all angles, and came to the con- 
 clusion that the most prudent thing for them to do just 
 then was to move into Dodge City until things became 
 more settled. Having decided what to do, they lost no 
 time in putting the plan into execution. They gathered 
 up their belongings and set out on their hundred mile 
 drive fully alive to the danger of the situation. They 
 crossed Beaver Creek, and slowly trudged alon gtheir 
 way over the divide to the Cimmaron River. It was a 
 rather difficult journey, and when they crossed the Cim- 
 maron they went into camp to give their stock a chance 
 to rest up and enjoy a breathing spell themselves. When 
 the stock had been turned loose to graze, they spread 
 out their bedding to give it a sun-bath. Some of the 
 boys went down to the river to have a swim, and others 
 went off in search of game. They wanted a change of 
 diet as they had been munching buffalo meat three times 
 a day for some time past and the regularity with which 
 it came became monotonous. George Ray and Jim Lane 
 remained at the camp to look after whatever needed at- 
 tention, and prepare the wagons for the next day's jour- 
 ney. Everything was going along peacefully when Lane 
 happened to look up and he saw an Indian coming out 
 of the mouth of a canyon not more than a hundred yards 
 away. He spoke to George, and they both grabbed their 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 229 
 
 rifles and opened fire. As they were seen by the Indian 
 first, before they had a chance to shoot, there was noth- 
 ing visible of him but one arm, and one leg, for he fell 
 over to the opposite side of his pony and put him on the 
 dead run. The two of them fired three shots each be- 
 fore he could get out of sight into the canyon. They 
 told me afterwards that they did not think that their 
 shooting had any more effect than to speed the Indian 
 on his way. 
 
 At the sound of the shooting, the boys who were 
 absent, lost no time in returning to camp. However, 
 they did not lose the object of their hunting expedition 
 as they brought back a fine antelope. When the matter 
 had been discussed, they felt somewhat uneasy, but as 
 no other Indian appeared in the neighborhood, they did 
 not become unduly alarmed. They spent what remain- 
 ing time they had before making their departure in cut- 
 ting up their meat and curing it for future use. They 
 were soon on their way again. They crossed the river, 
 and pulled through the sand hills out on the Adobe Walls 
 trail. Their journey led them across Crooked Creek, 
 then over the divide. On their way they m;et General 
 Nelson A. Miles at Mulberry. He was leading his troops 
 to the assistance of those men who were at the Adobe 
 Walls, but that was hardly necessary then, as the dis- 
 turbance caused by the raid had in a great measure sub- 
 sided. The buffalo hunters pursued their journey to 
 Dodge City, where they waited until matters began to 
 adjust themselves. Some of them then returned to the 
 range, while others went to freighting, some to Fort 
 Supply, others to Fort Ellis, or Mobeetie, Tex. 
 
 There were no cow ranches in that territory at the 
 time of the raid, nor for some years afterwards. For the 
 infomation of the reader, and also to let the old-timers 
 know that they have not been forgotten, I shall give 
 here the names of several of them. I knew the most of 
 them personally and followed their interesting careers 
 with pleasure. 
 
230 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 Nelson Gary and Jim Lane, after freighting a few 
 trips, built the first house where Beaver City now stands. 
 They went into the mercantile business and remained at 
 it for years with considerable success. 
 
 Jack and Bill Combs, George Ray, and Johnny 
 Loughead continued freighting for some time after the 
 Adobe Wall raid. They remained at this occupation un- 
 til they built what was known as the wild-horse corral, 
 on Crooked Creek, north of the County Seat of Meade 
 County, Kansas. This they maintained for some years 
 and then went back to the old life of hunting and freight- 
 ing. 
 
 Bob and Jim Cader settled down on Pladuro Creek 
 and established a small cow ranch. By close attention 
 to business and industry, they became wealthy. 
 
 Ben Jackson, another old-timer, hunter and plains- 
 man, settled on Wolf Creek, about five miles from its 
 source, and went into the business of raising cattle. 
 
 I could mention many others, and I knew nearly the 
 whole of them, who were engaged in the business of 
 hunting and freighting in the early days, but their num- 
 bers, by no stretch of the imagination, would ever reach 
 two-hundred as some of the narrators of early days 
 would have it. 
 
 I shall close this article by giving the present loca- 
 tion of some of the principal actors in the drama of the 
 "Adobe Walls." 
 
 James Langton, Salt Lake City, Utah. 
 Charlie Rath, 
 
 A. J. Chappell, El Reno, Oklahoma, 
 R. M. Wright, Dodge City, Kansas, 
 Miller Scott, Santa Pe, New Mexico. 
 
 I trust that my readers will see from the internal 
 evidence of the narrative just given, that it rings true, 
 and when reading other so-called accounts of the "Adobe 
 Wall" raid, will be able to sift the truth from the 
 fiction which such writings portray. 
 
CHIEF DULL KNIFE 
 
CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 The "Dull Knife" Raid; The Indian's Motive for the 
 Same, etc. 
 
 The summer of 1877 found the Indians as active 
 as they had been for some years prior to that date. 
 They had long since come to the realization that if the 
 buffalo hunter continued his destructive work upon their 
 base of supplies, the time would soon come when they 
 would be brought to the verge of want. They had so 
 long considered the buffalo their natural source of sus- 
 tenance that they could not behold the plains depopu- 
 lated of the vast herds without offering some kind of 
 protest, and the only one that appealed to him was the 
 rifle, and the tomahawk. Prior to '77 they had levied 
 a heavy toll upon the settlers in varied shapes of depre- 
 dations. They murdered wantonly, they carried into 
 captivity many wives and daughters of the settlers, they 
 ran off the stock and what they did not take away they 
 destroyed. Things had come to such a pass that the 
 settler had to be protected if the vast plains were to be 
 opened up to agriculture, or ranching. With the removal 
 of the buffalo, the cattle man would have an opportunity 
 of stocking the vast territory with marketable beef, or 
 the farmer would be able to convert the boundless acres 
 of the plains to the production of much needed cereals. 
 Hence it came to pass that the U. S. soldier took a very 
 active part in affording protection not only to the scat- 
 tering settlers who were brave enough to risk the dangers 
 of Indian incursion, but also, to the cattlemen who were 
 rapidly filling the plains with herds to replace the once 
 numberless buffalo. Miners and freighters also came in 
 for their share of protection from the lawless incursions 
 of the marauding natives of the plains.As a consequence 
 
232 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 of the activity of the army, several bands of hostile 
 Indians were captured and placed on reservations. 
 Amongst the contingents brought in was Dull Knife 
 with his followers. They w r ere held under surveillance 
 at Red Cloud Agency, Nebraska, until an order was 
 issued by the Department to Capt. Lawton, telling him 
 to take charge of the Dull Knife Band, and take them 
 under military escort to Ft. Reno Reservation, Indian 
 Territory. This order was promptly complied with, and 
 he started southwards and located them on the above 
 mentioned Reservation without any trouble or annoy- 
 ance on the part of Dull Knife. 
 
 In might be well to interpolate here an assertion 
 of Dull Knife, as it will explain some of his future con- 
 duct. He made the claim that he surrendered under 
 a promise, or form of agreement that in case he should 
 become disssaitfied with the Darlington Agency at Ft. 
 Reno, he would be allowed return to his northern hunt- 
 ing grounds again. I cannot vouch for the truthfulness 
 of the statement, but will let it pass for what it is worth. 
 The fact . of the matter is that he was only a very short 
 time at the Darlington agency before he began fomenting 
 trouble. He managed to render himself obnoxious as pos- 
 sible to every one with whom he had any dealings. John D. 
 Miles was in charge of the Darlington Agency at the 
 time, and Major Misner was in command of Ft. Reno. 
 They each of them kept a close scrutiny on every move- 
 ment of their distinguished? guest, as his reputation for 
 being a disturber among the Indians as well as amongst 
 the whites had preceded him, and they soon discovered 
 that his change of base did not change his disposition 
 for the better, in fact, it seemed to have the contrary 
 effect upon him. When he was brought into the reser- 
 vation, the agent located him about nine miles above 
 Reno, close by what was known as Dutch Jake's ranch, 
 and not far from where the present town of Calumet is 
 situated, in the valley of the North Canadian. He was 
 not there very long until he discovered that the whole 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 233 
 
 scheme of creation seemed to be out of harmony with 
 his needs and comfort. He made the startling discovery 
 that the water was no good, that the grass lacked the 
 nutritive qualities necessary to keep his ponies in good 
 condition, and last, but not least, that the agent was 
 stealing his chuckaway and that he, his family and all 
 that was near and dear to him were fst becoming mere 
 shadows of their former selves owing to such scantiness 
 of rations. I do not know whether there was any truth 
 in the claim that the agent, John D. Miles was guilty 
 of the crime charged against him, but this I feel very^ 
 safe in saying, that a great many of the troubles with 
 the Western Indians had their origin in just such prac- 
 tices, as has often been shown upon investigation. There 
 are usually two sides to every question, but, in the case 
 in discussion, whether there was any truth in the charge, 
 or not, I am safe in remarking that Dull Knife with 
 less provocation, in fact, with only an excuse for provo- 
 cation, could stir up more strife with less raw material 
 to start on than any Indian I ever knew or heard of, 
 and certainly lived up to the description the Irishman 
 gave of his wife, when he was carried away by his 
 feelings of resentment, "Bad luck to your ould head, 
 ye 're never at home only when ye are abroad, and never 
 at peace but when ye are at war." 
 
 The condition of which Dull Knife complained with 
 so much petulancy and bitterness continued to exist 
 during the winter. However, when the day arrived for 
 the Indians to draw their rations, he appeared with 
 the rest and took his share. The manner in which the 
 cattle were turned over to them was rather peculiar, 
 but filled the bill to a nicety. At the time appointed, 
 they all adjourned to what was called the "issue" pen 
 where the cattle were turned over to them to kill after 
 their own fashion. As soon as the steer was turned 
 loose the Indians set out in pursuit of him, armed with 
 bows and arrows, with which they endeavored to des- 
 patch him. They rode alongside of him, often times 
 
234 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 the distance of more than a mile, all the while trying 
 to sink their arrows into some vital spot. Many a wild 
 race they had after some refractory steer goaded to 
 desperation by the wounds inflicted upon him by the 
 arrows. As soon as the beast fell in his track, the pur- 
 suers work was done. The attention required to convert 
 the fallen ste'er into food was given by the squaws who 
 followed the pursuit, some on foot and others on ponies. 
 Arrived at the death scene they immediately set to work 
 with their skinning knives and soon had the steer 
 divested of his hide. That done, they made short work 
 of cutting up the carcass into the portions allotted to 
 each family. Those to whom, the meat was distributed 
 looked after the conveyance of it to their quarters 
 in whatever manner suited their taste or convenience. 
 Some wrapped it up in blankets, others hung it from 
 their saddles, others brought into service a gunny sack 
 or any other article that would suit the purpose of trans- 
 porting their share to their dwellings. In the work of 
 disposing of a steer, they were very economical, as there 
 was very little left of it when they had finished the 
 work of dismembering him. Even the entrails came in 
 for their attention. The smaller intestines they usually 
 relieved of their contents by squeezing between their 
 fingers. When they had them sufficiently cleansed of 
 all foreign matter, they braided them carefully and hung 
 them around the necks of their ponies. If the work 
 happened to take place in warm weather, by the time 
 the work was completed there was usually a halo of flies 
 encircling each squaw to accompany her on her home- 
 ward journey The bucks seldom, if ever, took a hand 
 in the butchering as they considered that work beneath 
 the dignity of a warrior. A few years later this system 
 of disposing of the cattle was abolished by an order 
 issued from, the Indian Department at Washington, as 
 the officials considered that manner of killing a beast too 
 barbarious and cruel. To accomplish the end desired, 
 they had the Agent select a good marksman to go into 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 235 
 
 the issue pen and shoot the animal selected for each 
 family. Then the beast was dragged outside and the 
 family to whom it was apportioned, dressed it and made 
 the division of it that suited their fancy. On the day 
 of "issue,"'! have frequently sat for hours watching the 
 aborigines at their w^ork, and I must say that outside of 
 a few little things, the scene had a certain amount of 
 fascination for me. Here I had an opportunity to study 
 the Indian at close range, and I found it far from un- 
 interesting. However, education and environment has 
 wrought considerable change in the habits and customs 
 of the natives of the plains, though it was a somewhat 
 difficult matter to break away from the mode of life 
 founded upon years of existance under a species of wild 
 and untrammeled freedom such as they enjoyed before 
 they came under the dominion of the white man. I have 
 oftentimes, in my travels over the plains and visits to 
 the different agencies, com;e upon a family of Indians 
 at their meal. All were seated upon the ground in a 
 circle around the food, each one devoting careful 
 attention to the work of demolishing some choice morsel 
 with a gusto that would make Lucullus envious. Fre- 
 quently, upon encountering them in such circumstances 
 I discovered young men and young women who had been 
 at Carlyle, or some other institution in the East, I could 
 tell at a glance that they had had the advantage of an 
 educational training, as, upon my arrival they would 
 turn their faces away from me, much embarrassed and 
 somewhat ashamed to be seen in their old habits of life 
 when they had been permitted to enjoy the elevating 
 influences and advantages of higher life. They had not 
 been back from school perhaps, for more than a couple 
 of weeks; perhaps, they were only making a short visit 
 to the old folks on the plains, but they could not conceal 
 their training, and they sought to avoid embarrassment 
 by turning away from the visitor who happened to call 
 upon them. They were wearing the blanket just to 
 pleas'e the old people. It was the custom of the early 
 
236 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 days, and still the mode of life of their parents, and 
 they found it rather difficult ot live in a manner different 
 from their people when they were in the midst of thenv 
 One who suffered no embarrassment from the visitor was 
 the old buck himself. There he sat munching a piece of 
 raw beef as unconcerned as if no visitor had ever ap- 
 peared before him. He was apparently oblivious of his 
 surroundings, and it seemed as if the sole purpose in 
 life, just then, was to give his whole time and attention 
 to a quantity of meat, oftentimes of such size that a 
 section of it would be protuding from the corner of his 
 mouth. There he sat and just chewed, like a work ox 
 munching his quid, or a mountain goat contentedly mas- 
 ticating some tough but savory morsel of food. 
 
 I have digressed considerably from the subject of 
 Dull Knife's doings, but I hope that matter just men- 
 tioned has not been uninteresting to the reader as it 
 gives some idea of the manner of life the old rascal led 
 while at the Darlington Agency. To continue the 
 narrative, the Agent kept up his mode of procedure in 
 dealing with Dull Knife, and the latter continued to 
 raise objections. He kept the trail between his abode 
 and the Agency in a well worn condition owing to his 
 numerous visits to the presiding official. In this manner 
 he managed to put in the whole winter. In other words, 
 he kept the kettle boiling, and one could see that there 
 was something brewing. 
 
 If there is anything that an Indian dislikes, it is 
 to get into any trouble that would force him to leave 
 his camp in the winter time, especially when there is 
 much snow on the ground. Gen. Phil. Sheridan was 
 aware of this fact when he made his winter campaign on 
 the Washita after Black Kettle, Satanta, and Lone Wolf, 
 and forever settled the outbreaks of the Indians in that 
 section of the country. 
 
 When the grass began to spring up along the valley, 
 and his ponies seemed to be putting on some of the much 
 needed flesh, Dull Knife felt the blood pulsing through 
 
OB THE DULL KNIFE RAID 237 
 
 his heart with greater vigor, and he began to make 
 preparations for war. He made no secret of Iris inten- 
 tions to depart at the earliest opportunity from the 
 restraining influences of the Reservation. It was quite 
 manifest to all the employees at the Agency, and to a 
 great many of the soldiers, that Dull Knife was making 
 his arrangements to part company with his surroundings. 
 News of the intentions of Dull Knife was brought to the 
 Agent by an educated half-breed, George Bent. Any 
 rumor that he had of the matter previously was now 
 sufficiently confirmed to warrant his taking what pre- 
 cautionary measures he deemed proper to restrain the 
 war-like ardor of the distinguished gmest within his 
 gates. He summoned Dull Knife to his presence and 
 gave peremptory orders to remove his camp from its 
 present location down the river to a position about eight 
 ingles east of where the present city of El Reno now 
 stands. It was a good location as there was plenty of 
 water, timber, and grazing, and should have satisfied 
 the demands of Dull Knife for improved conditions, but 
 he immediately put forth all manner of objections to 
 which the Agent turned a deaf ear. Reluctantly Dull 
 Knife agreed that the conditions in the new location 
 were much better than where he had been living, but 
 he did not see his way clear just then to make a change 
 in his habitation. The reason he gave for his unwilling- 
 ness to comply with the wishes of the agent was that 
 there was sickness in his family and consequently it 
 would be extremely dangerous to "expose them to the 
 necessity of submitting themselves to a change when it 
 was not absolutely necessary. He promised, however, 
 that as soon as his family was restored to health, he 
 would move them to the new location down the river. 
 The Agent permitted the delay suggested by the wily 
 Indian, but as a precautionary measure, had the Com- 
 manding Officer at the fort send a troupe of the fourth 
 cavalry to where he was then camped, to stand guard 
 over him until such time as he would make up his mind 
 
238 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 to remove to the new site selected for his encampment. 
 The placing of a] guard over him, gave Dfull Knifei 
 another opportunity to raise objections to the general 
 scheme of things, and like a spoiled child who cries 
 because it cannot have the rainbow, he commenced to 
 whine once more. No sooner had the troops taken up 
 their position to guard his actions than he came to the 
 Agent to have them removed entirely, or if that was 
 impossible, to have them removed to some distance from 
 his teepee. He asserted strongly 1 that the presence of 
 the soldiers so near to him had a tendency to keep his 
 squaws in a state of terror and that, as a consequence, 
 they would not be able to regain their health, at least, 
 as long as the soldiers remained in the neighborhood. 
 The Agent, to put an end to his continual whining, 
 consented to remove the soldiers to a position somewhat 
 removed from Dull Knife's teepee, but still near enough 
 to keep some sort of guard over him if they were at 
 all careful in the fulfillment of their duty. The soldiers 
 were rollicking, jolly good fellows, not at all blood- 
 thirsty, and whenever an opportunity presented itself 
 for merriment they entered into the spirit of the occasion 
 with all kinds of ardor. Needless to say, they found 
 the task of acting as guard over one redskin a rather 
 tedious affair, and were compelled to break the monotony 
 of existence by means originating with themselves. They 
 managed to pass the time in running horses, playing 
 cards, and with other diversions. In the meantime the 
 Indians passed back and forth among them with as much 
 freedom as if there had never existed anything like a 
 guard. 
 
 In the meantime the summer was passing away, and 
 Dull Knife had not yet changed his residence. The 
 Agent was beginning to get somewhat nervous over the 
 matter. He even went so far as to declare that he 
 would leave the agency, but that was a matter that 
 could not be attended to without considerable red tape, 
 and in the meantime he was receiving a good salary 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 239 
 
 where he was. He could not throw up his position with- 
 out consulting Uncle Sam, as Samuel is rather a harsh 
 task-master when it comes to seeing that his officials 
 fulfill the duties of their position. It was quite evident 
 that Dull Knife was getting on his nerves. 
 
 During all this time, Dull Knife was tearing around 
 like a loose cyclone that has recently broken away from 
 its moorings, and his lieutenant, Wild Hog, was not far 
 behind him in activity. He made no secret of what he 
 was doing. Here and there, all over the Reservation the 
 wily old villiani was meandering for the purpose of 
 getting possession of fire-arms. Anything he had in his 
 possession he was willing to barter for anything in the 
 shape of the utensils of war. Cowboys and soldiers, all 
 were requested to barter something in the nature of 
 guns or ammunition for whatever he could produce. 
 Anything he had was on the market. At times he 
 succeeded in trading a couple of ponies for an old, rusty, 
 six-shooter, but in the general run he was not very 
 successful. As an instance of what he was willing to do, 
 I shall mention one case. James Smith, a teamster for 
 the government at the time, was hauling posts to erect 
 a stockade at the fort. In one of his trips he met Dull 
 Knife. The latter immediately proposed a swap. He 
 saw Smith had his belt full of cartridges, and these 
 seemed to take his fancy. He made a trade with the 
 teamster, giving him a new government overcoat for 
 ten cartridges. This penchant for trading became an 
 obsession with him, and there were times when he ren- 
 dered himself a nuisance to everyone in the neighborhood 
 by his continual proposals to make a trade. 
 
 Finally, this state of things became very monotonous. 
 They had long since become aware of the fact that Dull 
 Knife had no good intentions in his desire to become 
 possessed of firearms and ammunition. They began to 
 be fearful of him, as they did not know the time he 
 would break out and take the war-path and leave behind 
 
240 THE INDIANS' LAST PIGHT 
 
 him a trail of smoking ruins, with a long list of murdered 
 victims. 
 
 On the first of September, 1878, the Agent was called 
 up by a family of Indians who informed him that Dull 
 Knife had gone. They said that they had gone with 
 him a short distance, but changed their minds and came 
 back to the reservation. The thing that all had been 
 looking for had come to pass, and they all became anx- 
 ious for what the near future would make known to 
 them. Something had to be done without delay. The 
 Agent immediately summoned Johnny Murphy who had 
 been Gen. Sheridan's confidential ambulance driver dur- 
 ing the campaign on the Washita, during the winter 
 of 1868, against the Kiowas, Comanches, and Arpahoes, 
 and who was afterwards a reliable despatch bearer 
 between the different posts in that section of the country. 
 The Agent explained the situation to Mr. Murphy, and 
 handed him a despatch to forward immediately to the 
 Commander at Ft. Reno, telling him of the departure 
 of Dull Knife. When the despatch was handed to the 
 Commander, he read it attentively, and asked Mr. 
 Murphy, as a special favor to take it up the river where 
 the troops were still guarding the Dull Knife camp. 
 Murphy again mounted his faithful old steed, Pegasus, 
 and proceeded to bore a hole in the darkness until he 
 arrived at the camp. There he found every one of the 
 soldiers sound asleep while the object of their tender 
 care was on his way to the hunting grounds in the 
 North v It is difficult to account for the somnolent ten- 
 dencies of the soldiers on this occasion. It does not 
 seem possible that their amusements of the preceding 
 day would have the effect of producing such a lethargic 
 condition. In any case, even the sentinel, whose duty 
 it was, at the expiration of each hour, to shout at the 
 top of his voice and proclaim to the troops in particular 
 and to the whole world in general that "All is well," 
 had surrendered to Morpheus, and was so tightly 
 wrapped in his embrace that Murphy was compelled to 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 241 
 
 roll him out of his blankets and inform him that the 
 Commander at the fort, and his country was calling him 
 to duty, and it would be a better procedure to saddle 
 up at once and go to headquarters as soon as possible. 
 
 To the average man, the escape of Dull Knife from 
 under the very eyes of his guards, may seem incr edit able, 
 but this is a case where truth is stranger than fiction. It 
 seems as if Dull Knife's medicine had hypnotized the 
 guardians of Uncle Sam's peace and dignity. If such 
 were the case, he must have exercised the same powerful 
 influence over the military until he was killed close to 
 the "Wyoming line. I cannot blame the reader if he 
 shows a little hesitancy in accepting the statement as 
 a fact, as I myself would have an inclination to question 
 the matter, and begin to look for proof if I were in the 
 same conditions as he, were it not that I am writing this 
 account within a few miles of the locality in which the 
 drama was enacted. I have been over the trail and 
 visited the scenes of some of his brutal massacres. 
 
 When Dull Knife left the reservation, he had less 
 than one hundred warriors, but had his full complement 
 of squaws and papooses, which, all told, would raise the 
 number of the departing contingent to about two hundred 
 and fifty. The fact that he took down his teepee, packed 
 all his belongings, and marched off undisturbed by the 
 guard set to watch his every move, would be enough to 
 stagger the mind of any one except some dime-novelist 
 who has the happy faculty of accomplishing marvelous 
 deeds with little or no implements t f o produce such 
 wonderful results. But, nevertheless, that is what oc- 
 curred. He had departed unmolested from the midst 
 of his guards, and was on his way to his far off land 
 of promise. When he left the reservation, he continued 
 his march to the Cimmaron river without much incon- 
 venience from the military men who were supposed to 
 forestall any such movement on his part. Being that 'he 
 was poorly provided with munitions of war, or supplies 
 to maintain his command on their journey, he was com- 
 
242 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 pelled to seek subsistence by raiding ranches, or killing 
 what stock he met 011 his way. He did not have much 
 trouble in providing for his future wants, once he came 
 into posstssion of some beef. This he dried and "jerked," 
 a very easy proceeding, for as soon as the meat was 
 salted and hung out in the sun, it readily cured, and 
 would remain fit for use for a year or more without any 
 fiirther attention. 
 
 The day after the departure of Duty Knife and his 
 followers, the soldiers under the command of an old 
 German officer, who had seen service in the army of the 
 Fatherland, Major Randerbrook, set out to arrest the 
 fugitives and bring them back to the reservation. It 
 was manifest to the observer that the Major did not 
 relish coming in contact with the rough edges of army 
 life. Here I may pardonably make mention of the fact 
 that this same Major, and Captain Gunther, of whom 
 I shall speak later on, were members of the Slumber 
 Squad who were supposed to keep a wakeful eye upon 
 Dull Knife's camp. The old Major, when notified by 
 Johnnie Murphy that 'his captive had vanished, became 
 indignant to think that Murphy, a mere messenger, would 
 have the audacity to disturb his sweet repose. How- 
 ever, realizing that the courier had not acted on his 
 own volition, he summoned up sufficient courage to leave 
 his comfortable bed, and saddle up for the purpose of 
 making a journey to the fort. When he arrived there, 
 he received orders to take charge of the Fourth Cav- 
 alry, or that portion of it that was then at the fort, and 
 set out in pursuit. There were several troops of the 
 Fourth Cavalry in that section of the country at the 
 time, as they had been sent down from Fort Sill to 
 keep an eye upon the Kiowas and Comanches if they 
 should show any disposition to foment disturbances. 
 Hence it happened that there was only one troop of 
 the Fourth at the fort at the time of the disappearance 
 of Dull Knife and his band. The Commander of the fort 
 also sent a courier to Fort Sill telling the Commander 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 243 
 
 there that Dull Knife had gone north, and asked him to 
 intercept the Indians if possible. 
 
 Tihe fugitive hadf gone northwards only a short 
 distance when he went into camp in the sand hills which 
 lay north of Dutch Jake's ranch. From his actions it 
 was plainly evident that he was not at all uneasy about 
 the presence of the soldiers, nor did he manifest any 
 fear of them. When he was ready to proceed on his 
 journey, he set out with the same nonchalance as charac- 
 terized his encamping so near to the scene of his late 
 restraint. He advanced on his route until he arrived 
 at the Antelope Hills, north of the Cimmaron river. 
 There he made another encampment. The soldiers had 
 not yet overtaken him, a thing which he seemed anxious 
 for them to do. In fact he became so anxious that the^v 
 should overtake him that he sent a small band of war- 
 riors back to meet them to make inquiries as to the 
 reason of their following him. They were informed by 
 Major Randerbrook that he had been sent out to arrest 
 them and restore them to the reservation. They posi- 
 tively refused to return with the Major, and stated 
 plainly that they intended to return to their chief and 
 lay the matter before him. Dull Knife, as might be 
 expected of him, positively refused to consider the return 
 to the reservation, in any light. In order that there 
 might be no mistake about his intentions he began to 
 daub on the war paint in greater abundance than he was 
 decorated with before. He was simply living up to his 
 assertion made previously that he would return to the 
 hunting grounds of the northern territory if the con- 
 ditions around the reservation did not suit his fancy, 
 and in his present attitude he was fulfilling up to his 
 declarations, and would continue to do so, come what 
 might. 
 
 The first evening of the march, Major Ronderbrook 
 made the startling discovery that, in the haste and bustle 
 of preparation consequent upon the order to pursue the 
 fleeing Indians, they had forgotten to pack up his feather 
 
244 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 bed, his davenport, also his writing stand and wall tent. 
 He felt that he could not make a successful journey 
 without these necessary accessories to 'his personal com- 
 fort, and therefore, he detailed Peter F. Weasel, a 
 member of the 16th Infantry, who was acting as team- 
 ster at the time, to return to the fort and bring all his 
 belongings (the Major's) and overtake the troops the 
 next day. This solemn duty Peter set out to fulfill with 
 proper feelings of submission, but I have never found 
 any 'evidence to show that the said Peter ever appeared 
 in the presence of the Major, laden with his precious 
 feather bed or any of his other belongings. 
 
 Do not permit the idea to find lodgment in your 
 head, my reader, that the Major was a coward. Far 
 from it, as his later actions showed. Later on, when 
 the Indians refused to surrender when he met them at 
 the Antelope Hills, he ordered the troops to charge upon 
 them in the camp, which they did. After a short skir- 
 mish with them, he found that he had lost three soldiers 
 who were killed, and among the injured was the company 
 blacksmith who was crippled by being shot through the 
 hips. After this skirmish the soldiers withdrew from 
 the fray and went into camp. There they buried their 
 dead companions, but when they came to look for the 
 injured blacksmith he was no where to be found. In 
 fact, they never saw him, again. The loss on the pirt 
 of the Indians is unknown, but from what I can learn 
 about the fray, to use the language of the prize ring, 
 that battle might be considered a "draw." Some years 
 afterwards, acting under orders from, the Department at 
 Washington that all soldiers killed in battle with the 
 Indians on the plains, where their graves were known, 
 their bodies should be exhumed and given a military 
 funeral. This order was complied with in the case of 
 the three soldiers killed in the Antelope Hill fight, and 
 they were later on removed to the fort where they b ;- 
 longed and properly interred. The Major himself bore 
 himself in a courageous manner, but he was suffering 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 245 
 
 from the handicap of age. Brave as any man that ever 
 straddled a horse, he wanted to be in the thickest of the 
 fray, but owing to his eyesight being greatly impaired 
 it was not a safe move to permit him to enter so ardently 
 into an engagement, as he could not distinguish friend 
 from foe at even a short range, and the difference be- 
 tween an Indian and any other object at a distance he 
 could by no means make out. The Major was thoroughly 
 discouraged with the outcome of the affray, and dis- 
 gusted with the conduct of his troops on the occasion. 
 He resolved to give up his commission and turn over his 
 command to a younger man. He determined to make 
 his resignation at Camp Supply, but before taking his 
 departure he placed Captain Gunther in charge of the 
 command. This man proved his unfitness for the position 
 of trust confided to him later on at Sand Creek where 
 he displayed the cowardice and worthlessnes^ of his 
 character, which stamped him as one of the most de- 
 spicable characters who ever disgraced the uniform of 
 an officer since the days of Benedict Arnold. The old 
 Major in due time arrived at Camp Supply accompanied 
 by an escort, whilst Dull Knife after carrying off and 
 secreting his dead warriors, started northwards across 
 the Cimmaron river, and began a series of depredations 
 on the ranches and cattle in Clarke county, Kansas. 
 
 Once he had crossed the river, he did not confine 
 his band to any definite route of travel. In place of an 
 orderly 1 line of march, such as characterizes the trained 
 soldier, his followers scattered out each day in different 
 directions to perpetrate whatever devilment might offer, 
 with the purpose of meeting at night at some appointed 
 rendezvous to plot and plan further rascality to be put in 
 operation on the following day. 
 
 There were few stock ranches in the country at the 
 time, and when they had heard that the Indians were 
 on the warpath, and were in the neighborhood, they 
 began to make preparations to protect themselves and 
 their stock against an expected incursion of the maraud- 
 
246 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 ing band. They rounded up their horses and kept them 
 under close herd, but that was impossible as regarded 
 the cattle, as they were scattered far and wide, and 
 consequently would afford the Indians an opportunity 
 for obtaining possession of what meat they wanted for 
 their journey 1 . It would have been flying into the 
 teeth of danger to endeavor to round them up just then, 
 as the ranchmen would, in all likelihood, have encoun 
 tered some of the roving bands of cut-throats in their 
 way, and the result would have been disastrous. How- 
 ever, it was not the nature of the cowboys to remain 
 supinely inactive and permit the Indians to work havoc 
 on the herds at will. They determined to have a hand 
 in the fray, and decided that it was time to give the 
 Indians their first lesson in civilization if they had not 
 received it before. They let the cattle take care of them- 
 selves, and set out to deliver their instructions in the 
 only manner that would appeal to the natives of the 
 plains. The cowboys from Doc Day's ranch, and those 
 from the Driskill ranch, with those of several other out- 
 fits, all turned out to take a hand in the fray that was 
 sure to come. They set to work with enthusiasm, 
 and continued it with so much zeal and ardor, that 
 Dull Knife began to fortify himself against their un- 
 remitting attention. He selected for this purpose a 
 location on what is called Gypsum Creek. The squaws 
 set to work to dig rifle pits upon the side of the bluffs 
 that overlooks the stream, where the warriors could fire 
 down upon the persistent cowboys if they should have 
 the audacity to follow them into their hiding place. 
 
 Everybody was, by this time, on the lookout for 
 the invaders and prepared to give them a warm recep- 
 tion should they appear in the neighborhood, excepting 
 one man named Sam Kiger. He lived on what is now 
 known as Kiger Creek, so named in his honor. Sam had 
 a little ranch. He lived in a dugout, and had a small 
 herd of cattle, and was busy looking after his own inter- 
 ests. He was so far removed from everybody 'else, that 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 247 
 
 he did not hear of the danger that was threatening the 
 neighborhood. It is easy to understand how he was un- 
 aware of the menace of the Indians when it is stated 
 that he seldom saw any one, seldom went abroad except 
 when necessity compelled him to do so, and then went 
 to Dodge City which was 45 miles distant, for supplies. 
 He remained in ignorance of his danger until two weeks 
 after the Indians had left that part of the country. That 
 was one case where ignorance was bliss. But another man, 
 Sam Williams, was not so fortunate. He was a sheep- 
 man and maintained his flocks on aother creek, and had 
 ii very close call, in fact, just escaped being murdered 
 by the savages by the narrowest margin. He was herd- 
 ing his sheep all alone at the time. Sam, among the 
 other adornments of nature, was upholstered with a lux- 
 uriant crop of whiskers. They 1 were his pride and he 
 spent his spare time in combing them. Never did beaute- 
 ous maiden bestow so much time and attention upon her 
 personal adornment as S'am spent upon his hirsute ap- 
 pendage. In fact, the care and attention of those 
 whiskers became a sort of obsession with him. Well, the 
 first notice that the aforesaid Sam had of the presence 
 of Indians was when a bullet came singing through the 
 air from behind a sand hill and ploughed a furrow 
 through his highly cultivated whiskers. It did not re- 
 quire any very rapid calculation on his part to tell him 
 that he was living in the midst of alarms, and that he 
 ought to seek the protection of his dugout so as to be 
 secure from further manifestations of hostility on the part 
 of the invisible riflemen. To think was to act, and Sam 
 made the distance between where he was shot at and 
 the dug-out in record breaking time. In fact, he might 
 have shattered the record considerably, had he been 
 timed, but there was no time to look for an official time- 
 keeper then, so his efforts in speed must go unrecorded. 
 Once inside the dug-out he felt comparatively sofe, as 
 an Indian would be very careful about approaching it as 
 it was virtually impregnable. There was no mode of 
 
248 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 assaulting it except from in front, and no wise Indian, 
 with a view to saving his skin from, being perforated, 
 would care to approach from that direction, as he would 
 be compelled to take that direction if he wished to cre- 
 ate any impression on the occupant of the dug-out. In 
 the meantime, the proprietor of the place, acting on the 
 law of self-preservation, would likely be cutting the 
 dust from around the said Indian's moccasins,, if not 
 making a more successful effort to convert his assail- 
 ant into what is called a "good Indian." Usually, as 
 the besieging party came to realize that he could not set 
 fire to the place, nor make any success of shooting into 
 it, he would abandon his undertaking for some other 
 more tractable victim. But, the fact that he could not 
 kill his victim, did not prevent his turning his attention 
 to some other mode of deviltry at which the Indian 
 was usually adept. In this case, they rounded up the 
 sheep belonging to Williams and drove them into a 
 water-hole where six hundred of them were clowned. 
 
 While proAvling among the Sand Hills, the Indians 
 chanced upon and, after a running fight, killed a man, 
 named La Force, a brother of Perry La Force who was 
 foreman on the Diamond F. ranch, owned by the Frank- 
 lin Land and Cattle Co., and managed by B. B. Groom, 
 part owner of the stock. He was a fine type of Kentucky 
 gentleman, actuated by the highest ideals, and one who 
 ran true to the standard of the highest kind of hospitality 
 When the ranchman became aware of the absence of La 
 Force, as he had not returned from his tour of inspec- 
 tion, or whatever duty took him away from the remain- 
 der of the party for the day, they organized a search 
 party to discover his wherabouts. They probably had 
 more than a suspicion that he had met with something 
 more than an accident, as they were aware of the fact 
 that the Indians were on the rampage, but it would not 
 be according to the ethics of their mode of life to aban- 
 don him unless they were positive that he had met death. 
 For weeks they maintained the search, but with! no 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 249 
 
 success. Finally, in one of their excursions, they came 
 across a skeleton, or what was left of it, as the bones 
 had been disjointed and scattered in all directions. 
 They were not yet positive that it was the remains of 
 their friend. However, they were not long left in their 
 uncertainty for they discovered La Force's six-shooter. 
 Every chamber of it was empty, which went to show 
 that he had not yielded tamely to his fate, but fought 
 manfully against whatever odds he had encountered. 
 How many there were opposed to him, the seaching party 
 had no idea of calculating, but there was no doubt in 
 their minds that he had accounted for more than one 
 of his foes. The condition of his remains was due to 
 the fact that they had left his body where he had fallen, 
 and the coyotes had gnawed every particle of flesh from 
 the bones. They gathered up what bones they they 
 could find and bore them to the ranch and buried them 
 with all the tributes of respect that could be shown to 
 one who had been not only a friend, but who had held 
 a very exalted place in their regard. They then notified 
 his brother,, Perry I^a Force^ of the iptimely death 
 of his brother, giving him what information they could 
 of his tragic end. He came from the Panhandle where 
 he was living at the time and had the remains exhumed 
 and took them to Mobeetie, Texas, where he laid them 
 in their last resting place. 
 
 Whilst these acts of thievery, murder, and other 
 rascality were being perpetrated on the Cimmaron, and 
 Big, and Little Sand creeks, a small contingent paid a 
 visit to a personal friend of mine, named Charles Coe. 
 He, at the time, was holding a herd of beef cattle in the 
 southwestern part of Ford county, awaiting an oppor- 
 tunity to ship them from Dodge City. The herd was 
 owned by Tuttle and Chapman. In his employment he 
 had a negro who performed the duties of cook, as well 
 as acting as chore boy around the outfit. This same 
 Charlie Coe was afttrwards book-keeper for the George 
 S. Emerson Mercantile Co. in Dodge City, Kan. At the 
 
250 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 time I mention he was what was termed a tenderfoot, 
 and along with being inexperienced in the ways of the 
 west, had little or no knowledge of the Indians mode 
 of existence, especially on the warpath. Anything he 
 happened to know of them, he had gleaned from rumor 
 and reading. His tent was located not far from Crooked 
 Creek. When the Indians came upon him, decked out in 
 their war regalia, he was in a quandry what to do. 
 It would have been useless for him to endeavor to seek 
 shelter behind the bank of the creek, as the distance 
 was rather far just then, and his tent would offer no 
 protection from the bullets of the enemy. Plainly he 
 was confronting a proposition the like of which he had 
 never encountered before. It did not take him long to 
 realize the danger of the situation, and he saw at a 
 glance that it was death or glory for him, no matter 
 which horn of the dilemma he chose to take. Instead 
 of seeking safety in flight, he preferred to break a long 
 established precedent of running away, and faced the 
 danger unflinchingly. He seized his gun and stepped 
 outside and waited the coming of his foes. As soon as 
 they came within range, he took careful aim and fired. 
 His first shot brought to earth the horse of the leader 
 of the band. Indications showed that he wrought some 
 damage upon the rider also, as he had to be assisted 
 by his comrades in rascality. They picked him off the 
 ground where he lay, and placed him on a pony behind 
 another redskin. The bold front shown by the white 
 man had the effect of halting the marauders in their 
 mad career, and at the same time had a stimulating 
 effect upon young Coe. He continued to fire at them 
 as long as they remained within range. The reception 
 they had received was wholly unexpected by the Indians, 
 and after firing several random shots at him, without 
 inflicting any' damage, turned their horses around and 
 withdrew to the Sand Hills about a mile distant. As 
 soon as they had departed the young tenderfoot entered 
 his tent to take stock of his means of defense. A brief 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 251 
 
 glance at his small supply of anmmnition showed him 
 that he was not in a position to stand much of the siege. 
 In fact he had very few cartridges left, and considering 
 prudence the better part of valor decided to make an 
 improvement in his conditions by seeking safety in flight. 
 He gave orders to his stable attendant to hitch up the 
 horses and they would set out for Dodge, which was 
 about thirty miles away. He told the negro the condi- 
 tion of affairs and showed him that they would likely 
 lose their scalps and their lives if the Indians should 
 make another descent upon their camp. To the pro- 
 posal to abandon the place, the negro made reply, "No, 
 sah, I ain't agwine to leave Marse Tuttle 's mules heah 
 for dem pestificatin red debils to get. Ise agwine to 
 take dem along." Having delivered himself of this 
 proclamation of loyalty, he started to hitch up. Coe 
 could not persuade him that he was exposing himself 
 to unnecessary danger, and while Mr. Tuttle would ap- 
 preciate his feelings of loyalty to his interests, at the 
 same time he was not cruel enough to wish to expose 
 him to the danger of losing his life. This and all other 
 arguments that Coe could urge, were of no avail. He 
 had determined to follow his own course in the matter, 
 and nothing could move him from that determination. 
 He had a strong liking for that team of mules, and 
 a very strong affection for Mr. Tuttle, and in less than 
 n hour later he lost his life through his fidelity to his 
 master's interests. Reluctantly Coe started off for Dodge 
 City. Sharp 'eyes were watching every move he made. 
 From the Sand Hills they had noticed the preparations 
 made at the tent, and saw the paleface ride away in the 
 direction of the city. They felt that it was useless to 
 follow him, as they knew he was well armed, and they 
 remembered too well the manner of reception he tendered 
 them but an hour before, and knew that he would be 
 prompt to repeat it if they offered 'him another oppor- 
 tunity. They had no desire to lose any members of their 
 band, and they felt that it would be a certainty that 
 
252 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 they would suffer some loss if they pursued him, so they 
 let him proceed on his way. Not so did they show any 
 consideration for the negro. When they saw him set 
 out they started in pursuit. They rode down from the 
 Hills, gradually converging to a point in which the darky 
 and the team of mules was the center of attraction. When 
 the negro saw them coming with the evident intention of 
 intercepting him, he put the mules to a gallop, but it 
 was impossible for the team dragging the heavy wagon 
 to outrun the war ponies of the Indians. When they 
 were drawing down upon him they began to shout and 
 shoot at the same time. The poor darkey was terrified. 
 The mules were stampeded and ran away. They over- 
 turned the wagon in their flight. In their mad career, the 
 driver had been shot in the back several times and was 
 killed outright. They overtook the mules and unhitching 
 them, led them back to the Sand Hills where Dull Knife 
 had now established his temporary 'headquarters. They did 
 not scalp the negro, nor burn the wagon as was their 
 custom. Evidently they must have come to the conclusion 
 that the team of mules and the plunder of the tent was 
 sufficient for one day. The darkey was later found an<j 
 buried by some cowmen, and his grave for a long time 
 was used as a landmark for travelers along the Jones and 
 Plummer trail. Mr. Tuttle was in Dodge City at the 
 time his faithful attendant gave up his life for his inter- 
 ests. Naturally he felt the loss of his servant rather 
 keenly. When the news was brought to him that his 
 wagon was still out there along the trail where it had 
 been upset, he hired Hoodoo Brown, an old scout, to go 
 out and bring it into Dodge, for repairs. The old scout 
 often told me of his experience upon that dangerous 
 journey. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon when he had the wagon 
 fixed up in such a fashion that he could haul it into the 
 city. He made the return trip the same night as he did 
 not care to expose himself to the danger of meeting the 
 same or worse fate than the negro. He said that he 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID t 253 
 
 imagined he could see an Indian hiding behind every 
 sage brush, or cactus in the country. But as it proved to 
 be nothing more real than a fancy of the imagination, he 
 had no difficulty in making the journey, for which Mr. 
 Tuttle paid him handsomely. 
 
 This band that had just perpertrated the deviltry, 
 had returned to Sand Creek just in time to avoid a 
 possee of cowboys who were in pursuit of them. They 
 had but recently run the rest of the Dull Knife band into 
 the canyon which they had fortified, and it would have 
 gone hard with the battle contingent that had just come 
 from murdering the negro if the cowboys had a chance 
 to meet them before they sought shelter in the rifle pits 
 the squaws had recently dug. 
 
 By this time, the whole country was well aware that 
 Captain Gunther and Dull Knife had been playing a 
 game of "hide and seek" for the past ten days. The 
 cowmen became weary of such dilatory tactics, and de- 
 termined to go into the canyon and fight it out with the 
 Indians. At this time Captain Gunther had arrived on 
 the scene with the 4th Cavalry, and demanded that the 
 cowmen withdraw from the sight as he was going to 
 take that matter into his own hands. He said that the 
 Indians were well fortified and that he would have con- 
 siderable trouble in dislodging them. He stated that he 
 intended to place sentinels around the canyon so that none 
 of them could escape, and intended to hold a conference 
 with Dull Knife in the morning. He assured the cowmen 
 that he was well acquainted with the old warrior and felt 
 certain that he would have no difficulty in persuading 
 him to return to the reservation with all his followers. 
 
 After the captain had arranged his guards around 
 the canyon in such a manner as he thought would pre- 
 clude the possibility of the Indians making their escape, 
 he busied himself with preparations for encamping down 
 the creek. While he was thus engaged, he was ap- 
 proached by Ben Jackson, the noted scout and buffalo 
 hunter, who saluted him in military fashion, as far as 
 
254 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 his knowledge of that accomplishment would permit, and 
 proposed that he, the captain, give him a despatch to 
 be delivered to the commander at Fort Dodge requesting 
 him to send more troops to aid in capturing the Indians. 
 This despatch he promised to deliver within a few hours. 
 The captain, not knowing the resourcefulness of the man 
 making the request, replied that he could not spare an 
 escort for the undertaking. To which the scout replied 
 that he did not need an escort as he was well acquainted 
 with the country and did not have any fears about the 
 prompt delivery of the message. The captain answered 
 that such a course of proceedings was unnecessary, as 
 he was well acquainted with Dull Knife personally. He 
 said that he intended to hold the conference with him 
 the next morning, and that when matters were set before 
 him in/ the proper light, there would be no further 
 trouble in the case, as he was positive the Indians would 
 be perfectly satisfied and return to the agency without 
 any further difficulty. When this short interview had 
 been completed, the captain proceeded down the creek 
 and went into camp. In the meantime the pickets were 
 on duty around the canyon, or rather were supposed to 
 be, but, in some manner or other, Dull Knife's medicine 
 hypnotized them as it did on the former occasion when 
 he escaped from the North Canadian. I am not going 
 to make any remarks about the private soldiers of this 
 campaign, as they w r ere ever ready and willing to do 
 their duty if they had a proper officer to lead them ; nor 
 am I going to make any comments, nor pretend to fix 
 the blame where it belongs, but will state the facts and 
 let the reader judge for himself who was culpable in the 
 matter; but it seems incredible that 250 Indians could 
 come out of that canyon, supposedly well guarded, and 
 pass through a cordon of pickets without a gun being 
 fired. Incredible it is, but, nevertheless, that is the un- 
 varnished truth of the matter. When dawn appeared the 
 following morning, the Indians had vanished, as if they 
 had been swallowed up by the earth. Their trail indi- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 255 
 
 cated that they had gone northward. They pursued their 
 line of flight to Crooked Creek, in Meade County, Kansas, 
 and after crossing that stream near what is called the 
 "Three Bends," they came to a hay camp that was con- 
 ducted by G. S. Emerson. Here they did not give them- 
 selves up to their usual depredations, but contented them- 
 selves with taking some provisions and cutting up a pair 
 of calf skin boots belonging to the proprietor. That they 
 did not commit any murders, was due to the fact that the 
 men of the outfit were absent. From there they pro- 
 ceeded to what was intended to be the county seat of 
 Meade county, which development did not extend further 
 than the erection of a story-and-a-half frame building, 
 with an unfinished well nearby, at which the city 1 fathers 
 were working when the Indians arrived. They immedi- 
 ately set out to explore the contents of the house and 
 surroundings. Their efforts were not rewarded very 
 highly, but one thing attracted their attention, a grind- 
 stone standing near at hand. The sole occupant of the 
 dwelling, Captain French, was compelled to perform the 
 task of turning the grindstone while they were sharpen- 
 ing their knives. To test the acuteness of the finish 
 they had put on their weapons, they contented them- 
 selves with drawing them across the captain's throat. 
 To show him further that they were not at all unselfish 
 in their attentions to him, the squaws lent a hand in pull- 
 ing and hauling him around and inflicting all manners 
 of abuse upon him, but they did not attempt to kill him. 
 I asked the captain shortly afterwards why they did not 
 take his life, and he replied that they knew better than 
 try that. He stated that he had a picture of George 
 AVashington hanging on the wall of his dwelling, and they 
 knew that if they killed him the government would soon 
 be in pursuit of them. Poor old Cap ! He did not know 
 that the government was on their trail at the time. 
 
 Although there were four or five men working at 
 the well at the time the Indians devoted their attention 
 to the captain. They did not molest them, but continued 
 
256 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 on their way northward. On their route they encountered 
 a man, Wash Connors, who had been to Dodge City 
 to do some trading. He had spent the previous night 
 with a friend of mine, C. M. Rice, and set out early 
 in the morning so as to reach his destination in good 
 time, as he had some material for those who were dig- 
 ging the well at the new town-site. Mr. Rice urged him 
 to remain and have breakfast with him, but he said that 
 he was in a hurry and would attend to that duly when he 
 reached his destination. With a good team of mules 
 hitched to his lumber wagon, he started off in good 
 spirits, little thinking he would never reach the end of 
 his journey. He was proceeding on his way in a brisk 
 fashion and had come in sight of the town-site when the 
 members of Dull Knife's band met him. They stopped 
 him without any ceremony and attacked him before he 
 could get out of his wagon. They cut his throat, tore 
 the harness off his mules and went their way taking his 
 team,. The well-diggers saw the whole proceedings, but 
 were unable to render assistance as they were not in a 
 position to do so. 
 
 Leaving the victim of their murderous assault dying 
 in his wagon, they set out toward the north again. Be- 
 tween the scene of their latest crime and the Arkansas 
 they committed no further depredation. They crossed 
 the river west of Dodge City, not far from where the 
 present station of Cimmaron is located on the Santa Fe 
 railroad. Their depredations after crossing the river were 
 few, as there was little to attract their attention, ex- 
 cepting some wild cattle and the accompanying cowboys. 
 They did not molest the latter as they had a wholesome 
 respect for that individual by reason of the fact that he 
 was generally armed with a brace of six-shooters and a 
 Winchester rifle, and was an expert in the use of both. 
 Meeting a cow-puncher under such conditions was a haz- 
 ardous thing, as the Indian knew the cowboy would not 
 trade even. They had no doubt about their ability to 
 eventually kill him, but the price to be paid was too 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 257 
 
 great, as he usually sent three or four of the wily red- 
 skins across the Great Divide before succumbing to their 
 prowess, and they did not usually care to pay the price. 
 
 By this time the whole country was aroused. The 
 news was heralded abroad on the wings of the wind. The 
 newspapers, as is their custom, in glaring headlines, 
 magnified the extent of the depredations, and gave 
 alarming accounts of the atrocities committed by the 
 Indians. Everybody was on the lookout, those in the 
 neighborhood fearing a visitation of the marauders, and 
 those far away living in expectation of the next savage 
 depredation. The excitement reached such a high de- 
 gree of intensity that the department ordered Lieuten- 
 ant-Colonel Lewis to take charge of the field of action, 
 which for some time had been a field of inaction as the 
 gentleman who was supposed to be at the head of the 
 movement against the Indians was but a poor apology for 
 a successful military commander. It may be well to re- 
 mark that this man was soon relegated to the military 
 scrap-heap in disgrace. 
 
 When Lieut-Col. Lewis was notified of the appoint- 
 ment, he responded with alacrity. He set out at once from 
 Dodge City with his command. He soon was on the trail 
 of the Indians. A short journey westward brought him 
 to the point where the band had crossed the Arkansas 
 on their way northward. 
 
 In the meantime the Indians were pursuing their way 
 with considerable speed. They may have realized that 
 another expedition would be organized to follow on their 
 trail, or another commander would be put in charge 
 of the one they had left so unceremoniously on the 
 night of their escape, but whatever their conclusions were, 
 they did not stop to commit any more outrages until 
 they reached the North Beaver, or Sand Creek. On their 
 arrival there, they saw they were about to have a fight 
 on their hands, as the lientenant-colonel had followed 
 their trail with such speed that he was almost upon them. 
 Escape for the time being was out of the question, and 
 
258 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 they resolved to fight. Lewis did not want to kill them, 
 but preferred to have them surrender and return to the 
 reservation. Such idea did not enter into Dull Knife's 
 calculations, and he decided to fight rather than return 
 to the place of his recent abode. 
 
 It was now getting late in the afternoon. 
 Considerable sharp-shooting had been done on both sides 
 for some time, and then a skirmish took place. Each 
 party was doing what execution it could without exposing 
 itself to any more danger than was necessary. The 
 Indians endeavored to make every shot count as their 
 ammunition was getting scarce, and the soldiers were 
 employing the same mode of warfare as their opponents, 
 though it was not the scarcity of powder, but rather the 
 desire to preserve their anatomy from the missies of the 
 enemy that induced them, to seek shelter behind every 
 bush and hillock. The lieutenant-colonel was a busy 
 man, directing the operations of his troops, and looking 
 after things in general. The battle lagged along until 
 evening, without much evidence of success for either 
 party. Towards evening Lewis rode out to the firing 
 line to get a closer view of things and to lend his men 
 the encouragement of his presence. When he reached 
 the zone of fire, one of the Indian scouts approached him 
 and advised him to dismount from his horse as he would 
 very proabbly be shot if he remained exposed in such a 
 manner to the fire of the enemy. The lieutenant-colonel 
 did not heed the advice so freely given by his scout, and 
 in less than ten minutes he received a bullet in the thigh. 
 The missle struck an artery, and as a result, the lieuten- 
 ant-colonel died a few hours later from loss of blood, 
 (My authority for the above statement is G. W. Brown, 
 who was lying not twenty feet away when the scout gave 
 the warning of danger. This gentleman, is now living 
 at Cushion Oil Field). He piloted the ambulance bear- 
 ing the lieutenant colonel under the command of Lieuten- 
 ant Gardner and escort to Fort Wallace that same night, 
 as he was familiar with that part of the country owing 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 259 
 
 to the fact that he had hunted buffalo all through that 
 section of the c ountry in the early days. After the escort 
 had proceeded on its journey for about six miles, a rider 
 returned to the lieutenant and told him that the lieuten- 
 ant-colonel had died. This sad news was a shock to the 
 company, as he was a man of the highest type of bravery, 
 and his demise was regretted by every man in the com- 
 mand. When the news was first broken to the troops f* 
 look of grim determination settled upon the countenance 
 of every man, which meant that at the first opportunity 
 they would avenge the death of him who they loved so 
 well. The fortunes of war averted the blow for the 
 present, for, during the night, Dull Knife and his fol- 
 lowers fled, leaving nothing behind but the embers of his 
 camp fires to show where he had taken his stand. The 
 soldiers started in hot pursuit, as they did not want their 
 enemies to go unpunished. They had not followed the 
 trail very far when they learned that the Indians had 
 divided their forces and gone in different directions. 
 Wild Hog, the chief adviser of Dull Knife went towards 
 the north-east, over to S'appa Creek, where he and his fol- 
 lowers murdered over forty persons, pillaged their stock 
 and burned what they could not conveniently carry off. 
 Dull Knife with the rest of the band headed due north. 
 This division of the Indians compelled the soldiers to 
 adopt the same method of procedure. They were ac- 
 cordingly organized into two divisions and set off in hot 
 pursuit of their wily foes. From this time onward the 
 expedition assumed the character of a running fight. 
 This system of pillage, and plunder, on the part of the 
 Indians, with the pursuit on the part of the soldiers, was 
 maintained until the 7th Cavalry, under General Samuel 
 D. Sturgis succeeded in capturing both bands on the 
 Niobrara River in the vicinity of the place in which 
 Camp Niobrara was built, and about 15 miles east of 
 Camp Sheridan. This event occured in the month of Oc- 
 tober, 1878, but I cannot give the exact date of the oc- 
 currence. The captives were then taken as prisoners 
 
260 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 of war to Fort Robinson, Neb., or, as it was then called, 
 Camp Robinson^ They were placed in the guard house 
 and held there until New Year's night, 1879, when they 
 broke out, killed the guards /and made tfheir escape 
 through the sand hills until they had almost reached 
 the Wyoming line. 
 
 When the news was brought that Dull Knife had 
 killed his guards and made his escape, everything was 
 in a flutter of excitement. Preparations were immediately 
 made for pursuit. At dawn, as soon as it was possible to 
 observe the direction of the trail, the bugle sounded and 
 the Third Cavalry mounted their horses and set out 
 in pursuit of the wily old villain who had so often 
 eluded them. They followed hastily all forenoon and the 
 further they advanced, the clearer the signs manifested to 
 them the fact that they were close upon the fleeing 
 Indians. In the afternoon they overtook the band in 
 the sand hills close to the border line of Wyoming. When 
 Captain Wessels rode up to them, he immediately ordered 
 them to surrender. Dull Knife's reply to this was a 
 rifle shot that killed an Indian scout belonging to the 
 cavalry. He repeated with another shot at Captain Wes- 
 sels. The bullet struck the captain but did not inflict 
 a mortal wound. The action of Dull Knife was a suf- 
 ficient guarantee that he did not intend to surrender, and 
 immediately the troops poured a succession of volleys into 
 the foe. When the smoke of battle cleared away, and 
 the few who remained alive surrendered, it was discovered 
 that Dull Knife himself, his daughter who was present, 
 and about two thirds of his followers had all gone to the 
 Happy Hunting Grounds together. After giving the 
 proper attention to the wounded, and burying the dead, 
 the troops with the prisoners returned to Camp Robinson. 
 Among the number returning to the fort were Wild Hog 
 and many other leading spirits of the movement. They 
 were held there until the spring of 1879, when the leaders 
 were sent to Dodge City, Ford county, Kansas to be 
 tried for murder and other crimes. 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 261 
 
 I called upon those notable characters while they 
 were supposed to be in durance vile, and found them the 
 m,ost conspicuous and best entertained men in prison. The 
 representatives of different illustrated newspapers were 
 there, sketching their pictures, and treating them to 
 cigars. It was certainly a very novel sight to me, and 
 I thought it strange that the citizens of Dodge City had 
 not formed a necktie party for the entertainment of the 
 whole party of savages, for they were well aware of 
 the characters of their guests and well acquainted with 
 the amount of crime and rascality they had perpetrated 
 almost within view of the town itself. However, every- 
 thing seemed to be following along the even tenor of its 
 way, and I came to the conclusion that Dodge City was 
 a very law abiding city, and was a good town to live in 
 (especially when one is acquainted with the early history 
 of the place). I cannot refrain from remarking that, if 
 a white man, or a body of white men, had been guilty 
 of one-tenth of the crimes perpertrated by the Indians who 
 were then sojourning in their town, they would have been 
 hanged as high as tirey could be raised on a lariat rope, 
 or shot to pieces in the streets. Strange are the dealings 
 of man with man. 
 
CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Great Awakening of the West; Buffalo Hunters; Quakers' 
 
 Influence; Indian Disturbances; A Treaty Made 
 
 and Broken, Etc. 
 
 When the first railroad construction train started 
 West from the Missouri River, with its gangs of graders, 
 tie-slingers, and track layers, the sound of the locomotive 
 whistle proclaimed to the Indian more plainly than any 
 language could do, that the days of his activity over that 
 vast expanse of country were ahout to terminate, peace- 
 ably if possible, but forcibly if necessary. The company 
 kept in its employ one or more buffalo hunters to supply 
 the boarding car with fresh meat which was plentiful on 
 the prairie in those day's. The engineers had staked out 
 the right-of-way, and established the different grades in 
 advance, and 'everything was kept in good shape for the 
 speedy progress of the work. The Indian saw all this. 
 He also saw the graders, the tracklayers, the spike drivers, 
 and heard the locomotive whistle. He saw the engineers 
 and the buffalo hunters, but he failed to see the real 
 cause of his trouble. He could not see the promoters of 
 that great undertaking and enterprise, because they were 
 beyond the reach of his limited vision. They were in 
 their luxurious offices figuring on the possibilities and 
 probabilities of one day declaring large dividends on 
 that stupendous undertaking that was to reach out to the 
 gold mines of Colorado and on through the mountains to 
 the Pacific coast. The promoters could see at a glance 
 that it was useless to expect any great returns from the 
 capital invested if they were to be dependent on any 
 freight or traffic from the Indian. They needed not to 
 be told that he was not an agriculturist. He was not a 
 stockman and had no use for agricultural implements 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 263 
 
 such as threshers, sulky plows, fanning mills or corn shell- 
 ers. He made his living by hunting and fishing and 
 was to a certain extent self supporting and independent 
 of all railroads. He was not accustomed to take his squaw 
 and papooses to any foreign watering place to spend the 
 summer. Whenever he felt like taking a few days' recre- 
 ation, he bundled his camp equipage and with his family 
 started for some creek where there were plenty of fish 
 and there remained until his visit was completed. Some- 
 times several families went together and had a big time 
 talking over Indian customs and the ways of the white 
 man. This had been their custom from time immemorial 
 and any act performed by the white man to disturb 'his 
 equanimity or distract him, was loked upon as an out- 
 rage and sacrilege, and any who did such things were 
 served with summary punishment. 
 
 The capitalists could see at a glance that the Indians 
 were not a class of people to build up a profitable in- 
 dustry and felt it their duty to remove them from that 
 section of the country in order to induce stockmen and 
 farmers to occupy it. As a step in that direction they 
 created a market for buffalo hides, which seemed to have 
 the desired effect, for it was but a short time until many 
 adventurous spirits who could gather together enough 
 money to buy a span of ponies, a wagon and ammunition 
 for the purpose, were engaged in the business, some as 
 hunters, others as skinners. As soon as they had a load 
 of hide they shipped them to market and with the pro- 
 ceeds prepared for another trip to the range again. Few 
 but the hardiest and bravest young men could stand the 
 dangers, trials, and exposure which they confronted in 
 all kinds of weather. 
 
 There was one young man that I feel a pardonable 
 pride in mentioning as engaged in that undertaking, 
 namely W. F. Cody, who by his dexterity with the rifle 
 had acquired the title of ''Buffalo Bill," and who had 
 become famous as an Indian scout and had established an 
 international reputation as the greatest marksman and 
 
264 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 horseback rider in the wastern plains. He was also chief 
 of scouts and confidential friend of General Phil Sheri- 
 dan, and at this writing is the owner and proprietor of 
 Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. His was a plain case of 
 'survival of the fittest.' The Indian looked upon his 
 kind as trespassers and intruders and as he had no navy 
 or war department behind him other than the tribal 
 medicine man who decided the war movements of his 
 tribe by incantations or by observation of the way the 
 smoke blew from his camp fire, after deliberating on the 
 general condition of the country, the signs of the moon, as 
 well as the inroads the hunters were making on the buf- 
 falo which he considered his private property, decided 
 to go on the warpath and kill off a few buffalo hunters 
 and discourage any future invasion of what he felt was 
 his private right. When he began his undertaking he 
 soon learned that hunting the buffalo hunter was en- 
 tirely different from hunting the buffalo, and it was a 
 work that two could engage in from opposite angles, at 
 the same time, with the advantage greatly in favor of the 
 buffalo hunter as he was always well armed, and an ex- 
 pert marksman; and in this particular they soon learned 
 to have a high regard for Buffalo Bill. To such a de- 
 gree did they come to admire him that they looked 
 upon him as a being of a higher order, and not of the 
 common clay. Things came to such a pass after some 
 experience with the buffalo hunter, that the Indian never 
 took any chances with him, but when the hunter pointed 
 to a distant horizon, the aborigines usually followed 
 the direction without 'further parley. 
 
 Prior to the time of which I write, the Quaker sect 
 came into close touch with the Indian Department in 
 Washington, D. C., and formed what was called the 
 Indian Bureau. They urged the only sane and proper 
 way to civilize the Indian was to educate him and teach 
 him agriculture. General Hazen was placed at the head 
 of the movement and a conference was called at Medi- 
 cine Lodge, Kansas, which the Comanches, Kiowas, 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 265 
 
 Cheyennes, and Arapahoes were invited to attend. Gen- 
 eral Harney presided, surrounded by reporters, inter- 
 preters and such other attendants as were required to 
 lend dignity to a court of such magnitude. After sev- 
 eral days of vexation and worry, they succeeded in form- 
 ulating a treaty which was supposed to be signed by all 
 the chiefs of those different tribes, by which they agreed, 
 for certain considerations made and provided, to vacate 
 all that country lying between the Platte and Arkansas 
 Rivers and go southward to take up their permanent 
 abode in what was then known as Indian Territory. The 
 Comanches and Kiowas were located on Red River and 
 in the vicinity of the Wichita mountains. The Arapa- 
 hoes were located south of the North Canadian. The 
 Cheyennes were allotted the country along Pond Creek, 
 in what was known as Cherokee strip. The Quakers 
 were not slow to learn that they had made a fatal 
 mistake in locating the Cheyennes so close to the state 
 line of Kansas, as the State of Kansas at that time was 
 not governed by prohibition laws and the bootlegger was 
 abroad in the land, and unless some steps were taken 
 very speedily it would be a question of only a short time 
 before the bootlegger would have all the Indians ' port- 
 able possessions over in the State of Kansas. I happen 
 to be personally acquainted with a man who was engaged 
 in that business and he told me that at one time he had 
 traded a boot full of whiskey for nine head of ponies. He 
 had no jug and rather than lose the deal, he pulled off his 
 boot and filled it from his keg and then started off 
 with his ponies for Kansas. The agent left in charge 
 readily saw that such conditions could not hold out long. 
 There were marshals who had been appointed to guard 
 and protect the interests of the Indians, but some of 
 them were in secret collusion with the bootlegger arid 
 received a share of the gain. As a consequence of this 
 condition the agent decided to remove the Cheyennes 
 southward to the North Canadian where a permanent 
 agency was established and put under the control and 
 
266 THE INDIANS 1 LAST FIGHT 
 
 management of Mr. Darling and even to this day is 
 known as the Darlington Agency. A large portion of the 
 Cheyenne tribe settled there and adopted the white man 's 
 way of farming. After they drew their allotments, the 
 government employed white men to go among them and 
 instruct them in the management of their affairs, and how 
 to sow and cultivate their crops. Women were also sent 
 as matrons among them to instruct the squaws in the 
 art of fulfilling 'household and social duties. Schools were 
 built and teachers employed, and the advance they have 
 made is really surprising. 
 
 The treaty of Medicine Lodge, it was hoped, would 
 put an end to all hostilities between the Indians and 
 the whites and bring about a settled condition of affairs, 
 but such was not to be the case, for a large percent of 
 the Cheyennes and a considerable portion of the Arapa- 
 hoes became disgruntled and claimed they had not signed 
 the treaty, and others claimed that the interpreters did 
 not properly translate their wishes and said they were 
 not going south to the Territory and would not comply 
 with any of the requirements of the treaty, or, in other 
 words, they were going to stay where they were, and go 
 and come as they pleased regardless of the white man's 
 feelings in the matter. The leaders of this discontented 
 branch of the different tribes were Roman Nose, Black 
 Kettle, Turkey Leg, and Dull Knife, with a few smaller 
 chiefs. These bands of Indians kept roaming back and 
 forth between the Platte River on the north and the Cim- 
 maron River on the south and west to the Rocky Moun- 
 tains, and at one time went eastward as far as Council 
 Grove, Kansas, where the Kaw Indians, a peaceable tribe, 
 were located. They raided them and after killing a few 
 of them, ran off their stock and returned to their favorite 
 hunting grounds. 
 
 This was kept up continually tor years. Robbing 
 stage coaches, killing freighters, raiding stock ranches, or 
 murdering the frontier settlers seemed to be a favorite 
 pastime with them. Ever since the treaty of Medicine 
 
OB THE DULL KNIFE RAID 267 
 
 Lodge, they kept growing bolder and more threatening. 
 Brigadier General Sully who was in command at Fort 
 Larned at that time, called their attention to ths fact that 
 there had to be a change in their attitude toward the 
 whites, or he would be compelled to take action againsj 
 them. When they received this notice a delegation of 
 the leaders called on the Gentral for a conference. They 
 asserted that all the mischief had been perpetrated by 
 some young Indians that were dissatisfied with the treaty, 
 and had acted entirely contrary to the wishes of their 
 leaders. They begged him to supply them with ammu- 
 nition and arms, and assured him that there would be no 
 more trouble along that line. The foxy old bucks knew 
 that they were lying and if the old general had been 
 educated on the plains instead of a military academy, 
 he would have known it too but he was one of those 
 good-natured, easy-going old fogies who were much more 
 intended to take charge of a Sunday school class than 
 of a branch of the army. At all events, after a good deal 
 of palavering and soft-soaping the old general issued an 
 order for the agent to turn over to them the firearms 
 with the understanding that they should return to the 
 reservation and behave themselves and commit no further 
 depredations on any person; all of which they meekly 
 agreed to perform. It was not 24 hours after receiving 
 the arms until old Black Kettle with a few of his con- 
 federates were making medicine on the Pawnee and Wal- 
 nut Creeks. The band started north to the Saline River 
 and commenced the most atrocious murders, rapes, and 
 other acts too abominable to be placed in print. They 
 did not stop there to complete their work of plunder and 
 pillage, but hastened on until they reached the Solomon 
 river where their villanous and blood-thirsty designs were 
 carried out in full force and effect. They murdered 
 about fifteen farmers and two women, and committed 
 other depredations and horrors too hideous to repeat here. 
 They carried off all the stock they could find, besides 
 taking away two little girls who were never heard of af- 
 
268 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 terwards. On their return to the Saline River they 1 
 started in to complete the work of destruction they had 
 only partly accomplished on their way to the Solomon. By 
 this time the farmers had congregated at a farm house 
 and were making ready to fight them when they should 
 arrive. They did not have long to wait, for they were 
 hardly inside the farm house when the Indians appeared 
 and began their pow-wow and war cry and firing into 
 the dwelling. Just about the time they were getting under 
 headway with the work of pillage and plunder, Captain 
 Benteen heard the firing and came to the rescue of the 
 settlers. He had heard at Fort Zarah that the Indians 
 were on the war-path and how they had treated two 
 women who were afterwards taken to the fort for care 
 and protection after their bitter experience with the 
 noble red man. He started out with a troop of cavalry 1 
 and reached the besieged just in time to save them 
 from the horrors which they would be compelled to face 
 if captured. There were 200 Cheyennes on . that raid 
 and when Captain Benteen appeared on the scene, they 
 scattered like a flock of quail. These Indians drifted 
 back in the direction whence they had come and re- 
 mained a short while with the Black Kettle band on 
 the Walnut and finally crossed the Arkansas and went 
 southward toward the Cimmaron River. 
 
 The old brigadier general had by this time awakened 
 from his lethargy and found that he had been out-gen- 
 eralled by the Indians. He decided to take immediate 
 steps to punish them for their treachery and deception. 
 There was a large body of Indians operating between 
 the Arkansas and Cimmaron, and Brigadier General Sully 
 concluded to go out and give them a good thrashing to 
 settle accounts for their past treachery and misdeeds. 
 These Indians were a mixed body of different tribes and 
 seemed as anxious to meet the general as he was to meet 
 them. After three different engagements in which the 
 general was defeated, he was compelled to return to Fort 
 Dodge to avoid being captured by them. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Sheridan's Arrival; Kansas Volunteers' Disasterous 
 March; Sheridan's Activity; Ouster's Engage- 
 ment With the Indians, Etc. 
 
 About this time General Phil. H. Sheridan made his 
 appearance in the Indian country, bringing some ad- 
 ditional soldiers under the command of General Ouster. 
 He also asked for a regiment of Kansas volunteers. His 
 request was granted and the recruits were placed under 
 the command of Colonel Crawford with orders to meet 
 General Sheridan at the junction of Wolf and Beaver 
 Creeks, or what is now known as Camp Supply. 
 
 When the regiment had been enrolled and the men 
 were ready and anxious to make the journey, General 
 Sheridan, in order to faciliate matters and avoid any 
 disappointment, sent two guides to pilot the new re- 
 cruits to their destination. It was now getting late 
 in the year and each day brought its quota of snow, rain, 
 or sleet, but in spite of such unfavorable conditions, the 
 boys made no complaint, but rode patiently along their 
 tedious journey. After they had been out a few days 
 the colonel seemed to grow impatient and irritable, and 
 began to dictate to the guides and volunteered his ad- 
 vice as to the direction they should pursue. He wanted to 
 turn to the left and cross the Cimmaron River and in- 
 sisted on 'his idea to such a degree that the guides, or 
 scouts, withdrew their services then and there and left 
 him to select when and where he would elect to ford 
 the river. The weather being stormy the Colonel lost 'his 
 way and through his impatience finally 1 lost his head and 
 did not know where he was. The brakes and canyons on 
 the north side of the river were filled with snow that 
 had drifted in from the prairie. In his desperation he 
 
270 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 started to cross the stream and spent several days floun- 
 dering around through the snowbanks and drifts. After 
 he succeeded in crossing the river he found it as hard to 
 get out of the difficulty as it was to get into it. To add 
 to his misfortune, he had neglected to bring along suf- 
 ficient food for horses or men. However, he succeeded in 
 getting out and up on the flats south of the river at the 
 expense of a great number of horses, but was fortunate 
 enough not to lose a single man. The situation was not 
 improved in any measure as he did not know where hi; 
 was. He continued southward until he reached the North 
 Canadian River. Here his remaining horses kept them- 
 selves alive by browsing in the timber while the men were 
 compelled 1 to live on what hackberries they could find. 
 
 As Colonel Crawford did not arrive at the expected 
 time, nor for several days afterward, General Sheridan 
 became anxious for his safety and sent out scouts to see 
 if any trace of him could be found. With much risk 
 and effort they found the colonel and what was left Ox 
 his cavalry about twenty miles below the designated place 
 of meeting. To say they were in a deplorable condition, 
 would be putting it mildly. The moment General Sheri- 
 dan received word of the disaster that had befallen Col- 
 onel Crawford's command, he sent out men and teams 
 to their relief with instructions to bring them into camp. 
 The relief party did not arrive any too soon as the men 
 and horses were in a very sorry plight, owing to their 
 lack of nourishing food. One thing alone was in their 
 favor in their present deplorable condition and that was 
 the abundant supply of dead timber at hand which af- 
 forded them an opportunity to keep warm, or rather keep 
 from freezing, a thing which was entirely lacking on the 
 Cimmaron. I may as well say that they were all afoot 
 by this time, as the horses that were still alive, were 
 reduced to such a state of weakness that they were un- 
 able to carry their riders. It took two days to get them 
 into camp, owing to their enfeebled condition. General 
 Sheridan's headquarters was then located on the north 
 
OK THE DULL KNIFE RAID 271 
 
 bank of the North Canadian river about four or five miles 
 south east of where the present city of Woodward, Okla., 
 is situated. On the departure of the command from To- 
 peka the newspapers in flaming headlines announced the 
 affair to the world, but their great expectations were 
 converted into "Crowford's Calamity." 
 
 In the face of all this vexatious delay, awaiting re- 
 enforcements from Colonel Crawford, General Sheridan 
 did not relax his energy in the least. He kept everybody 
 at work fixing up a base of supplies that would be in his 
 reach until the termination of that campaign which he in- 
 tended to settle during the winter months whilst the In- 
 dian ponies were poor and weak and unable to transport 
 belongings any distance. He also knew that if he delayed 
 matters until warm weather when there would be plenty 
 of grass, he would have to fight those Indians from the 
 British possessions to Texas. He was down there to fight 
 those Indians or make them return to their reservations 
 to remain there and behave themselves and stop prowling 
 all over the country committing depredations. He had 
 no time to engage in peace treaties and had no guns to 
 turn over to them, and there was no chance for any trick- 
 ery or treachery with him. He did not want to smoke 
 the pipe of peace with them and then be shot in the back 
 and killed as Turkey Legs and his band did with his 
 scouts Comstock and Glover. He was there for perma- 
 nent peace or a permanent fight and the choice rested 
 with them. There was no swapping of horses or palaver- 
 ing. He meant business. 
 
 By this time General Sheridan's headquarters very 
 much resembled a Canadian North-west logging camp. 
 Everybody was kept busy, some hauling logs, others dig- 
 ging trenches for the stockades, others were bringing 
 poles and brush to cover rude pole sheds for the purpose 
 of affording a temporary shelter for the stock. If there 
 was anybody idle, it was some one who was too ill to 
 work, or who had hidden in the brush to avoid work. The 
 scouts were kept busy scouring the country in search of 
 
272 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 some trail or sign of the Indians and finally were re- 
 warded by the discovery of a trail leading southward, 
 which showed a large body of Indians had gone in that 
 direction. On receiving that information General Ouster 
 asked permission from General Sheridan to fit out an 
 expedition to follow them. The request was readily 
 granted by General Sheridan, as he was anxious to bring 
 the campaign to a close as speedily as possible. As soon 
 as Ouster had his troops in proper shape he set out in the 
 direction indicated by the scouts. After crossing "Wolf 
 Creek and getting well up on the divide he discovered 
 the trail, but found it very difficult to follow owing: to 
 the snow having drifted and covered any marks they had 
 left behind them. Occasionally, where the wind had blown 
 the the snow from some high place he found all evidence 
 required to justify him in keeping up the pursuit. He 
 maintained his route until he reached the north brakes 
 of the South Canadian and went into camp for the night 
 in the least protected place he could find and made things 
 as comfortable as circumstances would permit. Next 
 morning after taking a survey of the situation he found 
 himself confronted with a great and dangerous under- 
 taking through having to ford the river. As every man 
 who has ever crossed it with a loaded wagon knows, it 
 is one of the most treacherous streams to ford, in the 
 Southwest ; and to add to the miry condition of the river 
 it was frozen over, but the ice was not of sufficient 
 thickness to bear the weight of the horses, much less the 
 heavy wagons that were to follow them. General Ouster, 
 a perservering and an energetic man, was not daunted 
 by this present difficulty. He sloped down the bank of 
 the river and set his men to work cutting a channel 
 across and clearing the ice from it, so that it would not 
 cut or injure the stock in crossing. After passing the 
 cavalry back and forth several times to settle the quick- 
 sand, he sent forward the freight and supply wagons and 
 with great difficulty succeeded in landing on the south 
 side. Here he stopped for dinner as it was after twelve 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 273 
 
 o'clock when the last wagon passed up the bank. After 
 dinner they hooked up and started on their perilous under 
 taking of climbing and winding their dangerous way 
 through the canyons and sand hills until they reached 
 the flats that divide the South Canadian and Washita 
 Rivers. The distance traveled that afternoon was not 
 very great but the difficulties and obstacles to be over- 
 come were very trying. The general decided to have an 
 early supper and after a consultation with his officers 
 determined to make a night drive as the moon shone 
 brightly and the trail was now becoming so plain that 
 the scouts felt there would be no difficulty in following 
 it. Accordingly they hitched up after their slight rest 
 and set out under the leadership of two Osage Indian 
 scouts together with California Joe, a white man who 
 had been on the frontier all his life and who understood 
 the language of the different tribes. Custer had learned 
 from his scouts that it was the intention of the Indians to 
 go into winter quarters on the Washita, but was not cer- 
 tain of the exact locality. Consequently he had to use 
 great caution in trying to discover their where abouts. 
 He found some smouldering campfires, which showed 
 that they were not very far in advence. The scouts did 
 not proceed very much farther until one of them on look- 
 ing over a bluff discovered the main camp and then 
 hastened back and made the fact known to the general. 
 Custer then and there stopped the outfit and went into 
 consultation with his officers. It was now past twelve 
 o'clock and he decided to make no attack until after 
 daybreak. He arranged to divide 'his force into four 
 different sections, each squad to be under the command 
 of an officer, and at daylight, at the sound of the bugle, 
 they were to make a charge. All was carried out as 
 planned, with the precision of clockwork. At dawn thd 
 cugle sounded and the band struck up the tune of " Garry 
 Owen" and the troops dashed in on the gallop. When 
 they reached the camp from the different directions, the 
 battle began. At the first volley fired, the Indians tried 
 
274 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 to escape, and some of them succeeded in getting away, 
 but the most of them were shot down, either in their 
 teepees, or as they were fleeing to some place of safety; 
 others dropped behind trees or logs and fought like de- 
 mons, but it was useless as they were overmatched. When 
 the smoke of battle cleared away there were over one 
 hundred dead Indians lying on the camp ground. 
 
 It was General Sherman, I believe, who said "war is 
 hell," a statement which proved to be absolutely cor- 
 rect in this instance for the wailing of the squaws and the 
 screaming of the papooses together with the groans of the 
 dying made a wierd accompaniment to the cracking of 
 rifles and the commands of the officers. After the flurry 
 of the battle had somewhat subsided, Ouster ordered all 
 that were alive, squaws and papooses, to be taken prison- 
 ers and put in charge of a squad of soldiers, whilst the 
 remainder busied themselves burning the teepees, pro- 
 visions, and other camp equipage found there. When the 
 work of destruction was completed he ordered all their 
 ponies, about two hundred in number, to be brought in 
 and shot. To the reader this may appear cruel and in- 
 human, but it was only a just retribution for the deeds 
 this same band had committed on the Saline and Solomon 
 Rivers in Kansas, where they spared neither age nor sex, 
 but perpetrated outrages on women that are too beastly 
 for publication, and this was a small installment on what 
 was due them. On roll call it was found that Major 
 Elliot and fifteen men were missing. 
 
 The Kiowas and the Comanche tribes were camped 
 but three or four miles below where the battle took place, 
 and it did not take them very long to make their ap- 
 pearance about five or six thousand strong. Here was a 
 fresh problem for Ouster to solve. If he was looking for 
 a fight with the Indians, they were at hand. Why did 
 he not attack them? Why did they not attack him? 
 Why did not Ouster make an effort to find out what had 
 become of Major Elliot and the fifteen missing men 
 who had been with him. I shall explain that as I see 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 275 
 
 it from my point of view. There is no doubt in my mind 
 that General Ouster was afraid to attack those two tribes, 
 and was also afraid to make an attempt to find Major 
 Elliot and his companions, as his conduct that evening 
 abundantly proves. He 'had sent his scout, California 
 Joe, with a dispatch telling Sheridan of his condition and 
 asking him to send re-enforcements at once. That after- 
 noon he held a consultation with his officers and decided 
 to return to Camp Supply to reorganize his men and get 
 more forces to engage in battle with those two tribes. N,ow 
 the question might be asked, why did not the Indians 
 attack him? There was but one reason and that was 
 that they were afraid. They had force enough to de- 
 feat Custer, but there was something else to take into 
 consideration. They knew General Sheridan was some- 
 place in the country and was, perhaps, at that time 
 waiting to catch them in a trap. They were not afraid 
 of Custer and his command, but they knew that if Sheri- 
 dan ever got them in a tight place, it would be good-bye, 
 Mr. Indian, for there would be nothing left of him. It 
 was a plain case of wheer Custer was afraid and the 
 other 'dassent,' it averted, as a result, one of the worst 
 slaughters that ever occured in the Indian Territory. 
 
 In looking over the dead, Chief Black Kettle was 
 identified. He had been instrumental in starting out the 
 band that had committed all the depredations in the 
 Saline and Solomon valleys, and but a few months prior to 
 this time had defiantly refused, when asked by General 
 Sheridan to come into Fort Dodge with the promise that 
 he would be properly cared for. He declared that he was 
 going on the warpath and made good his declaration as 
 the battle on the Washita will show. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Sheridan's Camp; Discovery of Elliot and Companions; A 
 
 Truce ; Capture of Comanches and Kiowas 
 
 Return to Camp. 
 
 The night of the battle, Ouster started for Camp 
 Supply and very nearly overtook his scout, California 
 Joe, as the latter had to hide so much on the way to avoid 
 being caught by the Indians; and I believe that Custer 
 made a record trip, as he was afraid of the same thing. 
 When he returned and Major Elliots absence was not 
 satisfactorily explained, General Sheridan showed great 
 dissatisfaction. He issued an order to get everything in 
 readiness at once and decided to take a hand in that 
 business himself to see if he could not discover what had 
 become of Elliot. The Kansas volunteers having lost 
 most of their horses in the snow banks on the Cimmaron. 
 River, with the remainder unfit for service, were orga- 
 nized as infantry and taken along. In fact, every avail- 
 able man was taken from Camp Supply except those who 
 were required to guard the provisions and look after the 
 stock. Although Sheridan was a graduate of West Point, 
 he never encumbered himself with any West Point tac- 
 tics in fighting Indians. He just put on his fighting 
 clothes and set out to whip them into subjection regard- 
 less of any military parade, and usually accomplished 
 what he set out to do. There was one feature of all his 
 expeditions which he never neglected, and that was that 
 he never failed to keep in touch with the best and most 
 reliable scouts and guides to be found, and once he had 
 secured them he never failed to be governed by their in- 
 structions, as he was well aware that such men under- 
 stood the topography of the country much better than 
 some titled professor of a military academy. Such scouts 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 277 
 
 he found on this occasion. He took along as his guide and 
 chief of scouts, one Ben Clark, because Ben was married 
 into the Cheyenne tribe and understood and spoke the 
 different tribal languages fluently. He also took along 
 California Joe, as he was a good scout and was familiar 
 with all the customs and habits of the Indians, having 
 lived and dealt with them all the way from California to 
 Texas. He was invaluable as a scout and guide, but had 
 one fault, of which I shall speak later on, that tried the 
 patience of the general sorely at times, but still Sheridan 
 could not afford to part with him. Those two, with the 
 addition to two Osage Indian scouts, were all that he 
 brought into service. When everything was in readiness 
 the general set out with the firm determination to set- 
 tle the Indian trouble for once and for all time to come, 
 if possible. He took General Custer with him, as he was 
 familiar with the route and also with the locality of the 
 recent battle. He took as his ambulance driver Johnny 
 ^turphy, a lad scarcely out of his teens and who acted 
 in that capacity until the close of the campaign. The first 
 night out they camped on the south bank of Wolf Creek 
 where they found an abundance of timber and living 
 water, two essentials at that time as the weather was 
 hovering around the zero mark. The men were becoming 
 accustomed to the cold and stood up in it like Esquimaux. 
 Nex,t morning they were up and away to cross the divide 
 to the South Canadian. The snow was still quite deep 
 on the flats and the moisture had softened the soil which 
 had not frozen sufficiently to hold up the heavy freight 
 wagons, which made it a tedious and toilsome trip to 
 reach the river. Clark being acquainted with the country 
 guided them down a canyon where they found timber 
 and a fair shelter. There they went into camp for the 
 night. Next morning one of the real trials of the journey 
 confronted them. The river had to be forded and they 
 were forced to repeat the labors that Custer had per- 
 formed on the former occasion and as the ice was not 
 thick enough to bear a heavy weight. They had to cut 
 
278 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 a channel and remove the ice from it and trample the 
 quicksand with the cavalry to make it fordable for the 
 wagons. They accomplished the crossing with a great 
 deal of difficulty and hardships, as most of them were 
 wet from trampeling through the stream or assisting 
 the lumbering wagons on their way. When the last team 
 had crossed they were glad to know that this difficulty 
 had been overcome. (The reader sitting on a balcony, 
 viewing troops of cavalry prancing along the paved streets 
 seems to enjoy the spectacle and can easily come to imag- 
 ine that the cavalry man's life is one continual round of 
 pleasure, but let him change his location and go and sit 
 with me on the south porch of a snow bank and see those 
 same soldiers fording a treacherous stream in the winter 
 season and his impressions of the gay and happy life will 
 be suddenly changed.) When out of the brakes and the 
 canyons they were on the last lap of their journey to the 
 battle ground where Ouster 'had wound up the wild and 
 turbulent care'er of Black Kettle and his band of Chey- 
 enne warriors. This day was but a repetition of the day 
 before except that at noon they camped long enough to 
 feed the stock some grain, as the mules were becoming 
 tired and jaded from the bad condition of the prairie. 
 After dinner they resumed their journey and that evening 
 went into camp about two miles from, tlie scene of Ous- 
 ter's fight with the Cheyennes a few days previous. Next 
 morning they set out and in a short time arrived at the 
 battle ground. They stopped to examine the place which 
 gave every evidence of a severe conflict. After S'heridan 
 had examined the field he sent out scouts and squads of 
 soldiers to scour the surrounding country in search of 
 Major Elliott and the fifteen missing men. They were 
 found about two miles from the battle ground, dead, and 
 stripped of their clothing and mutilated in the most hor- 
 rible manner. The mutilation was the work of the 
 squaws. They had not been scalped and their bodies lay 
 not very far apart and the number of empty shells lying 
 near each body showed the desperate defense they had 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 279 
 
 made. It was learned afterward that Major Elliott had 
 followed a band of fugitives and captured them, and 
 when returning was met and overpowered by a large 
 band of Kiowas and their dead bodies were left there 
 for the squaws to mutilate. When this discovery was 
 made and the news brought to Gen. Sheridan, he was in 
 no frame of mind to adopt any conciliatory measures 
 towards the Indians, besides it had a strong tendency to 
 lessen his respect for Gen. Ouster for not making some 
 effort to learn what had become of Major Elliot and 
 his fifteen companions. Sheridan was now in the right 
 humor for a fight. He wanted to fight and was going to 
 have a fight or a footrace with the first Indians he met. 
 He started down the Washita, where the Kiowas and the 
 Comanches had their headquarters. His progress was 
 closely watched by the Indians. They pulled up every- 
 thing and moved on in advance of him, but well out of 
 his reach. They were certainly in a predicament as they 
 could not cover up their trail by scattering out over the 
 plain, as they would do in summer time, as the snow on 
 the prairie gave evidence of every move they made and 
 things were in such a shape that it was either fight or 
 surrender. Gen. Sheridan did not seem to care which. 
 They continued to move down stream with Sheridan in 
 pursuit until the third day when they sent a messenger 
 back carrying a white flag and a letter from Gen. Hazen, 
 chairman of the peace committee, asking for a confer- 
 ence with the General. The reader can readily' see about 
 how Sheridan felt on the subject. He sent back word to 
 them that there was but one way in which he would rec- 
 ognize Hazen 's request for a conference and that was that 
 he would give them twenty-four hours to surrender and 
 come in as prisoners of war, or a fight would start at the 
 expiration of that time. He was compelled to acknowl- 
 edge the 'flag of truce and the Indians were well aware 
 of that fact. Reluctantly he gave them the 24 hours to 
 surrender or prepare for battle, as the recent outrages 
 on the settlers on the Saline and Solomon Rivers, thg 
 
280 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 barbarous treatment of Major Elliot and his companions 
 were fresh in the mind of Sheridan. The Indian, aware 
 of the value of the flag of truce used it always to his ad- 
 vantage when in a tight place, though they had no re- 
 spect for it in their own dealings with others. Sheridan 
 was waiting anxiously for the expiration of the time of 
 truce, but the Indians forestalled the allotted time by 
 about four hours. If the thing was to be done over again, 
 I do not believe that Sheridan would have paid any atten- 
 tion to the flag of truce, as the first sight that met the 
 General's eye after he had marched into their camp and 
 taken Chief Lone Wolf and Chief Satanta prisoners, was 
 the body of a white woman who had been kidnapped 
 from near Fort Lyon by Satanta and kept to gratify his 
 savage lust. When he found escape impossible,, he shot 
 her to avoid giving her up to her rescuers and took her 
 white child by the feet and dashed its brains out against 
 a tree. When the fiend shot the woman, whose name 
 was Mrs. Blynn, he held the gun so close to her that her 
 face was powder-burned. In her death, I imagine that 
 there was relief brought to one poor tortured soul. 
 
 During the armistice, which did not last twenty-four 
 hours, the Indians killed all their ponies rather than turn 
 them over to their conquerors. After the preliminaries 
 of surrender were completed, they were ordered back to 
 Ft. Cobb and accordingly started back to fulfill their 
 agreement. Any one familiar with the lay of that coun- 
 try can begin to appreciate the difficulty Gen. Sheridan 
 had on hand. Moreover, the reluctance of the Indians to 
 return made the journey all the more difficult. They 1 
 had a thousand different excuses to delay the journey, 
 but it availed them nothing. They were kept on the 
 move and closely watched. In spite of the vigilance ex- 
 ercised by the troops, some of the Indians managed to 
 escape. At every opportunity some of them would dodge 
 through the brush along the way and make their escape. 
 Satanta seeing the success of his companions, made a 
 dash for liberty also. He was immediately captured by 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 281 
 
 the soldiers and put in handcuffs. To show no partiality 
 in the matter, Chief Lone Wolf was also manacled. To 
 give further proof of his intentions to compel them to 
 submit, he told Lone Wolf and Satanta that unless those 
 Indians who had made their escape did not return very 
 soon, he would hang the two of them without ceremony. 
 That put a different complexion on things. The two 
 chiefs immediately communicated with their followers, 
 who at once sent out runners in different directions to 
 bring back the escaped prisoners. They succeeded in 
 bringing in most of them; in fact enough of them re- 
 turned to move Sheridan to defer the hanging of the two 
 chiefs. 
 
 It is my belief that Sheridan afterward regretter 
 that he did not hang the two of them, as they richly de- 
 served it for their past atrocities. I had the pleasure 
 last year, 1912, of seeing old Chief Lone Wolf strutting 
 around the streets of Hobart, Okla., wearing a celluloid 
 collar and derby hat, breaking himself into the habits 
 and customs of the white man. The sight of him caused 
 me to wonder if he ever stopped to consider how near 
 he came to having his neck cracked by Gen. Sheridan 
 and how richly he deserved it. 
 
 After carefully looking over the situation in all its 
 different aspects, Sheridan concluded that Fort Cobb 
 was not the proper place to establish his headquarters. 
 He decided to take all his prisoners over to Cache Creek 
 where he would have more and better material to con- 
 struct a small fort for the protection of the frontier of 
 Texas. This part had been subjected to the raids of the 
 Indians very frequently in the past and they were likely 
 to make an incursion at any time. When he had brought 
 m,ost of the Indians there, he set to work building tem- 
 porary headquarters and gave the place the name of 
 Fort Sill, after one of his old schoolmates. He held 
 Satanta, Lone Wolf, Little Robe, and several other lesser 
 chiefs as hostages for the faithful performance of all the 
 conditions of the surrender with the explicit understand- 
 
282 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 ing that any violation of any of the terms of it would 
 mean the hanging of the whole party. This under- 
 standing had a very salutary effect and a strong ten- 
 dency to establish order and discipline. These acts may 
 seem to show Sheridan to be a cruel man, but I will say, 
 judging from his action in caring for the remains of 
 Mrs. Blynn and her child who had been so brutally 
 murdered, in taking them to Port Arbuckle and giving 
 them a Christian burial, he has shown that his heart 
 was in the right place. 
 
CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 California Joe's Weakness; A Trip to Camp Supply; 
 
 Bringing in Renegade Indians; Expedition to 
 
 Pandhandle, etc. 
 
 Previously to the time of which I am writing, the 
 General had sent a bunch of cavalry horses to Fort 
 Arbuckle where he had made arrangements for their 
 keep. The Chickasaw and Choctaw Indians raised some 
 crops and had feed to spare and agreed to look after 
 the horses. The General thought by this time they 
 would be sufficiently recuperated to be of service to him 
 in his present needs. Consequently he fitted up an 
 escort and an ambulance and took California Joe along 
 as scout and guide to go and get them. (I promised the 
 reader to tell him of Joe's one fault and will take this 
 opportunity of doing so.) When they had arrived at 
 Ft. Arbuckle, they found everything in better shape than 
 they had expected. The General began making prepara- 
 tions for his return to Fort Sill. When everything was 
 ready he found to his surprise and amazemeint that 
 California Joe was gloriously drunk. As the prohibitory 
 law in regard to the sale of intoxicants was in full force, 
 in the Indian Territory, he could not account for Joe's 
 condition.He thought he would remain over a day or 
 so to give Joe a chance to sleep off the effects of his 
 overdose of liquid joy. The next day found Joe as 
 happy as a clam in high water and there was no indica- 
 tion of a scarcity of liquor. The General was face to 
 face with a difficulty. He could not remain longer at 
 Ft. Arbuckle, and he could not go on without Joe, as 
 he might need his services at any time. Patience ceased 
 to be a virtue and he bundled Joe into the ambulance, 
 jumped in himself and started off. They all reached 
 
284 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 Fort Sill the next day safe and sober. In the meantime 
 the General had not learned where his scout had ob- 
 tained the liquor to make him drunk. Joe himself told 
 me years afterwards that he had obtained access to the 
 General's jug. 
 
 Upon his arrival at the fort, he found everything 
 in as good condition as the circumstances might warrant. 
 It was a city of soldiers and Indians. The habitations 
 consisted of teepees and tents, while dug-outs were in 
 course of construction in case of a storm. 
 
 As it was one of Gen. Sheridan's principles to allow 
 no guilty man to escape, he ordered Gen. Ouster to take 
 a company of men, mounted on the horses he had brought 
 from Ft. Arbuckle, with some scouts among whom was 
 to be found California Joe, and proceed to the head of 
 the Red river and bring back those Indians who had es- 
 caped after the surrender when returning to Ft. Cobb. 
 
 After Gen. Custer had taken his departure. Gen. 
 Sheridan made provision for the policing and govern- 
 ment of the camp, also for the distribution of rations 
 to the Indians during his absence. As soon as he had 
 completed these regulations in a satisfactory manner, 
 he began his own preparations for a trip to Camp Sup- 
 ply. All these things took time and caused him no 
 little vexation, but he was equal to the emergency; and 
 as soon as the work was done he took his escort and 
 full camp equipage and set out. It was now getting 
 along toward the first of March and the soft soil made 
 th'e wheeling of all vehicles a slavish task for man and 
 beast. In spite of this difficulty, he proceeded on his 
 way and crossed the Washita above Ft. Cobb and con- 
 tinued in a northerly direction until he reached the 
 South Canadian where to his great surprise he found 
 the water very low, and what was more pleasing, he 
 found that the ice was all gone. The season was not far 
 enough advanced to thaw the snow on the mountains 
 and consequently, the river being almost dry, was easily 
 forded. It is unnecessary for me to go into details of 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 285 
 
 that journey as it was but a repetition of his former trip 
 to Fort Sill, except for the floundering around in the 
 snow banks and the cutting of a passage through the 
 ice to make a crossing possible. These latter difficulties 
 he escaped, owing to the lateness of the season. Difficult 
 passages through bad canyons were also avoided owing 
 to Ben Clark's thorough knowledge of the country. At 
 best, it was a tedious journey and on the seventh day 
 after leaving Fort Sill, he crossed the North Canadian 
 just below the junction where the Beaver and Wolf 
 Creeks form the headquarters of the North Canadian. 
 From there he proceeded to Camp Supply, which was 
 only a short distance away. When Sheridan arrived at 
 the camp, he found a message awaiting him, which had 
 been brought from Fort Dodge, Kansas, by stage. The 
 despatch contained the announcement of his promotion to 
 the position of Lieut. General of the army and requested 
 him to proceed at one to Washington, D. C. Sheridan 
 did not seem much surprised at his promotion, and con- 
 tinued to perform his usual duties of looking after the 
 Indians and ordering supplies. (He saw to it that those 
 old squaws who had mangled and mutilated his soldier- 
 comrades should be properly cared for as prisoners of 
 war.) (In fact, he was about the busiest man in camp.) 
 Before Gen. Sheridan had left Camp Sill, Gen. Custer 
 had returned from his trip to the head of Red river, 
 which he had made at his own request. He reported 
 that he had found nothing but a bleak waste. He 
 stated that there was no sign of animal or vegetable 
 life to be seen and that he did not think it possible for 
 the Indians to subsist there. On hearing this report Gen. 
 Sheridan said nothing but took the matter into con- 
 sideration and, after revolving the affair in his own 
 mind for some time, it was plain to be seen that he was 
 dissatisfied with the report. He ordered Gen. Custer to 
 increase his force by taking the Kansas volunteers and 
 mounting them on the horses he had brought from Fort 
 Arbuckle, to refit and refurnish them thirty days rations 
 
286 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 and return. He also ordered him to take a full comple- 
 ment of scouts and scour the country until he did find 
 the Indians and bring them into Camp Supply, or whip 
 them into, subjection, fwitti all /of which Custer was 
 ready to cheerfully comply. The camp was now alive, 
 each soldier fitting up his belongings for a return trip. 
 Gen. Sheridan told Custer that he had to return to Supply 
 and that he wanted the Indian business closed up as 
 soon as possible and for all time to come ; that he did 
 not want the band left at liberty until the grass was 
 green as they would then be self-supporting and could 
 prey upon the stockmen and the settlers at will; that if 
 was his duty to prevent this and he would, regardless of 
 consequences. 
 
 It did not take long to make the proper prepara- 
 tions for the return trip, and Custer took a sufficient 
 number of men to overpower any ordinary band of In- 
 dians, and on the following morning set out for the 
 Panhandle country. Gen. Sheridan intended to set out 
 the same day, but as he said he had neglected his cor- 
 respondence, he thought it better to take another day 
 to devote to that matter and arrange everything of that 
 nature before leaving. 
 
 On the second day afterwards he had his baggage 
 and other effects packed ready for the trip and went 
 down to the corral to bid his old comrades and teamsters 
 good-bye. He made them a short talk, thanking them for 
 their faithful services they had always so readily ren- 
 dered. He said that whilst he did not ever expect to 
 return to that post again, that he would be glad to meet 
 any of them, at any time or place. After shaking hands 
 with all the boys he started for the ambulance which 
 was to take him away. When he met Johnny Murphy, 
 his tried and trusty teamster all through the campaign, 
 he said, "Well, Johnnie, I am going to leave you. Be 
 a good boy, and if you should ever come to Washington, 
 call on me. I shall always be glad to meet you." He 
 shook hands with him and when he had gone a short 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 287 
 
 distance, he turned and shouted back, ''Now, Johnnie, 
 do not fail to call on me.'* At his departure there 
 could be seen on the cheeks of more than one of those 
 old battle-scarred veterans, a glistening tear, the true 
 token of deep-seated regret. It was a sorrowful parting 
 as these men had followed him through the din of 
 battle for four years during the rebellion and through 
 the Indian campaigns and had come to look upon him 
 as their dearest friend for whom it was a pleasure to 
 shed their blood in the performance of duty. But such 
 was life in the west. When he had gone, each turned 
 to his duty and tried to forget his sorrow. It was such 
 little traits as this that made Sheridan loved by his 
 own men, revered by his friends, and admired and re- 
 spected by his enemies. 
 
 The General had hoped to be able to reach Wash- 
 ington to lead his old command in the Inaugural parade 
 on March 4th, but such was not to be, as his duties in 
 the Territory delayed him too long, as it was now March 
 2nd. He set out as soon as it was possible for him to 
 leave his command. If there was any bad weather, it 
 seemed to be his luck to be out in it. It steeted and 
 as scout and guide to go and get them. I promised the 
 rained all during the journey to Bluff Creek and con- 
 tinued to do the same all the way to Dodge City. 
 
 Gen. Custer, a very energetic man and strict dis- 
 ciplinarian, too strict in fact to always retain the respect 
 of his men, kept everybody and everything on the move. 
 The snow was now fast disappearing from the Territory, 
 but the mud and slush caused by the thawing snow, 
 made travelling a slavish task. Each day was a repeti- 
 tion of the preceding one and such it continued to be 
 until they reached the Panhandle country where they 
 found m,ore snow and less protection from the winds. 
 They still advanced keeping the scouts well to the fore 
 to escape any chance of being taken by surprise. Each 
 day brought the same routine of duties and the sanw 
 results until it became monotonous, so much so that the 
 
288 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 boys said that they would like to have a little fight 
 just for a change and to liven things up a little. On 
 and on they went across the dreary desolate plain, with 
 not even a buffalo to be seen as they had been driven 
 from the flats by the severe storms that swept that part 
 of the country prior to the trip. A gray wolf might 
 be seen occasionally, or perhaps an antelope, but that 
 was about all as the wild horses or mustangs had sought 
 sirelter in the canyons or brakes. Desolation reigned 
 supreme and were it not for the company they found in 
 each other they wouldn't have been able to endure the 
 loneliness of the place. Duty urged them on, and for- 
 ward they went well out on the Staked Plains. One day 
 the scouts returned with the information that they had 
 discovered an Indian village. Such news was music to 
 their ears and each and all began to prepare for the 
 impending conflict. Strange as it may seem, those In- 
 dians were aware of the approach of the scouts and 
 fully realized their danger. The scouts had scarcely 
 returned to camp when Ouster saw through his field- 
 glasses a lively movement among the Indians. He knew 
 that he had sufficient force to crush them, but hesitated 
 to do so as he had learned that they held two white 
 women as captives, and thought it best to parley with 
 them, for if he attacked them they might repeat the 
 act of cruelty and cold-blooded murder that was per- 
 petrated by Satanta on the Washita rather than deliver 
 her up to her rescuers. They did not have to wait, for 
 it was a short time until the white flag which the Indian 
 alway's kept within easy reach, was brought forth. When 
 well out from the village and not far distant from the 
 train, the general and his staff with an interpreter went 
 out to meet them. It did not take long to arrange the 
 preliminaries as they were anxious to surrender, or more 
 so, than he was to capture them. Whilst the negotiations 
 were being conducted for their surrender and return to 
 Camp Supply, Chief Tall Bull made his escape with a few 
 followers and was not heard of until a year later when 
 
OE THE DULL KNIFE RAID 289 
 
 the report was made that General Parr had made a final 
 settlement with him and sent him "where the wicked 
 cease from troubling" and " the weary are at rest," 
 up on the Republican river in Colorado. 
 
 About the first request made by these Indians was 
 for chuckaway as they were almost famished for want 
 of something to eat. Ouster readily acceded to their 
 demand and gave them a liberal supply of rations. Then 
 they made ready to move. They had no pianos, sewing 
 machines, or bric-a-brac to pack and crate, but they 
 had a good quantity of buffalo robes, blankets, tanned 
 buckskin, pots, skillets, and other belongings of an In- 
 dian camp and it took some time to get them in readiness 
 for transportation. To a person who has never witnessed 
 such a thing, it is very interesting. The teepees had to 
 be taken down and put in shape to be packed on ponies. 
 In fact, everything had to be packed on ponies as a 
 wagon was an unknown thing to them. They had a 
 substitute for the wagon which they made from a green 
 cow hide. This while soft and pliable they fastened by 
 each corner to a post and weighted down the center until 
 it assumed the form of a large dish. When it became 
 dry and hard, they attached it to two long teepee poles 
 fastened one on each side of a pony. Into the hide they 
 then put anything they wished to transport and turned 
 the pony loose with the rest of the herd. I have seen 
 them place papooses in this rude vehicle and the old 
 pony wandered at will over the prairie. The teepee 
 poles were made of cedar and were very light. Some- 
 times as many as a dozen poles would be fastened to 
 a pony with other luggage fastened on his back. The 
 young babies, or small paposses, were straped to the 
 squaws shoulders where she usually carried it in all kinds 
 of weather. The older children climbed on the back of 
 a pony, as that is about the first thing they learned, 
 and were ready for any kind of a journey. The Indian 
 ponies are usually very docile as they" are broken to 
 handle from colthood. It is a very rare thing to see 
 
290 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 one of them bucking or running away, and consequently 
 we seldom hear of an accident to an Indian caused by 
 a vicious horse. 
 
 When everything was in readiness, the general gave 
 orders to set out and off they started on their return 
 trip to Camp Supply. Their progress was necessarily 
 very slow owing to the starved condition of their ponies, 
 but Ouster urged them on to the limit of their endurance 
 as he had now a great many new boarders on hand and 
 he feared that he might run short of supplies. Each day 
 of the journey was like the other. One thing was fa- 
 vorable, the weather was warmer and the ground was not 
 so soft and muddy as on their advance into that country. 
 One day one of the soldiers shot a buffalo and he and 
 his comrades cut off the hump and one hind quarter to 
 divide among his companions. He told the Indians to 
 help themselves to the rest. The general called a halt 
 to give the Indians a chance to attend to the remnant of 
 the buffalo and put the cook to work preparing some 
 of the hump for himself. They also fed the stock some 
 grain and by the tim,e the General finished his slice of 
 hump there was not enough of that buffalo left to bait 
 a mouse trap. There was nothing left but the horns, 
 'hooves, and bones. Even the entrails did not escape 
 their ravenous appetite. Nevertheless, the buffalo saved 
 the General's commissary the necessity of providing one 
 good meal and that was quite a consideration at that 
 particular time, as provisions were beginning to get low. 
 Each day brought its quota of petty annoyances. Some- 
 times a wagon would bog down in the creek, or a whiffle- 
 tree would break or a mule balk. But that is all the 
 part of a journey. On they went until they came to 
 the South Canadian river where they expected to meet 
 the greatest difficulty of their trip, but to the surprise 
 of all parties, the water was very low and they succeeded 
 in crossing it with much less trouble than they had to 
 contend with in crossing some of the smaller streams. 
 The quicksand was their greatest obstacle to be en- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 291 
 
 countered in the way. The Indian ponies, as I have said, 
 being very poor and weak, one of them would frequently 
 fall and flounder around in the quicksand throwing his 
 burden, a squaw and her papoose. There they struggled 
 with the treacherous sands until a soldier equal to the 
 emergency would gallantly go to their rescue and bring 
 them back to safety on the opposite bank. The bucks 
 faced the ordeal very reluctantly, but seeing that it 
 was a case of the l devil take the hindmost' they removed 
 their moccasins, blankets, and in many cases reduced 
 themselves to a state of primitive simplicity, and made 
 their way across as best they could. Much to the relief 
 of the commanding officer the last of them, after a good 
 deal of struggling and snorting, landed on the north 
 bank of the treacherous stream in safety. The general 
 in his eagerness to proceed, did not wait for them to 
 arrange their toilets, but pushed on through the brakes 
 and canyons until he reached the flats where he went 
 into camp. He was eager to reach his destination to 
 unload his responsibility and one dannot blame (him 
 for that feeling after performing such an arduous task. 
 It took three more days to reach Camp Supply where 
 Gen. Ouster turned over his charge to the Indian De- 
 partment and in due course of time discharged the regi- 
 ment that had rendered such valuable service. During 
 that expedition Ouster had brought back those renegades 
 and turned them over to the Department without firing 
 a gun except at game on the way. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 Civilizing the Indian; A Period of Unrest; An Outbreak; 
 Murder of a Freighter. . 
 
 At this time the Quakers were largely in control 
 of the Indian Department and were indorsed in their 
 views by Pres. U. S. Grant. They believed the Indian 
 could be civilized and kefpt under control by moral 
 suasion by the erection of school houses for his child- 
 ren, and by imparting a knowledge of the proper system 
 of agriculture. Under their influence, rations were issued 
 and blankets distributed among them. They were also 
 given wagons, plows, and other farm implements which 
 they knew nothing about. They would not ride on a 
 spring seat, nor sit in a wagon box, but for some reason 
 best known to themselves, they would remove the box 
 and place teepee poles on the wagon bolsters and all 
 climb in when they were ready for a trip. The plows 
 and other implements which were sent out among them 
 to encourage them to farm, I have seen suspended from, 
 trees. I cannot understand why they did so unless it 
 was to show contempt for the white man's way. It is 
 true, some of them raised small patches of corn, which 
 with the rations issued by the Agency and the game they 
 killed, kept the wolf from the door, or rather the flaps 
 of their teepees. Occasionally a small band of them 
 would get a permit from the Fort Cammander to go on 
 a hunt, with the understanding that they were to return 
 at a stipulated tim,e and behave themselves during their 
 absence and not commit any depredations. All this they 
 complied with. I have met these hunting parties up in 
 No Man's Land and other places and never heard of 
 their perpetrating -any' mischief on persons or stock 
 whilst out under a permit. 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 293 
 
 The squaws, when not busy in the corn patch or 
 in their little garden, were engaged in making ornaments 
 or other fancy needlework at which they were experts. 
 These articles they afterwards sold to tourists from the 
 East, at the Agency, as souvenirs of their trip among 
 the Indians. Some of this kind of work had a real intrin- 
 sic value for above the ornamental part of it. I knew one 
 chief's daughter who had a blanket ornamented with 
 elk's teeth and shells, that was valued at $1500. She 
 was taken ill and died, and the blanket which she loved 
 to wear at festivals was used as a shroud. A few days 
 afterwards, some person passing by noticed that the 
 grave had been disturbed. He notified her people and an 
 investigation being made, they found that some white 
 man or men had been there and had stolen the blanket 
 or robe in which she was wrapped. If they were ever 
 captured, I am not aware of it. I said that white men 
 did it, because a negro is too superstitious to do it, and 
 1 do not believe there is an Indian in the Territory who 
 would stoop to such a goulish act; so I shall give some 
 white animal the credit for the deed. 
 
 The government also built large corrals or cowpens 
 where the cattle were issued to the Indians. On the size 
 of the family depended the size of the cow or steer issued. 
 The Agent had the name of 'each family and the number 
 of persons comprising it. When a steer was selected a 
 cowpuncher rode among the herd and cut out the desired 
 animal and rushed him through the gate of the corral 
 where the Indians were waiting with bows and arrows 
 to kill him. They seldom killed him at the first or 
 second shot. More frequently a dozen shots were re- 
 quired before they struck a vital spot. When the beast 
 fell, the squaws, papooses and dogs came along to do th^e 
 skinning and oversee the division of the meat. Each 
 one came in for a share. After the killing, the lordly 
 old buck would seek out the shelter of som,e tree or other 
 shady place to rest his manly form until the animal was 
 dressed and ready for consumption; then he would re- 
 
294 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 turn and fill his capacious stomach with wohaw. The 
 Government shortly changed the arrow shooting feat as 
 it considered that such a practice had no civilizing in- 
 fluence on the Indian and, besides, it wanted them to 
 forget their old habits as soon as possible. Thereafter, 
 when on issuing day a beef was selected, a man was 
 there to shoot it in the corral and the Indian entered 
 with his ponies to drag away the carcass to dress it 
 outside. 
 
 After some time the Department decided to remove 
 a large number of the Indians at Camp Supply to the 
 Darlington Agency which is located about 140 miles 
 south-east of Supply on the north bank of the North 
 Canadian river, and about two miles from Port Reno. 
 Here they settled down submissively and appeared to be 
 content with their existing condition. At times there 
 were some small complaints about the agent, which upon 
 investigation proved oftentimes to be correct. On the 
 other hand there was a disturbing element. This thing 
 is not common to the Indian alone, but may be found 
 among civilized folks who are not at peace with them- 
 selves or the world at large. Taking everything into 
 consideration, they were doing about as well as could 
 be expected under the circumstances. 
 
 The other band of Chyennes who had located on 
 Pond Creek, were also brought down to the Darlington 
 Agency. This left the Cherokee Strip comparitively de- 
 serted, but it did not remain so long as the cowmen 
 entered there and built ranches and stocked them with 
 cattle under leases from the Indians. There were the 
 Turkey Track, the Box T. R-S, Bull Foot and other 
 ranches too numerous to mention, all located in the 
 Cherokee Strip. 
 
 Everything moved along smoothly with but little 
 trouble from, the Indians until the year 1874, when the 
 spirit of unrest seized them again and extended to all 
 the Indians over the western plains. Some had one 
 grievance and some had another. They* began making 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 295 
 
 medicine, which to a m,an acquainted with the Indians 
 meant trouble sooner or later. At that time, supplies 
 to Anadarko, Ft?. Reno, and the Darlington Agency were 
 freighted from, Wichita, Kansas, and distributed to the 
 different bands at these places. As there were no rail- 
 roads in this country, it gave employment to hundreds 
 of men and teams on the trails to enable them to kee^p 
 up the supplies. The freighting business was a great 
 boon to the early settlers of Kansas as the grasshoppers 
 had destroyed everything in the form of vegetation and 
 the settlers who had teams went to Wichita and engaged 
 in freighting for the government. Even the white folks 
 at this time were reduced to a great state of privation 
 and had to depend on the bounty of the outside world. 
 The more fortunate in the older states responded to their 
 appeal and tided them over their distress until pros- 
 perity placed them beyond the reach of want. 
 
 About this time small bands of discontented Chey- 
 ennes began prowling around over the country and 
 occasionally went beyond the limit allowed them by the 
 Agent, and then returned to draw their rations with 
 the other Indians at the Agency. They continued to 
 do this for some time and finally began to make depre- 
 dations on stock or anything else that came within their 
 reach. The Agent prone to avoid trouble with them, 
 treated them leniently, but the more leniency he showed, 
 the bolder they became until a small band under the 
 leadership of Tall Meat, a petty chief, went north as 
 far as Buffalo Springs on the south line of the Cherokee 
 Strip. There they could see the freight wagons in the 
 distance laden with government supplies/ heading for 
 Anadarko, and came to the immediate decision of raiding 
 the train. They withdrew into a canyon on the side of 
 the trail so as to be out of sight when the train arrived, 
 They intended to murder the teamsters and plunder their 
 goods of whatever they wanted and then make their 
 escape. A man named Patrick Hennessey was driving 
 the lead wagon of one of the trains. He was trudging 
 
296 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 along on foot beside his team without the slightest sus- 
 picion of any danger. As soon as he had passed where 
 they were hiding they shot him in the back. When the 
 shooting took place the team stampeded and dragged 
 Hennessey in his dying condition along the ground. The 
 wagon upset and a bag of grain fell across Hennessey's 
 lower limbs and there he lay dead. In the meantime 
 the drivers of the other wagons together with a passenger 
 who was working his w T ay down the country, abandoned 
 their teams and wagons and fled. Next day the Indian 
 Agent with an escort happened to pass that way and 
 discovered the work of destruction of the day previous. 
 They found the remnants of the wagon which had been 
 set on fire. Some of the oats which comprised part of 
 the load were still burning, and the sack that had fallen 
 across poor Hennessey's limbs in burning had charred 
 his legs to a crisp. The agent, John D. Miles, and his 
 escort, Billy Mulally, dug a kind of temporary grave to 
 protect the remains from the coyotes and the buzzards 
 and marked the place with a few rocks. Every freighter 
 that passed that way felt it his duty to see that the grave 
 was kept in as good condition as circumstances would 
 permit. The resting place of Pat Hennessey became a 
 landmark for all travellers in that section until the Rock 
 Island railroad was built, when the remains were removed 
 to their present place of rest. The city of Hennessey, one 
 of the most prosperous little cities in the state is named 
 in his honor. I have since been told that the women of 
 Hennessey have erected a monument with suitable in- 
 scription at his grave. The other teamsters who fled 
 when the first shot was fired were overtaken and killed 
 at some distance from where Hennessey fell. 
 
 This little band of highwaym;en could not expect 
 to be allowed to pursue their murderous way with im- 
 punity. They had no following, as such acts would be 
 condemned by the best Indians of their tribe, and again 
 they were surrounded by forts. Supply on the north, 
 Elliot on the west, Sill on the south, and Reno at home. 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 297 
 
 A small band of white men might escape under such 
 conditions as it would be possible for them to avoid 
 detection, but not for Indians of the kind, as their ap- 
 proach would be a signal to begin shooting. It was a 
 very short time until they were captured ' and brought 
 into the agency. Several others were rounded up at the 
 same time. Then an official investigation was made and 
 after a great deal of red tape ceremonies and other pre- 
 liminaries, it was thought best for the interests of the 
 Indians, as well as for the safety of the white settlers, 
 to transport them to the Dry Tortugas. I have never 
 visited that locality, but from what I have learned from 
 persons who did, it was not a very desirable place to 
 locate a people who might expect any great degree of 
 personal comfort. I had been told by a man who spent 
 some time there, that if the government sent those folks 
 there to confine and punish them, it had struck the 
 exact spot where everything had a tendency to add to 
 human misery, and he believed it was located so close 
 to the region of the lost that he could hear old Cerberus 
 barking across the dead line. 
 
 To show the reader a fine sense of filial affection 
 and brotherly attachment is not a stranger to the savage 
 breast, I must mention a little circumstance that occurred. 
 When all that were to be sent off were standing around 
 and their friends were giving their farewell greetings, 
 one young Indian stepped forward and asked the officer 
 in command if he were going to take his brother away 
 where maybe so he not come back some time. The 
 officer replied that such was the present intention, but 
 modified his remark by saying that at some time in the 
 future they might regain their liberty if they were good 
 Indians. The young Indian hesitated a moment and then 
 said, ""Well, me go too. Me not want for stay here 
 and my brother he take away some place I not know and 
 maybe so he not come back at all sometime. Me go, 
 too.'"' The commanding officer granted his request and 
 gave him, transportation along with his brother to the 
 
298 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 Dry Tortugas, situated 175 miles west of Key West in the 
 Gulf of Mexico. 
 
 When the Indians were removed, in a short time 
 everything dropped back; injto peaceful} channels ,and 
 ran along in a comparatively smoothe fashion until Chief 
 Dull Knife became uneasy and wanted to return to the 
 Black Hill country. His outbreak will form the sub- 
 ject of another chapter. 
 
 Since writing the above I have had occasion to 
 visit one of the public schools of El Reno, where I 
 found a history of Oklahoma written by Joseph B. Tho- 
 buirn, formjer secretary ;of* agriculture, and Isalac M. 
 Holcomb, former superintendent of Oklahoma City 
 schools. On page 133 I found a brief history of the 
 tragic death of Pat. Hennessey on July 3rd, 1874, and 
 what a brave defense he made against such odds and 
 when captured was bound to a wagon wheel and burnv^J 
 alive. Also, there was a foot-note stating that it was 
 reported and generally believed that it was the deed 
 of white men disguised as Indians, in order to have it 
 charged up to the Indians. Such was not the case and 
 the above statement is misleading and incorrect, and for 
 the benefit of the school children of the State of Okla- 
 homa, as well as in justice to the Indian I shall set 
 down the correct statement of the case. 
 
 My authority for my version of the affair are the 
 following gentlemen: John Murphy of El Reno, and H. 
 A. Todd of Calumet, brother-in-law of Billy Mulally who 
 assisted John D. Miles, Indian agent at Darlington, to 
 bury Pat. Hennessey, while on their way to Wichita, 
 Kansas. Billy Mulally is still living at Calumet and can 
 be consulted in regard to the matter. Their version of the 
 affair is as follows: 
 
 Patrick Hennessey in the lead of a wagon train 
 was going from Wichita, Kansas, to Anadarko, I. T. 
 loaded with grain and other supplies for the govern- 
 ment. He had been warned at Buffalo Springs ranch, 
 kept by a man named Mosher, that the Cheyenne Indians 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 299 
 
 were on the war-path, and was advised to go no farther. 
 He persisted in going and in like manner did the two 
 other teams of the train. With them was a passenger 
 who was working his way with them. When not far 
 from where Hennessey, Okla. is now located, a band 
 of Cheyenne Indians, under the leadership of Bear Shield 
 and Tall Meat, came out of a draw and shot Hennessey 
 in the back. The commotion caused by them stampeded 
 the mules Hennessey was driving. He in his dying con- 
 dition hung on to the lines and was dragged along the 
 ground, as he had been walking alongside the wagon. 
 Presently the wagon upset and a sack of oats fell across 
 Hennessey's prostrate form and pinned him to the 
 ground. He was dead. The other drivers with their 
 passenger leaped from their wagons and ran north-east 
 in the direction of Skeleton Creek where they were fol- 
 lowed by the Chyennes and killed, and were afterwards 
 buried by the cowboys and Mosher. This accounts for 
 their not being buried with Hennessey. The burning of 
 Hennessey cannot be attributed to the Cheyennes as the 
 Osages happened along about this time and the Chey- 
 ennes fled. The Osages after plundering the wagons of 
 all they wanted, set fire to what they could not carry 
 away. The following forenoon, John D. Miles, Indian 
 Agent at Darlington, accompanied by Billy Mulally, a 
 cowman on his way to Kansas, came across the wreckage. 
 The grain was still burning and Pat Hennessey's body 
 lay partly under a sack of grain which was still smoul- 
 dering, and not tied to the Wagon wheel as the history 
 has it. From there they removed him and buried him 
 in a temporary grave. From this resting place he was 
 afterwards removed to what is now called Hennessey, 
 Okla., where there stands a splendid monument erected 
 to his memory by the women of Oklahoma. 
 
 Note This correction ia only one of many that 
 might be made in our present day history which pretend 
 
300 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 to set forth a correct idea of the early days of our 
 state. For any further reference to such matters, living 
 witnesses are at hand to give a correct version of many 
 erroneous statements that have crept into our text books 
 and other writings. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII 
 A Decade of Warfare; Ousters Massacre; Sheridan, etc. 
 
 For several years, I might say the whole decade from 
 1870 to 1880, the Indians occupied the attention of the 
 public. In the Northwest they were very active. The 
 Utes, Apaches, Cheyennes, and the Sioux were almost 
 continuously on the warpath, and their activities were 
 so widespread and far- reaching that, at tinges, they 
 almost blocked the progress of the wheels of commence, 
 and made trade and travel a very dangerous proceeding. 
 The movement on the part of the Indian developed a 
 corresponding activity on the part of the military de- 
 partment. Gen. P. H. Sheridan, Gen. Crook, Gen. Cus- 
 ter, and Gen. Nelson A. Miles and many other men 
 high up in military affairs devoted their time and 
 attention to the pressing condition of affairs and took 
 up their position in localities where they would be able 
 to suppress the movements of the Indians and bring 
 about a peaceable solution of their difficulties. 
 
 The various bands of Indians adopted practically the 
 same mode of procedure in their warlike movements. 
 Each spring and summer, when there was plenty of green 
 grass and abundance of water, usually found them open- 
 ing up a new campaign against the encroachments of the 
 white population. It was very galling for them to stand by 
 and see the source of their supplies, the buffalo, exter- 
 minated without making any contrary movement. In 
 fact, they did not propose to do so, but set out to 'exter- 
 minate the hunters who were intent on making a desert of 
 the plains that teemed with millions of their favorite 
 game. Their efforts were sometimes crowned with suc- 
 cess, and frequently they encountered disaster. In spite 
 of the reverses they suffered, as at the Chivington mas- 
 
302 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 sacre on Sand Creek, Colorado, they did not abandon 
 their efforts to retain their rights to the land they had 
 so long retained as their lawful hunting ground. The 
 fact that he had practically no further means of gaining 
 a livelihood, made them, all the more determined to 
 fight to the finish with those whom they considered 
 usurpers of their ancestral kingdom. 
 
 To add to his difficulties in the way of the en- 
 croachments of the whites, an unexpected circumstances 
 arose that made conditions much more difficult to bear. 
 Gold had been discovered in the Black Hills. There was 
 a rush made upon the gold-bearing district, which stirred 
 the Indians to greater excitement. Immigrant tjrains 
 from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and as far east as 
 Ohio and Michigan, began to wind their long sinuous 
 way across the plains in the direction of the new gold 
 fields. They were not entirely unacquainted with the 
 excited condition of the territory through which they 
 were compelled to travel, and consequently made prepa- 
 rations to meet the difficulties and dangers of the way. 
 They were well aware that the Indians were on the war- 
 path and ready to give them a warm reception on their 
 invasion on the Indians' domain. To meet the perils of 
 such a journey as they were compelled to make, each 
 wagon train consisting of numerous outfits, was under 
 the guidance of some experienced plainsman. He showed 
 them the proper manner of procedure in the method of 
 self-defense in case they were subjected to an attack 
 from the maurauding bands of red-men on the way. It 
 was well, as far as their own safety was concerned, that 
 they learned how to corral their wagons and stock in 
 the time of danger, as more than one wagon train was 
 attacked and completely destroyed and the members of the 
 party massacred on their way across the plains. In justice 
 to the Indians, I wish to remark that all the massacres 
 and plunclerings of the early days were not wrought by 
 the Indians. It is a well-known fact that the Mormans in 
 Utah played a part in such inhuman affairs, as is evi- 
 
OR THE DULL KNJFE RAID 303 
 
 denced by the actions of John D. Lee and his followers, 
 disguised as Indians, when they perpetrated the Moun- 
 tain Meadow massacre To leave the impression that it 
 was the work of the tribesmen they scalped their victims, 
 ran off their stock, and burned their wagons. There are 
 several other instances that might be mentioned, wherein 
 the whiteman in the guise of the Indian, performed deeds 
 of deviltry and endeavored to cast the blame upon the 
 redman. While charging the Indian with his crimes, let 
 us not forget to give him credit for his virtues also, or 
 as Theodore Roosevelt would say, "let us give him a 
 square deal." 
 
 Time passed on, each year bringing its quota of 
 trouble and disaster, without any indication or improve- 
 ment in the general condition of affairs. All the frontier 
 posts were supplied with soldiers who seemed anxious 
 for something to turn up to relieve the monotony of 
 camp life. They finally had their wishes fulfilled, for 
 in the spring of 1876, Sitting Bull, the Napoleon of the 
 Sioux tribe, succeeded in concentrating his whole force 
 in the valley of the Little Big Horn. No opportunity 
 was more desired by the whites for putting an end to 
 the activity of the Indians. Gen. Ouster lost not a mo- 
 ment in taking the field against him. His past successes 
 in fighting the savages seemed to guarantee him victory 
 in his present undertaking. In his impetuosity he set 
 out flushed with the thought of the success that was to 
 perch upon his arms. In his ardour lay his crushing 
 defeat. Ouster had about 700 men-only 256 with him in 
 actual fight where he fell, every man killed except 
 Curley the Crow scout who escaped. Reno and Benteen 
 were already held in check on the hill they retreated 
 to when attacked before Ouster engaged the Indians. 
 The Indians had 3600 braves or warriors. Sitting Bull 
 was the Bismark of the Sioux and Gall the Von Molkte. 
 Ouster and Terry had been informed by Indian agent 
 at Standing Rock that only' 800 braves were to be en- 
 gaged. Sitting Bull had defeated General Crook a few 
 
304 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 days before he encountered Custer. Sitting Bull fearing 
 also General Gibbons and Crook at any minute to re- 
 inforce the Seventh Cavalry hastened to make his escape 
 to Canada, otherwise he would have annihilated Reno 
 and the balance of the Seventh Cavalry. These Indians 
 in 1881 returned to the United States and I helped put 
 them on steam, boats at Fort Buford and Fort Keogh, 
 or Miles City now, and sent them, to Standing Rock 
 agency, Rain in the Face's band being at Keogh. 
 Sitting Bull, by strategy, succeeded in decoying Gen- 
 eral Custer, with his entire command, into a posi- 
 tion that was suicidal. The wily Indian chief, with 
 about nine thousand warriors, on the 25th of June, 1876, 
 attacked him and annihilated the whole command, carry- 
 ing off all Custer 's munitions of war as trophies of 
 victory. Acting on the principle that "to the victor 
 belong the spoils," Siting Bull, by the total annihilation 
 of the enemy was able to replenish his larder at the 
 expense of Uncle Sam. It was a veritable windfall for 
 him, as the supplies of food, guns, ammunition, horses, 
 blankets, and everything that was needed for comfort 
 and safety, were very much in demand about that time, 
 as the Indian's resources were almost at the vanishing 
 point at the time. It is not my purpose 'here to offer 
 any explanation of Custer 's failure, but it was commonly 
 reported that General Reno had been expected to take 
 part in the engagement, but did not do so. Others lay 
 the disaster to Custer 's impetuosity, not waiting for his 
 auxiliaries to arrive. I am not prepared to say who was 
 to blame for the calamity. 
 
 In the death of General Custer, the country lost one 
 of the bravest men that ever donned the uniform of 
 the soldier. He had his faults but cowardice was not 
 one of them. He was true to his country and his flag 
 and his fall where the fight was thickest, was an indi- 
 cation of his military character. 
 
 I thought it proper to write this short sketch in 
 order to show the influence it exercised on succeeding 
 
OR THE DULL KNJFE RAID 305 
 
 events. It was several days before the results of the 
 day's disaster became known to the general public. There 
 were several reasons for the delay. % First, those who 
 were to join Ouster in his attack on the Indians did not 
 arrive for some time after the battle and as there was 
 not a living soul left to tell the tale of the deeds of 
 heroism performed in that desperate encounter, nor give 
 any inkling as to the whereabouts of the dead bodies 
 of the slain, it was more by chance than design that 
 their location was discovered as soon as it was. Even 
 to those who came upon them where they lay stiff and 
 cold in death, it did not seem possible that there could 
 be such a complete massacre that not a living man was 
 left to relate what happened. Again, the means of 
 communication with the world at large were very meagre. 
 There was the pony express, a very slow method at its 
 best. However, the news was finally forwarded to the 
 country at large, and as usual, the newspapers went into 
 glaring accounts of the disaster, calling upon imagination 
 for what they lacked from authorative sources. The 
 whole country 1 was aroused. 
 
 When the other Indian tribes had learned of Sitting 
 Bull's successful annihilation of the hated pale-face com- 
 mand, their enthusiasm knew no bounds. They began 
 to see at last the extermination of the white man. No 
 more would the buffalo hunter deprive them of their 
 means of subsistance. No more would the freighter and 
 the settler occupy the lands that belonged to the Indian 
 long before the white man had set his foot on American 
 soil. The prophecy of the Messiah was coming true, and 
 they were ready and willing to have a share in hasten- 
 ing the day of their deliverance from the white usurper. 
 Naturally, they began to make their war medicine and 
 prepare themselves to aid in freeing their beloved plains 
 from the objectionable intruder. Herein, they reckoned 
 without Uncle Sam. N,o sooner had the news of Ous- 
 ter's defeat and annihilation been brought to him, than 
 he began to make preparations for another expedition 
 
306 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 against them, determined to wipe out the stain of recent 
 defeat. The purpose of the new expedition was prob- 
 able more comprehensive than the former efforts of a 
 like nature. The government began to realize that it was 
 face to face with no common danger. The forts were 
 put in proper condition to resist any attack that the 
 Indian might contemplate making upon them. New forts 
 were established at different points of vantage and men 
 enlisted for the purpose of bringing the defense up to 
 a proper footing, as well as to afford portection for the 
 trade and commerce of that disturbed region. 
 
 The year of 1877 was but a repitition of the pre- 
 ceding y'ears with very few exceptions. The Indian was 
 becoming accustomed to the ways of the white man, 
 especially in the art of making war. Whenever and 
 wherever possible he discarded his primitive weapons, 
 the bow and arrow, for the more up-to-date and efficient 
 firearms. These they acquired, sometimes by barter and 
 frequently by successful engagements in battle, as in the 
 case of the Ouster massacre where they obtained suf- 
 ficient munitions of war to make them feel rather bold 
 in their dealings with the boys in blue. 
 
 One thing noticeable about this time, was the change 
 in the method of conducting warfare by the organized 
 forces of Uncle Sam. The old army method of fighting 
 was improved by adopting the strategy of the enemy 
 while fighting on his native heath. Heretofore they had 
 followed the tactics of civilized warfare acquired by 'ex- 
 perience in the years of the Great Rebellion, but they 
 were glad to adopt the latter and improved method of 
 bringing the battle to the Indians in the manner that was 
 more conductive to personal safety and at the same time 
 offered opportunities for personal initiative. The change 
 seemed to be more agreeable to the men in the ranks, 
 for they seemed to enjoy mounting a horse and scurrying 
 over the plains in free-lance fashion. One great draw- 
 back to their success was their ignorance of the topo- 
 graphy of the country in which they were operating. They 
 
OR THE DULL KNJFE RAID 307 
 
 were oftentimes compelled to rely upon the knowledge of 
 scouts who were frequently as ignorant as themselves. 
 Since so much depended on the accurate information 
 given by the guide, one may imagine the plight of a body 
 of men guided by an unreliable scout in an expedition 
 through the mountains or over the plains. Happily, men 
 of such character were the exception and not the rule. 
 The rank and file of the scouts were composed of men 
 whose knowledge of the plains seemed almost uncanny, 
 whose personal courage was on a par with that of the 
 bravest of men, and who could be relied upon to accomp- 
 lish their undertakings with prudence and despatch. 
 Such men as Ben Clark, Buffalo Bill, Amos Chapman, 
 W. F. Brannan, Jack Stillwell, Billy Dixon, and others 
 too numerous to mention filled all the requirements for a 
 successful scout, and rendered service to the country that 
 can not be properly estimated or fitly described within 
 the limits of a short narrative. Some of them I am 
 acquainted with personally, and I feel myself honored by 
 it. They were the men that guided the U. S'. troops 
 through the most difficult and dangerous campaigns, 
 blazing the highways for them, and making civilization 
 possible on the western plains. 
 
 The summer of 1877 passed away in very much 
 the same fashion as the preceeding seasons of Indian 
 warfare. The first snow fall was a harbinger of peace, 
 as the tribesmen do not favor the winter time as one 
 fitted for the activities of warfare. They preferred to 
 sit around the camp fire in their winter quarters and 
 wait till the grass was green and the plains free from 
 snow before taking the warpath again. They were never 
 known to break the custom of generations, until General 
 Phil. H. Sheridan arrived at the conclusion that it was 
 not advantageous to allow the Indians to go into winter 
 quarters to wait for another season of warfare. That 
 looked too much like allowing the enemy to say when, 
 where, and how they would fight, and that was con- 
 trary to the notions Sheridan had of conducting a sue- 
 
308 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 cessful campaign. He it was who ordered the winter 
 campaign against the Kiowas, Comanches, and Chey- 
 ennes, which proved successful and paved the way to 
 permanent peace with those tribes. Nelson A. Miles 
 adopted the same plan and drove Sitting Bull through 
 the snowbanks across the boundary into the Dominion 
 of Canada, where he was quite willing to promise to 
 behave himself in the future if permitted to return to 
 the land of his fathers. I know for a certainty that he 
 lived up to his promises, though I do not know how far 
 he would have done so if he had not lost his power as a 
 medicine man with the Sioux. He was shortly after his 
 return shot and killed by the Indian police. His death 
 removed one of the greatest leaders and warriors that 
 ever led the Sioux tribe into battle, and conduced to 
 the establishment of permanent peace with that nation. 
 
 OUSTERS LAST BATTLE. 
 
 The 7th U. S. Cavalry, 700 men and 28 officers, 2 
 companies of the 17th U. S. Infantry, 1 company 6th U. S. 
 Infantry 8 officers and 135 men; One Platoon of Gat- 
 ling guns, 2 officers and 32 men, of the 20th U. S. In- 
 fantry and 40 Ree scouts, the 7th Cavalry being com- 
 manded by General Geo. A. Custer, and the expeditionary 
 forces under command of Brigaried General Alfred H. 
 Terry, at the sounding of the "general" at 5 o'clock 
 in the morning of may 17th, 1876 proceeded to march to 
 the camp of Sitting Bull in the Little Big Horn country, 
 by 7 a. m. the 7th Cavalry was marching in column of 
 platoons through the post and around the parade ground 
 of Fort A. Lincoln, the band mounted on white horses 
 playing "Garry Owen" the Seventh's battle tune, first 
 used when this gallant regiment charged at the battle 
 of Washita. The column halted just outside of the gar- 
 rison and dismounted where their wives and members of 
 the families came out and bid their husbands and fathers 
 good bye, many of whom they would see no more, after 
 
OR THE DULL KNJFE RAID 309 
 
 the farewells, the signals "mount" and "forward" were 
 sounded and the command headed by the Gallant Seventh, 
 marched away the band playing "The Girl I Left Behind 
 Me." 
 
 The command proceeded until on the Rosebud, Indian 
 trails were discovered June 19th. The mouth of the 
 Rosebud was reached June 21st, where preparations were 
 made for the battle that followed on the Little Big Horn 
 June 25th and 26th, 1876. 
 
 The Indians attacked in this campaign were various 
 Sioux tribes, also Northern Cheyennes and Arapahoes, 
 the leading chiefs being Sitting Bull, Rain in the Face, 
 Crow King, Low Dog, Big Road, Spotted Eagle and Little 
 Horse of the Northern Cheyennes Gall, Crow King, and 
 Crazy Horse were the three ruling fighting chiefs; the 
 total fighting strength of the combined Indian forces was 
 3000. 
 
 General Custer was ordered by General Terry to en- 
 gage the Indians, reports from the Indian agencies lead- 
 ing him to believe that there were only about 800 bucks 
 in the field. 
 
 General Crook had engaged Sitting Bull's command 
 before on June 17th and was badly defeated by the 
 Indians, indeed glad to escape without total annihilation. 
 General Gibbons was near, but the three commands oper- 
 ated independently of each other while had they co- 
 'operated together, attacking as a who^e, the Cjusfter 
 massacre as it is called would never have occured. 
 
 On June 25th, 1876, the Indians were attacked by one 
 battalion under Major Reno, consiting of Troop "M"; 
 Captain French, Troop "A"; Captain, Moy'lan, Troop 
 "G", Lieutenant Mclntosh, the Indian scouts until Lieu- 
 tenants Varnum and Hare and Interpreter Girard, Lieu- 
 tenant Hodson acting adjutant, Doctors DeWolf and 
 Porter Medical officers, this battalion marched down a 
 valley that developed into a small tributary to the Little 
 Big Horn, now called Sundance or Benteen's Creek, where 
 they reached the river, and crossing were routed by the 
 
310 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 Indians in great force and retreated across the river to 
 the bluffs loosing three officers and 29 enlisted men 
 killed, seven enlisted men and one officer wounded, one 
 officer and fourteen enlisted men missing, the Ree scouts 
 ran away and continued their flight until outside of 
 the danger zone. Some Crow scouts remained with the 
 troops. 
 
 The batialon commanded by General Custer, con- 
 sisted of Troop "I", Captain Keogh, Lieutenant Porter, 
 Troop "F", Captain Yates, Lieutenant Relly ; Troop "C", 
 Captain Tom Custer and Lieutenant Harrington; Troop 
 "E", Lieutenants Smith and Strugis, troop "L" Lieu- 
 tenants Calhoun and Crittenden; Lieutenant Cook was 
 adjutant, Dr. G. E. Lord, Medical officer. 
 
 The third battalion was under Captain Benteen, 
 the ranking captain of the Seventh Cavalry, consisted of 
 Troop "H", Benteen, captain, Lieutenant Gibson; Troop 
 "D", Captain Weir and Lieutenant Edgerly; and Troop 
 "K", Lieutenant Godfrey. The pack train was in com- 
 mand of Lieutenant Mathey, escorted by Troop "B", 
 Captain McDougall, this batillion was to proceed to the 
 right and supposed to cut off Indians routed by Reno, 
 but on coming into view of the Little Big Horn Valley 
 succeeded in joining Reno on the hills where he was being 
 engaged by the Indians; while Gall was leading the at- 
 tack against Reno, Iron Cedar, one of his warriors, an- 
 nounced that more soldiers were coming, which was the 
 battalion under General Custer, the Indians withdrawing 
 from attack on Reno concentrated on Custer, who never 
 forded the river but being attacked by overwhelming 
 forces made his stand on a ridge where he and 'every one 
 of his comniand went down to defeat, not one man es- 
 caped to tell the tale 212 bodies were buried on the 
 battle field, all stripped and mutilated except General 
 Custer who was shot in the temple and left side. The 
 bodies of Dr. Lord and Lieutenant Porter, Harrington 
 and Sturgis were never found, at least not recognized, 
 the clothing of Lieutenant Porter and Sturgis was found 
 
OR THE DULL KNJFE RAID 31 i 
 
 in the debris, and showed they had been killed. The 
 total killed of the entire command was 265, wounded 52. 
 Little plots of wild sun flowers mark the graves of those 
 resting here who died on that memorable June 25th, 
 1876, no one will ever know the heroic death they met 
 or the terrible scenes enacted but they attest the services 
 of the Gallant Seventh Cavalry who did more to clear 
 the country in the early days from Mexico to Canada 
 than almost all the other regiments combined. " Garry 
 Owen" can not awake them to glory again, and the girls 
 they left behind will mourn until death shall enable them 
 let us hope, to join their departed dead never seen after 
 that fatal parting, May 17, 1876, at old Fort Abraham 
 Lincoln on the banks of the historical Missouri River. 
 
 GENERAL H. M. CREEL. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 Trouble With the Northern Cheyennes ; Little Chief Con- 
 ducted to the Agency at Reno, I. T. 
 
 The year 1878 found the Northern Cheyennes up in 
 arms and on the warpath, as were the other tribes on 
 the plains and in the mountains. Prominent among the 
 roving bands of warriors was the Little Chief band of 
 Northern Chey'ennes. They were very active and indi- 
 cations seemed to point out that they were likely to 
 m,ake things very disagreeable for the troops as 
 well as for the ranch man in that section. 
 j Little Chief and his band were brought to Fort A. 
 Lincoln in December 1877 and remained there until July 
 24th, 1878, when they left with the 7th cavalry for 
 the Black Hills to locate a fort, named later Meade. 
 The fortunes of war proved very unfavorable for him 
 and he was forced to surrender early in the season. 
 His whole band consisting of 375 warriors, with the 
 Little Chief himself at their head, was taken to fort 
 Abraham Lincoln as prisoners of war and placed in 
 charge of Major Tilford who was in command of the 
 place at that time. They remained there till the latter 
 part of July, when he selected Ben Clark, General Sheri- 
 dan's chief of scouts and indian interpreter, to take 
 charge of them and tatoe them under military escort 
 from thence to their destination at Fort Reno reservation, 
 in the Indian Territory. I herewith give Clark's com- 
 mission in full. 
 
 HEADQUARTERS 
 
 Fort Abraham Lincoln, Dakota, 
 
 July 20th, 1878. 
 
 To Mr. Ben Clark, in charge of the Cheyenne Indians. 
 Sir: I am directed by the commanding officer to 
 
GENERAL H, M. CREEL 
 
OR THE DULL KNJFE RAID 313 
 
 inform, you that it is his intention to have the Cheyenne 
 Indians, prisoners of war, leave this post for their desti- 
 nation early next week, and that you will make the 
 necessary arrangements for their departure at that time. 
 If you need any assistance or information in this con- 
 nection, you will report to the commanding officer in 
 person. Very respectfully, Your Obedient Servant, 
 
 F. M. GIBSON, 
 1st Lieutenant 7th Cavalry, Post Adjutant. 
 
 Ben Clark accepted the appointment and at once be- 
 gan to make the preparations necessary for the removal 
 of the indians to their destination at Fort Reno, I. T. It 
 was a perilous undertaking at that season of the year as 
 the plains were alive with hostile Indians. Another in- 
 cident arose about the time to make the journey more 
 hazardous than usual, viz, the report that Dull Knife 
 had left the reservation at Fort Reno and was on his way 
 northward to his former hunting grounds. In other 
 words, Dull Knife was on the warpath and as explained 
 in a former chapter, was committing all kinds of de- 
 predations. It may be easily imagined what would oc- 
 cur if the tribe that had just broken away from Reno 
 reservation were to join forces with the Little Chief band 
 on their way to the place the other had just quitted. 
 Naturally the tensity of the situation exiercised its in- 
 fluence on the whole force accompanying the Little Chief 
 band. At this juncture Ben Clark received the follow- 
 ing telegram: 
 
 HEADQUARTERS 
 
 Fort Abraham Lincoln, 
 
 July 24th, 1878. 
 Special Order, No. 175. 
 
 Companies H and L, 7th Cavalry, will move into 
 camp on the hill in the rear of the post at one o'clock, 
 p. m., preparatory to taking the field tomorrow, the 25th 
 of July, 1878, to join troops operating from Bear Buttes, 
 Dakota, Ter. The Cheyenne Indian prisoners will leave 
 
314 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 this post with this command enroute to Camp Robin- 
 son under the charge of Ben Clark who will draw for 
 these Indians thirty-two days Indian rations, and will at- 
 tend to the loading, hauling, and issuing of the same 
 during the march. By command, Major Tilford, 
 
 F. M. GIBSON, 
 1st Lieutenant, 7th Cavalry, Post Adjutant. 
 
 When everything was in readiness, and there was 
 considerable difficulty in the task just accomplished, the 
 expedition set out for Bear Buttes. General Sam D. 
 Sturgis, Colonel of the Seventh Cavalry, in command. 
 Captain Benteen, in command of the escort. The journey 
 was rather tedious as the distance to be traveled each 
 day was limited by Ben Clark to 15 miles. When they 
 reached Bear Buttes they were met by Second Lieuten- 
 ant H. M. Creel, of K troop of the 7th Cavalry, and Cap- 
 tain Mathey, who took charge of the escort from that 
 place to Fort Robinson. Everything went along as well 
 as the trying conditions of the march would permit, and 
 through the watchfulness of Ben Clark the Indians had 
 little cause to murmur, as he looked after their interests 
 and comfort in a manner that reflects great credit upon 
 him. When they reached Sidney Barracks farther south, 
 the following telegram was awaiting them. 
 
 Omaha, Barracks, Neb., 
 
 Sept. 14th, 1878., 12:35 p. m. 
 
 To Ben Clark, in charge of Cheyenne Indians, 
 
 In care of Commanding Officer, Sidney Barracks, N,eb. 
 
 As the Northern Cheyenne Indians who were at Fort 
 Reno, I. T., have left there and are trying to make their 
 way back north, the Department Commander desires to 
 know if you think it advisable for the Indians under 
 your charge to continue their journey south at present. 
 Is there any liklihood of their trying to join those who 
 have left Fort Reno? Where do you think those who 
 have left Fort Reno will try to cross the Union Pacific 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 315 
 
 Railroad? Telegraph reply to this and any other infor- 
 mation or opinion regarding movements of those from 
 Fort Reno which may be useful. By command, 
 
 GEN. CROOK. 
 (Signed.) R. WILLIAMS, 
 
 Ass't Adjut. General. 
 
 Major Mauck took charge of the escort under Ben 
 Clark at Sidney Barracks. Things went along accord- 
 ing to the usual routine until they reached the vicinity of 
 the Rd Cloud agency. The close proximity of that 
 agency to the present position of the prisoners of war, 
 no doubt, had some influence on the Little Chief band, 
 as they used to belong to that section of the territory. 
 At this place, Iron Shirt and Black Wolf, chiefs of no 
 mean repute, decided that they would go no further. 
 They declared that they preferred to go to the Red Cloud 
 agency and did not want to go any further south. For 
 a time it seemed as if there was going to be some dif- 
 ficulty in getting the expedition under way again as Iron 
 Shirt, in particular, who was looked upon as a military 
 genius by his followers, was quite determined in his 
 attitude against any further advance towards Reno. 
 However, the matter was promptly adjusted by the 
 commanding officer, by the use of a little diplomacy, as 
 he explained matters to them through the interpreter and 
 put the affair in such a light that it seemed satisfac- 
 tory to all concerned. The Indians had been rather 
 loathe to leave Fort Abraham Lincoln and would in 
 all probably openly resisted were it not for an agreement 
 made between them and General P. H. Sheridan wherein 
 he promised them good locations, plenty of rations, good 
 hunting on the North Canadian, and besides, gave them 
 permission to retain their firearms as there was an abund- 
 ance of game in the land to which they were going. 
 The reader will discover later on how this agreement 
 was respected by the war department. 
 
 The expedition journeyed along from Sidney Bar- 
 
316 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 racks under command of Major Mauck, via Fort Wal- 
 lace, Fort Dodge, and Camp Supply, without any in- 
 terruption of any importance, though it was a very 
 tickelish situation all the way as they knew not at what 
 time or place they might encounter the Dull Knife band. 
 It took all the wariness of Ben Clark to keep the band 
 out of all possibility of meeting their kinsmen who were 
 then on the warpath. That he did it successfully, is 
 to his credit, and for it he deserves the highest com- 
 mendation of not only those immediately concerned with 
 the expedition, but of the country at large, for if those 
 two bands of Cheyennes united, there would have en- 
 sued another massacre appaling in its execution. 
 
 Little Chief and his band escorted by four troops 
 of the fourth cavalry under Major Mauck arrived at 
 Camp Supply, I. T., in December, 1878, after a few days' 
 rest started for Fort Reno, the first day's march brought 
 them to the junction of Wolf and Beaver Creek, forming 
 the North Fork Canadian River, where the command 
 camped, the next morning in the midst of a heavy snow 
 storm Major Mauck came to Lieutenant Creel's tent 
 about five o'clock with a telegraphic order from General 
 Pope commanding department of Missouri directing him 
 to disarm and dismount the Northern Cheyennes in his 
 charge and en route for Fort Reno, as the interior de- 
 partment at the instigation of the Indian office refused to 
 allow the Indians to enter the Territory unless this was 
 done this was done to prevent a repetition of the Dull 
 Knife raid of that year. General Pope being entirely ig- 
 norant of the promises made by General Sheridan to 
 these Indians that they should retain their arms and am- 
 munition and he had called their attention to the excel- 
 lent hunting in the Indian Territory. Now on this morn- 
 ing the Indians expected to start out on a great hunt 
 and had asked Lieutenant Creel to go with them, but im- 
 mediately after reveille and breakfast were confronted 
 with the four troops of the Fourth Cavalry mounted and 
 asked to deliver up their arms and ponies. Lieutenant 
 
OR THE DULL KNJFE RAID 317 
 
 Creel told Major Mauck of the promises made the Indians 
 by General Sheridan and pointed to the interpretation that 
 would be placed upon such treatment and asked Major 
 Mauck if he could not defer action until they could 
 get into communication with General Sheridan, Division 
 commander, but due to poor means of communication 
 Major Mauck was afraid to assume the responsibility. 
 Later when General Sheridan learned of this action on 
 request of the Indian office, it is needless to say he was 
 much incensed and it was due to this fact that he in a 
 short time affected the transfer of all Northern Chey- 
 ennes in this band who desired, to return to their old 
 hunting grounds in Montana. 
 
 On the arrival of the expedition at Camp Supply, 
 they were confronted with a dispatch from the war de- 
 partment through General Pope, demanding the immedi- 
 ate disarmament of the Indians. When the order was 
 made known to Little Chief, he at once objected to its 
 enforcement, and with his band, stood with arms drawn 
 and ready to rebel against such open violation of their 
 treaty with General Sheridan. 
 
 The Indians when asked to surrender their arms and 
 ponies refused, and formed in battle line in semicircular 
 formation, the women and children in the center. Iron 
 Shirt exhorting them, to die fighting for their rights, 
 telling them that they had been lied to long enough, dur- 
 ing this time had one gun gone off, it would have been 
 the commencement of a bloody massacre of women and 
 children. All the women and children that could crowd 
 into Lieutenant Creel's two tents, thinking that when 
 the firing commenced they would be immune. Until 
 eleven o'clock the Indians maintained a bold and re- 
 lenting attitude, their guns in hand, they stood immov- 
 able not yielding one inch; during this tense interval 
 when any moment one shot would have precipitated a 
 bloody fight, Lieutenant Creel remained with the Indians 
 in their midst, walking quietly up and down their line 
 urging carefulness and pleading for the lives of their 
 
318 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 women and children until they finally surrendered. The 
 Northern Cheyennes as Little Wolf said at Washington 
 in the winter of 1913, had made him an adopted member 
 of their tribe, and the history of the Cheyenne nation 
 or people would not be complete without 'his name in it, 
 that no white man, an officer in the gallant Seventh 
 Cavalry had Avhen death was near, stood with the Indians 
 in their midst, and on their side as he had done, every 
 other white man had left the Indian camp including 
 William Roland, a half-breed Cheyenne interpreter for 
 these Indians, saying there was going to be a massacre. 
 
 It was certainly a very trying situation. There was 
 not a man of the whole command who did not admit 
 the justice of the Indian Chief's refusal to turn over 
 the arms which he had been promised to be allowed to 
 keep as he would need them in iiis new location for 
 the purpose of killing game. The cavalry were ordered 
 to mount and enforce the unjust order. At this point 
 there occured one of those little incidents that often- 
 times raises a man above his fellows and marks him for 
 all time as one to whom the regard for justice is para- 
 mount above all things, even life itself. 
 
 The troops had mounted and were holding themselves 
 in readiness for further orders, when H. M. Creel, second 
 lieutenant of K troop, indignant at th'e injustice of the 
 order, went to the Indians and urged them to refrain 
 from bringing on an engagement which would prove 
 disasterous to themselves and cause a massacre of their 
 women and children. As the lieutenant could speak the 
 Cheyenne tongue fluently, and was familiar with the 
 customs and habits of the tribe, he received a hearing 
 that was respectful. He succeeded in bringing about a 
 conciliation by becoming personally responsible for their 
 firearms and anything else which they might have that 
 was considered contraband of war. By his course of 
 action in the matter, he at onee won the undying grati- 
 tude of the Cheyennes, which endures to this day, and 
 
BEN CLARK 
 Gen, P. H. Sheridan's Chief of Scouta 
 
OR THE DULL KNJFE RAID 319 
 
 will continue to do so as long as the traditions of the 
 cheyenne are handed down to posterity. 
 
 The trouble being averted, the escort started on its 
 way again, Ben Clark guiding them down the river. But 
 the danger was not yet past. General Pope insisted 
 on the order being carried out in spite of the fact that 
 justice and decency forbade it. However, he succeeded 
 in having it fulfilled, but when it was carried into ef- 
 fect there were not enough guns of any value to arm a 
 corporal's guard. I have always been under the im- 
 pression that the Indians during the march from where 
 the trouble arose to the place where they were dis- 
 armed, succeeded in secreting the best of their arms, 
 which was not very difficult as the soldiers were not too 
 strict in trying to prevent their doing so as they saw 
 that an injustice was being done to their charges. I do 
 not know what General Sheridan thought or said when 
 he learned how his treaty of peace with the Indians had 
 been observed by the war department, but, I am under 
 the impression, that if one could have taken a kaleido- 
 scopic view of his thoughts at the time, there would likely 
 have been a very lurid tint about them. 
 
 Once the Indians were disarmed, the work trials of 
 the expedition were practically at an end. It was a very 
 short march down the N,orth Canadian to the place of 
 their future abode. Ben. Clark saw to it that things were 
 carried out, as far as possible, to the satisfaction of 
 all. 
 
 Nor did Lieutenant Creel leave the wards of the 
 government at once. In fact he remained with them 
 for a considerable length of time in the capacity of 
 agent, and the confidence they had in him is shown 
 by the results of his tenure of office among them. He 
 came to be looked upon as a father to all of them, to 
 whom they might go to have all wrongs righted, and 
 their rights preserved. The result of such confidential 
 relationship between Lieutenant Creel and the Indians 
 is manifest today in the high-class of citizenship that 
 
320 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 exists among the wards of the government, and their 
 advancement in the various pursuits of life according 
 to the white man's ways. 
 
 Creel was the man of the hour. He devoted his time, 
 talents, and energy to the elevation of the children of 
 the plains. He set out to improve their educational fa- 
 cilities. He wrote a grammar and a dictionary of the 
 Cheyenne tongue, of which he had a complete mastery. 
 Also work on the sign language of the North American 
 Indians. His work in this regard was of guch a high 
 order as to be preserved in the Smithsonian Institute in 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX. 
 
 Ben Clark; General Creel; Some Observation in 
 Conclusion. 
 
 In concluding the little work, I deem it impossible 
 to close without paying tribute to two men who have 
 done so much in the way of settling the difficulties of 
 the west, and making it possible for the white settlers 
 to live in peace and prosperity, freed entirely from the 
 haunting spectre of an Indian raid. Many have con- 
 tributed their share to the important work, and credit 
 must be given them, nevertheless in any 1 undertaking, 
 there are men who seem by nature to be better adapted 
 to the work than others; so it was in the closing days of 
 the Indian troubles of the West, when the Indian had 
 good cause for looking on the white man with sus- 
 picion, and the result as shown in those numerous raids 
 upon the white settlements during the decade of 1870 
 and 1880. 
 
 In the long array of men who endeavored to bring 
 the difficulties that disturbed the West to a satisfactory 
 close, we find two who played an important part within 
 the scope of their opportunities, and the results of their 
 work are manifest at this date. 
 
 Ben Clark was a scout. The term to the ordinary 
 man of affairs does not rn^ean much, but if one could 
 ask General Sheridan's opinion of the man and scout, he 
 would place him in the very first rank of all scouts of 
 the West. He was a man particularly gifted by nature 
 with the endowments requisite to achieve success in his 
 calling. He seemed to have an uncanny knowledge of 
 the plains. Like an open book he read her every mood. 
 On his knowledge of that vast trackless plain depended 
 the success of many an expedition, and there yet remains 
 
322 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 no failure to mar the brilliant record of his achievements. 
 Not only soldiers, but generals placed themselves un- 
 reservedly in his hands and felt safe. He was not a 
 soldier, but no soldier ever showed greater qualities of 
 generalship than he. Generals commanded the armies, 
 he commanded the generals and they gladly obeyed him. 
 Amid all the trials and vicissitudes of his life of hard- 
 ship, he ever maintained an evenness of temperament 
 that carried him down to the present day, to a ripe old 
 age, after more than fifty years of service in the Army, 
 not a soldier, but as a scout, respected and retaining the 
 confidence of the men with whom he spent days and years 
 of hardship on the plains. 
 
 Associated with Ben clark in the later days was one 
 who has risen by dint of devotion to duty to a very high 
 position in the sphere of military affairs. I refer to 
 General Creel, as he is now called. Among the many 
 positions that General Creel has held was that of adjut- 
 ant general of his state, North Dakota, where he raised 
 the national guard of his state from chaos to such a de- 
 gree of efficiency that the war department after full in- 
 spection and field maneuver of the guard with regulars 
 declared ninety per cent fit for duty in the field on a 
 par with the regular army. General Creel on his own 
 request was highly complimented by the governor for his 
 distinguished services and retired with the rank of major 
 general as provided by law. Of his soldierly qualities 
 there is not much need of making the record here, as it 
 is open to all who wish to consult the archieves of the 
 army. Fighting qualities are expected in a soldier, other- 
 wise he would be out of place in the ranks, but there are 
 other qualities that set a man apart from his fellows. 
 Some men have administrative ability, some diplomacy, 
 others skill in various lines, but a man must have a 
 special adaptation by nature who can take the rough, 
 untamed spirits of the plains away from their native 
 heths, from all that is dear to them, and at the same time 
 make them love him. Some could do it by force, but the 
 
OR THE DULL KNJFE RAID 323 
 
 result would not be lasting, as is instanced in the case of 
 Dull Knife ; others could do it by love of justice and 
 fair play and convert the savage into a high-class citizen 
 of the state. The latter was the method used by General 
 Creel, and to show that they have not forgotten the 
 spirit of fairness that characterized the man, one would 
 but have to visit the Darlington Agency, Oklahoma, when 
 the general makes a trip to the scene of his earliy ef- 
 forts as an Indian pacifier, and see how they gather 
 around him and show marks not merely of respect, but 
 of real affection. To the work of his office he added 
 occupations of his own choice. He devoted himself to a 
 thorough study of the Cheyenne tongue, and his ef- 
 forts resulted in a grammar and dictionary of that lan- 
 guage. Not only is the general an authority on the Chey- 
 enne dialect, but his work otf the sign, language is 
 masterly. He is not only a man well versed in Indian 
 affairs, though that itself would be sufficient for most 
 men, but is one of the directors of the 1914 Chatauqua 
 institute. One would be inclined to think that with all 
 the successes that attend his efforts, and the title of 
 general that he bears, that he would be inclined to be 
 swelled with the s'ense of his own importance, but not so. 
 You will not find a more modest man in the whole range 
 of activity than the general. He is the last man that 
 you would take to be one of the great geniuses of the 
 West if you were to estimate him by his general be- 
 havior. 
 
 In conclusion, much might be written about the com- 
 plex nature of the Indian and the trouble he created for 
 the white man during the last half century. But if the 
 white man were to put himself in the place of the Indian 
 I doubt if he would act differently. One cannot see an 
 intruder come into one's domain and lay waste the very 
 foundation of one 's existance without finding that trouble 
 has originated that is likely to be far reaching. That 
 was the situation. The Indian had been master of 
 the plains from time immemorial, and like every posses- 
 
324 THE INDIANS' LAST FIGHT 
 
 sor of territory; he had no idea of yielding up his 
 home, his life, without a struggle. He had not admitted 
 the sovereignty of the government when the white man 
 came among the tribes. Any territorial extension that 
 had been made on the part of the government was made 
 by treaty, and any one conversant with history well 
 knows how faithlessly the truces and pacts with the 
 Indians have been kept. In fact, it is one of the stand- 
 ing disgraces to our country that so many of the agree- 
 ments with the original holders of the land have been 
 broken. It looks as if the principle that "might makes 
 right" were the only one in vogue when dealing with 
 the Indian. He has not only been deceived frequently 
 in the past, and treaties with him, violated, but he has 
 also been plundered in ruthless fashion by those whom 
 the government sent to look after his affairs. Scandal 
 upon scandal has occured among the agents in charge of 
 the different reservations, with the result that the Indians 
 not only became disgusted with the treatment they re- 
 ceived, but broke away from their locations and went 
 on the warpath. If the different tribes that surrendered 
 had been treated with the proper amount of justice, half 
 or more of the blood-curdling atrocities of the latter part 
 of the decade of 1870 would not have occured. What was 
 wanted was more men like General Sheridan, and Gen- 
 eral Creel, and less of the grafters and boodlers who 
 looked upon the Indian as lawful prey to be robbed and 
 pillaged with ruthless abandon. 
 
 The government. I have no doubt was willing to do 
 the right thing, but was frequently unfortunate in the 
 choice of the means adopted. The Quakers who came 
 upon the scene early in the management of Indian af- 
 fairs, meant well, but their peaceful measures were not 
 adapted to the nature and character of the tribes of the 
 plains. They did not understand the nature) of the 
 Indians who were wont to travel with unrestrained free- 
 dom over the vast plains, living their lives according to 
 their lights and traditions. The Quaker method of curb- 
 
OR THE DULL KNIFE RAID 325 
 
 ing their dauntless spirit was about as effective as try- 
 ing to tame a wildcat by saying, " pussy." As I said, 
 th'ey meant well, did their best, but their efforts caused 
 the Indian to smile on more than one occasion. 
 
 The methods frequently used by the war office to 
 bring the Indians into subjection did not always meet 
 with the success that the efforts exerted would war- 
 rant. True, it was a novel kind of warfare for civilized 
 men to undertake, but I do not think that the utmost 
 care was always exercised in carrying out the different 
 campaigns. There is much to show that there must 
 have been considerable laxity in different places, as is 
 shown in the ease with which Dull Knife marched, by, 
 past, and around, different forts in his way north, and 
 with a mere handful of men set at naught the efforts of 
 several regiments. There is no question about the will- 
 ingness of the private soldier to do his duty, for he was 
 usually found at his post and fighting to the last ditch, 
 but there were men wearing the garb of officers who did 
 not exercise the judgment of skilled fighters in handling 
 a difficult situation, or in following an efficient plan of 
 campaign. All this naturally tended to give the Indian 
 an opportunity he was looking for, and the blows he 
 dealt in return were of considerable heft. 
 
 The day is coming slowly but surely when the last 
 red man will have disappeared from the domain wherein 
 he roamed a monarch. He does not seem to be able to 
 thrive on the white man's mode of life. It may' be that 
 the veneer of civilization that he had acquired in recent 
 years is more of a restraint than a benefit to him. The 
 vices of the white man have had their effect upon him 
 also. Whatever the causes, the race seems to be doomed 
 to extinction, the buffalo and the Indian seemed to be 
 an essential part of the plains. The buffalo is practically 
 only a memory, and the red man is following his trail to- 
 ward the setting sun, soon to disappear over the horizon 
 of time. 
 
326 THE INDIANS' LAST PIGH1 
 
 AFTERWORD 
 
 Before taking leave of my readers, I cannot re- 
 frain from expressing the appreciation I feel for the As- 
 sistance I have received from numerous reliable sources. 
 The best authority for an account of any happening is 
 the chief actor in the drama, and this is undoubtedly true 
 when the authors themselves are m,en of integrity, re- 
 liability, modesty and truth. Men of this type neces- 
 sarily leave the impression of truthfulness and reliability, 
 on any narration of events they may make. Such men 
 I have consulted in my work to guarantee the authenticity 
 and veracity of my narrative. I take a great pleasure in 
 acknowledging my indebtedness to General H. M. Creel, 
 Ben Clark and Mr. John Murphy. Others who have as- 
 sisted me in compiling the preceeding chapters, I have 
 mentioned in various parts of the book, but those I enum- 
 erate here, have assisted me in a special manner and I 
 feel it a duty to thank them abundantly for their favor 
 in directing me in setting down the correct narrative of 
 events described. As these gentlemen are still living, it 
 is a very easy matter for any one to consult them in re- 
 gard to the historical 'events of the preceeding chapters, 
 but any one who knows the character of these gentlemen 
 will deem it sufficient that they have placed the stamp 
 of their approval on the pages of the preceeding work. 
 
 To my wife, who so faithfully kept the light in the 
 window as a beacon to insure my safe return, this little 
 volume is most respectfully dedicated. 
 
 THE AUTHOR.