i
RNAL
'.PTEMBER 1 1
rd looking after the stragglers are the "drag." Buck-
Was working on the drag; but he was always
to go and he had a good horse, so the boss sent him
about the herd ahead.
had only been gone a little while when we heard
up ahead.
boss was in the point; he stopped the cattle and
Went except two drags, the horse wrangler and
We went over a rise all strung out, the fastest
n the lead, riding hell for leather. Pretty soon we
dead, right in the trail, and out to one side a
Smoke hanging over a buffalo wallow. The wallow
of rosinweeds with Pete in the middle of them
up a big smoke from his gun.
in a circle around the buffalo wallow were fif-
nty Indians. Pete had killed two or three of their
the dismounted Indians were on the slope of the
where they went over. They had taken a position
they could watch for help to come to Pete, but they
he belonged to the herd up ahead and that
'enid come from that direction. They jumped up when
us...but they didn't go any place. One Indian was
us and Pete: he looked back at us over his shoulder
out straight across the buffalo wallow where Pete
got too close - to Pete.
emptied my rifle and leaned forward to get my
my horse got a bullet right between the eyes; it
)ut in back of his neck and glanced off my saddle
Went off him and landed on my head. Just as I got
I saw three Indians coming back to get my scalp,
as they came.
staggered back to my horse and got behind him to
for breastworks; my eyes were kind of blurred and
see very well, but they were coming right in after
again at the Indians but Pete had just kept
and there weren't any Indians there. I didn't even
there was only one Indian left; he was mak-
one of the boys we called Long Tom. Long Tom had
his gun and before he could load it, the Indian
had his scalp, but Tom was a good man with a
that was quicker, so he threw his lariat and
redskin and you should have seen that Indian
Stratesy
were driving a mixed herd for five different own-
Flood was trail boss and Jim Connelly was one of
Charlie Nida, Lee Keyes, Buckskin Pete and a
other boys were in Connelly's string and he rode
md.
trail crossed the North Canadian River east of
Reno, Oklahoma, now stands. Old Fort Reno, a
garrison, was west of there just across the Cana-
from the Darlington Agency, which was on the
of the North Canadian River. But we had some
with Indians and crossed the river farther
missed the Darlington Agency and Fort Reno by
and drove our cattle out west of the trail a ways; they
loaded us in our own chuck wagon and took us down to
their camp, about a half-mile west of the rock pile. They
told us about the fellow in the rock pile and explained that
they would give us back our cattle and let us go on, after
they had killed him, but they couldn't let us go through for
fear we would tell the soldiers at Fort Reno and they would
come and get him out.
The Indians stretched some lariats around our chuck
wagon and made a corral. They told us to stay inside and
we would not get hurt, but if we got outside that rope they
would shoot us. They left about twenty braves to guard us
and the rest went back to the camp.
That night one of the boys crawled out and got a horse
and struck out for Fort Reno. The Indians didn't find it out
until the next morning. When we went to eat breakfast
they counted us. One brave came in and asked where the
other man was. We told him we thought the men were all
there and we looked around real innocent-like. But it didn't
work; the Indians got mad and that night they tied us up.
they tied our feet together and tied our hands behind our
backs.
The Indians had been sending signals with signal fires
and other Indians were coming in all the time in answer to
them. Hundreds of them, mostly Cheyennes, came from all
directions.
They made three or four runs down on the rock pile
and lost some Indians every time. They had killed the boy's
saddle horse but the boy was still there and every time an
Indian got too close he let him have it - right between the
eyes.
The Cavalry
About noon on the third day, we saw a cloud of dust
rising way up on the trail to the north of us and it was not
long before we could see the cavalry coming. There were
half a dozen soldiers in the lead, about one hundred and
fifty yards from the main column and some out on each side
about one hundred yards from the main column. Way be-
hind we could the white wagon sheets of the ambulances
and supply wagons. There were four mules to each wagon
and guards all around.
The calvary uniform was blue, with a yellow stripe
down the trouser leg, a blue blouse trimmed with yellow
and brass buttons, black boots and a regulation cavalry
hat. The horses were beautiful, mostly bays but some chest-
nuts and sorrels, and a few blacks, but no paints or other
fancy horses. A cavalry horse weighed in somewhere around
eleven hundred pounds while a cow pony weighed only about
nine hundred.
When the lead soldiers got within about three to four
hundred yards of them, the Indians started shooting. The
soldiers stopped then and the main column came on up and
formed two columns about four feet between.
The Indians were bunching up on the creek toward the
rock pile. A Medicine Man was leading the Indians to at-
tack. He had on a war bonnet and was telling them the
white man's bullets couldn't kill an Indian with a war ben-
EL
COMM
by Elizabeth Wise
Queen Anne's lace is now blooming along the roadside,
and whenever I see it, l am reminded of a siorv about it.
The story goes that when Queen Anne was tatting the lace.
she pricked her' finger, and even today, if you look into the
little white blooms through a nmgnifying glass, you can see
where the blood fell fi'om Queen Anne's finger. There is a
little spot of red deep in the bloom
My dad knew a lot about plants, and herbs, and one
thing I remember is that the Indiam; wouhl gather the bark
front blackjack oak trees, then boil it for a long time, until
it became a clark gel. He said that the ('owbovs carried a jar
of the gel in their saddlebags. They valued its healing qual-
ity
He showed me a scat" on his foot where he was bitten
by a rattlesnake, tie had used his pocket knifi" to cut into
the bite wound, scraped out the snake venom, which be
described as white pearl-like drops, then applied the gel.
put his boot on, and went on his way I don't think the
snake went anywhere after that
A cowboy's life was not an eas , that's tbr sm,'e, but
most of them were mellow philc,, ophet thev were
old. I remember lots of times +heu Dad and Rolla were
together at out" house the jokes and laughter they shared.
It's interesting to hear about the olden (lays, but it
makes me appreciate tim pf'esenl da s
i , u ii
!;
by Dora Mercer
• R'lby Gearhart reports that her brother Virgil
Kinkade, of California is visiting in her home this summer.
While here he had a stay in the Stillwater Medical Center,
but is back in Jack's and Ruby's home.
• Shirley Hemphill tells of her mother, Elsie ,Jenkins,
and herself being comfortable in Mxs. Jenkins home. Shirley's
cousin, Jean MClain, has vacationed in cool Colorado. Jean
was accompanied by another cousin, Ermal .Jenkins, of Pe-
culiar, Missouri.
miles.
net on. He was going through all sorts of contortions whib • The potkuck luncheon at the [oc Senior Citizens
of Indi Were e.ampe ' there by the trail and he told them he was making the white man's gunpowder last Wednesday was delightful. ,
re-x us came up'.with the 'herd, the Indians came turn to dirt so it would not kill the Indians. • The games of Texas Canasta were fun when we played
ee. us saying they wanted to buy some cattle. An officer with a straight sword, not a cavalry saber, with some Stillwater cronies last week. Spi nner do noes
e Indians bought the cattle they would ick them in his hand came riding down the line of soldiers. He stopped are also enjoyed. , ,,
herd and we always got a good price. ThPe]v told us • We enjoyed the movie, Maverick and will re(ore-
in front of one of them and pointed with his sword to the
e going to have a powwow and they would charge Medicine Man. The soldier raised his carbine and sighted, mend it highly. The action in it is very suspenseful.
steer for going through their camp and then buy for just a second, then fired; and the Medicine Man pitched *It is nice to get back with our church friends after
' V ....
everyone s acatlons and havlng vlmtors. We declare that
[ad'wereTheygoingpaidtothepavb°SSthe onebalancehUndredwhenandtheySiXtygot dol-the clearhead'firstthrough°ff hiShim.pony, war bonnet and all, with a bullet the s'ummer has gone by so quickly and can't realize that
They said they would come that afternoon and get The soldiers started their horses. They rode at a slow school has started again.
trot at first, then a faster trot, then a run. When they got * Doris Stevens partook of the visiting and laughter
Boy in the Rock Pile within fifty yards of the Indians they raised their guns and one evening last week while sitting on the N W Third
e was a big pile of rocks around a spring off at the fired. The Indians had been shooting at them all the time street lawn with the faithful group that "unwinds" after
the trail and we soon learned that the Indians had a but the soldiers hadn t fired a shot until then. their day's and duties are done. At sundown each evening
in the rock pile We asked one of them about it and The smoke from the guns covered the line of soldiers the ladies are entertained with a gaggle of geese, that re-
us the fellow in the rock pile was boy about fifteen but when they came out of that smoke and dust, every man side around the Twin Lakes and the waters near the
h..Years old. He was driving a bunch of ponies, had his saber in his hand and was riding like the wind. Whistlestop No. II, flying low overhead.
_uu .area, Texas up to Kansas and he was by We were.on a little rise southwest of them and the sun
pla ng the lone hand.
Len the boy came up the trail to the place where the was shining right on them. We could see the sabers glitter
were camped, the head man had gone out and told in the sun and hear the rattle of them against the Indians'
would have to pay for going through their camp. guns. They were making a saber charge. When a cavalry..
horse makes a charge he goes in with his nose and tail
said he would not pay because it was a free trail straight out and his ears back. He goes straight ahead and
[whas going through. He was so brave the Indiansnothing stops him unless he is killed. If another horse gets ] 2b SOOTh MAiN
ll e COUld go through for one pony. He told them to in his way, he just runs over him. SlEIIWATER, OK 74074
'- Indian took down his rope and roped one of the An Indian in the back broke and ran, then two or
ales and started to lead it off. The boy fired one shot three, then fifteen or twenty. After a few minutes of fight- (40 ) b24- | 224
Indian toppled off his pony - dead. of ing, they all broke and ran. *BAll, ore .Deceived Cakes
l;;}ang;ans were coming. The boy saw the pile Our guards had run with the rest of the Indians and I ,Homemade C iES
rolled over to Buckskin Pete and he untied my hands with *PaRn/, Candy, CAkE DecoRAfiO &Wedding Supplies
• the spring and he made for it with his pack *Ass.reed Gih IdEAs
U[t threw his pack horse loose and turned his saddle his teeth; then I untied him. (We been in the sun all day, !
and when I had complained about the heat Pete had said, , , ,
ere he could get grass and water. He was well "Better enjoy this; if them soldiers don t get here we will be
in a damned sight hotter place than this!") , , ,
In a short time we were all free and went down where
ammunition and grub and fixed to stand quite
The Indians tried to rush him at first but they soon
Was going to be costly, so they just surrounded
thought they would starve him out. About that
Came up the trail.
two o'clock that afternoon, a big bunch of Indi-
the fighting had been. The ambulances had come in and
they were picking up the wounded men; there were quite a
few dead horses. The soldiers came back aRer a while with
what was left of the Indians, but most of them got away.
up on a hill and made the peace sign. The bossThere must have been around three hundred soldiers and
and put two of us boys about forty yards aparttwo or three times that many Indians.
the Indians rode down between us, we looked them The poor devil in the rock pile had come out and go,he
if they had any shooting irons. , doWn to the creek. He was drinking water and washing his
the Indian chief was down talking to our boss,face. His tongue was so thick he couldn't swear. There was
of them divided up and went to each of us cowboys.
Were about nine Indian riders on our side, three
to me one on each side and one right in front of
were begging for tobacco. I didn't have any
told them so, but they didn't budge.
old buck was sitting out in front of us. He didn't
at the cattle and he wasn't begging tobacco.
to have any part in the whole thing, he just
Then all at once, he threw back his head and
ud War whoop. The three Indians that were stand-
me closed in. The one in front grabbed my horse
ones at each side took my gun and one pushed me
pulled - and before I knew what was hap-
me on the ground and disarmed. I looked
all the other boys were in the same predica-
took the whole bunch of us without firing a
that time about a hundred Indians came riding in
a little spring in the rock pile but it had dried up and he
had been without water all day.
We found our horses and fighting irons and the mules
we had hooked to the chuck wagon, but the cattle were
scattered all over, some.of them clear back to Big Red. It
took us two days to get them rounded up and on our way
again - but we felt lucky to be alive.'. . Back to the Territory
The next spring, 1885, when roundup time Was over,
Rolla and I left the J A and started back to the Indian
Territory.
First we went to Arkansas City to see Captain Knipe
and he put us both to work for the Cattlemen's Association.
Rolla went down to the K K K Ranch and Captain Knipe
sent me down to Elgin, Kansas, to catch some cattle thieves.
I was back on my old job again.
(Look for lndian Territory" in the next installment of
Pistol Pete, Veteran Of The Old West.)
II:ll I
won a
|
I,
I I I I u II IIII III
*{
I
"Ribeye'ateak dinner includes salad, baked potato,
beans, corn bread. No purchase necessary. Register for
dra g eachweek at Pardrmrs'.J'lurry, you have until
next Saturday to claim your :ta-ak dinner.
STEAK HOUSE
121 SW Stumbo in Perkins
NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH M-F 11AM-2PM, OPEN FOR SUPPER TH, FRi & SAT S-gP.I.
I I III I I II
