A PRAIRIE SQUALL

Bush Advocate, Volume XI, Issue 869, 9 December 1893, Page 6

A PRAIRIE SQUALL

By M. QUAD. It was just noon when we reached White Horse Creek, six troopera escovtin<» California Joe with dospa^hea. Our Cuuher route lay across Little Chief Prairie, a distance of fourteen miles. The ground seemed as level as n, floor, aud tho grass stood knee b.i«h. and was parched aud withered in tho hot sun. Wo threw oil' the saddles, watered and staked out the horses, and spent an hour over our rations and pipes. " If it was me alone," said Joo, as we began saddling up, "I'd tako coihe right and skirt that grass. " Why V asked the serceant, " Bekase of that— and that— and them ar," answered the old man as he pointed to a sianal smoke in tho rear of us, another away to the left, and to four or tive vultures sailing high in the sky to the south. The Indians had crossed our trail miles |to the north. They could not hope to overhaul U3, but they were signalling to their friends to tho south of us. The south signalled to the . east, and as we stood gazing a column of smoke rose high in the air to the west. It was the Indian telegraph line at work to capture or destroy us. Even as we counted the vultures and made five of them, the number was in- | (creased to sis — seven— eight — ten. They scented a teast. } |" Too late now !" muttered Joe, and he surveyed the signals. " Ready, boyß ? Then we drive straight across, and never a one of us will live to see the sun gu down ! Down with them blankets and give 'em a good soakin' in tbe creek before you mount !" When ready we struck right across the centre of the prairie, taking Blue Mountain for our guiae. We kept our horseß at a. steady canter, making about ten miles an hour, and were within two miles of the base of the mountain when a horde of Indians suddenly rose out of the earth acros3 our path. They had been concealed in a natural sink. There must have been a full hundred ot them, and wo had scarcely come to a halt before they had us surrounded on three sides. The route by which we had come was still i open, and tho sergeant was about to give the order to fall back when the old scout commanded : " Down with you and make ready for a- rush ! If you fall • back they'll hey your scalps inside of two miles ! Can't you see that's what they have planned fur?"- ._. • # ■ .In two, minutes the horses were down and we were ready. The Cheyennes did not come. Seven white men, aimed with carbines' and revolvers, wonld bring mourning to many lodges before the last one went under. ' They would have charged two or three. They would have , circle 1 four or five. They knew California Joe, and had set a price upon his head. They would have given much to capture him alive, but to know that ho was dead would be cause for great rdjoicing. They jeered and taunted him. They called us white squaws and dogs. They shouted out they could ace tears on our fuces and note that our guns trembled as we took aim. " What sort of a move are they making ?" queried the sergeant as those on the flanks spread out further. "Ever bin roasted alive 'i" answered Joe. "No." "Wall, you are goin' to bo now! That's their dodge — to lire the grass and roast us. I spected that sort of deviltry when I told the boys to wot their blankets. They won't save us, though. — too much grass. Them bucks out on the flanks ar thar to head us off if we try to make a break." I turned my gaze upward as the thought of the vultures came to my mind, and the ten had increased to nineteen. They were sailing in a circle, and lower than before. ' ■ Noperticklcr hurry jisfc at present," continued Joe, as he reached for his plus? of tobacco, and bogan shaving it off and filliug his pipe. " They will send (someone out to demand our surrender fust ! Good ! The wind is droppin' a Jcetle. Sorgoant, how does tho sky look to the north 1" "A cloud creeping up."' " Goin' to be a change, but not soon 'nuff. Thar conies the critter who wants j ua to swallow hia promises aud surrender our scalps." A ' chief detachod himself from the force in front, and rode towards us with one hand raised as a sign of peace. He was only ten rods away when ho haltod. He at first imperiously demanded our surrender. No one answered him, but Joe asked of the sergeant — " Any change in the sky r" "There's a small, dark cloud, which looks as if it might bring a squall.' The chief indulged in threats, buc as they were unheeded he turned to promises. He offered to iet tho rest of us go if we would give up tha scout. " Cloud spreadin' any, Bergeant ?" sisked Joe, as he brought out his matchbox and 'handed a splint to every man he could reach. " Yes, and here comes the wind from it;!" •'Hold steady! I'm goin' to lift that Injun. The minuto I fire light them matches and stick 'em in the grass ! Drnt the creature, but he's off. Beady with your matches !" Tha dry grass almost exploded as the flames touched it. A wave of fire ran to tho south, and spread away east and west with such incrpdible swiftness that, we stood amazed. Insidoof COsec. the fierce guests which swept down from ihe cloud had carried that wave to the cedars at tha base of the mountains. In another , minute the timber on the mountain was ablaze. There was ono grand yell from tho Indians as the smoke had them , and I hoard Joe .stranglmsr and shouting : "Kiveryouv heads and tho heads of bosses, and we'll coma out all right !" ' S3 wo did. A quarter of an hour laler tho squall had settled into a fi'osh broeze, which rolled the smoke against and over tho mountains, but it was long after the dark before the horses would take to tho hot ground, lietwoen the spot we hud eccupied and the base of the mountain we counted right ■•md left of our path 22 blackened heaps on tho t;rey black surface of tho prairie. Some were tho bodies of Indians, some of ponies. There were plor.ty of heaps we did not see in tho dnrkneiM — enough, as wo learuod a year later, to niako the loss almost a death blow to White Dog's liiind. They had been consumed in tho furnace prepared for us.