The Caldwell tribune. [volume], May 28, 1892, Image 7

About The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928

Image provided by: Idaho State Historical Society

                
ONE LIFE'S HISTORY.
A Highly Interesting Autobiography of
Mr. Phillip Downs.
STRANGER THAN FICTION.
4i Eventful mid Romantic Career as
Told the Author by the Gentleman
Himself.
Written for The Tim hunk by Self Sharpner.
They did not intend to roast me
too quickly—there would not be
enough fun in that. I soon Legan
to feel the flames scorching my legs;
the perspiration poured from my
body; the torture was almost un
bearable, yet I did not lose my
presence of mind. I was deter
mined to utter no cries to please
them, although I began to think
my legs were burned to the bone.
All at once they seemed to loosen
^om the stake. I instantly real
izes] that the rawhide thongs were
burnt asunder, and with a wild
yell I wrenched my arm loose and
springing forward I plunged head
foremost down the perpendicular
bank into the river below.
Fortunately for me, the river
here wai narrow and deep, or else
I might have broken my neck or
dashed my brains out on the rocky
bottom; as it was, my head only
lightly touched the bed. In those
few moments my mind seemed to
take in a thousand contingencies.
First, that my enemies would
naturally look down the .river for
my reappearance; second, that I
must soon come to the surface to
breathe. Among my few accom
plishments I was an excellent
swimmer and could out-dive and
remain under water longer than
any of my companions, and this
fact now served me well.
I swam under the water to the
edge of the .bluff and raised my
head for a breathing spell. I could
hear the savages on the bank, but
for the overhanging cliff I could
not see them, nor for the same rea
son could they see me, unless they
crossed the river below, which I
doubted not they would soon do
and then they would naturally
look down the stream, and I in
stantly made up my mind as to
the course I would take to elude
them.
About sixty yards up the river
on the opposite bank was a cluster
of water lilies and cat-tail flags. I
swam under water into the midst
of them, and raising my head I
found I was completely hidden
from view of either bank, and here
I imagined that for the present, at
least, I was safe and had leisure to
determine what to do next. My
limbs pained me very much, but
the water was very soothing
to them. I did not think I was
deeply burned, yet the skin was
cracked and charrcd from my
knees to my ankles and I had
nothing to bind them up with ex
cept my woolen shirt and that was
not suitable.
The sun was set by this time
and I resolved to await dark ne»»
before leaving my hiding-place,
unless sooner discovered. On this
sidn was a heavy growth of timber
and underbrush, that oneo into I
would feel safe in the darkness.
Once 1 heard them on the bank
apparently searching for me, but in
a short time all was still and no
sound came to my cars except the
night insects and the occasional
hoot of an owl.
Darkness was now over the scene
and I cautiously left my conceal
ment and gained the brush. The
tendons of my legs were so stiff
and painful I could scarccly walk
I
and I was weak from long fasting,
having had nofhing to eat since
the evening before, yet my spirits
were high and exalted over my
narrow escape from a horrible
death. I there made a resolve
never to be captured again by the
red &kins. I knew not what course
to pursue, but determined to get as
far away as possible from my late
I
enemies. My legs were bleeding
and I feared that fact might enable
the imps to trail me, so I tore up
my undershirt and bound them up
as best I could. I kept along the
river in order to be hidden by tim
ber and brush as much as possible
and painfully lessened the dittance
to freedom. My hunger became
ravenous. I ate tender buds of
various plants and by luck came
upon a small patch of wild onions,
of which I ate my fill; they
strengthened me somewhat, yet
did not satisfy my hunger. I
gathered some onions for future use
and plodded on.
I could travel but slow; thorns
and briars tore my arms and feet.
Daylight found me perhaps ten
miles from the Indian village. As
I dared not show myself in day
light I crawled into a good hiding-,
place and for a time forgot my
troubles in a deep refreshing sleep.
It was late in the afternoon when I
awoke and then it was the pains of
my burns that aroused me. I
crept down to the water, took a
refreshing draught and bathed my
burnt legs, which eased the pain
for a time. I could hear no sound
of any living thing, and I specu
lated on the probability of the
savages having given me up, be
lieving, no doubt that my plunge
into the water had stunned me so
that I had drowned and my body
had been carried down over the
falls, which were a little distance
below the village.
Be that as it may, I would not
venture out until dark. I begun
to fear I should perish from hunger.
I searched diligently for anything
that I could eat; at length I was
rewarded by catching a small rab
bit in a hollow log. 1 ravenously
ate half of it raw; in fact, if I could
nave made a fire I could not have
waited for it to cook. Feeling very
much refreshed, I again pushed
forward as fast as my w«ak and
lame condition would permit.
Near the break of day I came to a
bend in the river where the prairie
came up to its banks and a deep
gullv had to be crossed and I was
so nearly used up that it seemed
as though I could go no farther.
I got down to the bottom of the
gully in the high grass; a little
rill of pure spring water ran
through it down to the river. I
drank my fill and lay down in the
tall grass, caring but little if I ever
left it again. Hope, blessed hope,
had well-nigh deserted me. I fell
into a deep slumber, from which I
was awakened by human voices
and a heavy tramping sound on the
bank above 1110.
My first thought was that the
Indians had trailed me up on their
ponies. My fright was so great
that T scarcely breathed, but soon
the sounds ceased and 1 ventured
to look out. What 1 saw was
small botly of mounted men going
west; soon they turned and came'
towards me. Now I knew tht
reason; they were white white men
who had come to the gully and
finding it impassible, had gone
around and wert) now returning
apparently following up the river
bank.
• CHAPTER V.
My sensations cannot be de
scribed. I nearly swooned from
jov; I waved my arms to attract
their attention, for they had not
yet seen me. I shouted and called
to them; they heard, saw me and
halted. Tn my excitement I had
forgotten how my strange apptar
ance would look to them. I saw
they were soldiers; they unslung
their carbines and approached cau
tiously, as if fearing that I was an
ambuscade and that I was a decoy.
I dropped my arms down by my
side and went toward them, f-peak
their own language, telling thaui I
was a white man escaped from the
Indians. They were dumbfounded :
for they had taken me for an i
Indian. Indeed I looked very like ,
one, with my painted face, b:ue
breast ami arms covered with
bruises, cuts and scratches from j
briars and thorns.
They dismounted and plied me
with questions; then seeing I was
so weak and nearly famished they
made me sit down and eat a lunch
with which they were supplied,
and then sesing the bad condition
0 f my wounded legs, one took off
his cotton shirt, tore it into strips
and bound up my poor burnt legs,
which by this time, were in a bad
fix. You may be sure I needed no
second invitation to eat and it was
a sweet meal to me, that hard tack
and cooked beef; I have eaten of
the same many times since, but
none ever tasted half so sweet.
( Then I gave them a narrative of
all 1 had gone through, to their
great surprise at my perilous
escape.
They were a corporal's guard of
soldiers from Ft. Kearney on a
hunting expedition. It seemed as
if Providence had sent them to my
relief. I was mounted on behind
one of them, with an overcoat over
my shoulders. We took a bee line
for the fort, where we arrived at
sundown. There I was put under
care of the post surgeon, and after
six weeks' time I was so far recov
ered that I got a conveyance back
to th« Missouri river, there to be
gin the struggle for existence once
more.
more.
After losing my money, clothes,
mining outfit and almost my life,
I was effectually cured of anv love
I may have felt for the poor, down
trodden Indian, and gave up the
idea of crossing the plains, at least
j for the present, preferring to await
news of how others succeded.
Now comes a period of several
years in which nothing of import
ance, other than the common
affairs of everyday life, occurred to
trouble me. As I had lost every
thing I possessed I had to labor at
anything that presented itself. A3
for my late partners and my min
ing outfit, I have never heard
from them to this day, although
have made diligent inquiriss. The
news from the gold mines, was to
say the least, very conflicting.
8ome were doing well, while others
could not get enough ahead to pay
their way back again, and I decided
Jto let California alone and get me
a little farm in the the now territory
0 f Kansas, which was then attract
!
j ing considerable attention.
! With this in view, 1 wont from
! Independence, Missouri, where I
I had been staying down to Ft. Leav
| onworth. Out of means I had
; saved, I purchased a noble span of
horses, harness and a wagon, and
with enough provisions to last six
months, I drove out westward soino
forty miles and selected a beautiful
place on a small timbored creek,
which emptiss into the Little Osage
river, and not far from what was
afterwards known as Mound city;
1 think it was Lykins county, but
of this I am not sure, as tho coun
ty lines at that time were not ac
curately known. I built ft
snug little cabin, plowed a few
acres and in time had corn, pota
toes and other vegetables in abun
dance, which I was destined never
to enjoy.
(To be cotinnued.)
i
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