Adventure Magazine Cover — page 190: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

\ 180° The next day the caravan made but five miles, fighting continually. It was seen that but two courses were open to them. They could remain where they were and fight, with the promise of certain death, or they could make an attem i escape by abandoning their wats. The course was decided upon, so, gr a as much food and silver as they could carry, slipped away under cover of darkness. Finally, becoming so weak from constant travel and loss-of sleep, they were forced to cache their silver on an islan Arkansas River. This was Chouteau Island. After hardships which we soft-skinned folks of to-day can scarcely imagine, the traders came at last to civiliza- tion, nothing but skin and bones. - COL. INMAN mentions other instances wherein Chouteau Island played a big part, but these are sufficient to show that it was indeed a port in a storm to the traders who braved the dangers of the old Santa Fé Trail to trade with the Mexicans. BENT'S Fort is another place mentioned in Mr. Dunn’s story. The four Bent brothers were French-Canadian trappers and hunters. They, with Ceran St. Vrain, a man closely identified with the Santa Fé Trail, established their first fort, or post, at a point on the Arkansas River about mid- way between what are now Pueblo and Cafion City, Colorado. This fort was abandoned and another built near Las Animas, Colo. This fort was called Fort Wil- liam, after Col. William Bent, head and moving factor of the Bent family. Later the Government offered the Bents $12,000 for the fort. Col. Bent demanded $15,000, and because his demand was not met he deliberately destroyed the fort with a few kegs of gunpowder. The third fort built by the Bents was located at what was known as Big Timbers. It was first called Fort Wise, after the Virginia governor, but in 1861 the name was changed to Fort Lyon, in honor of General Lyon, killed at the battle of Wilson Creek, Mo. In 1866 the Arkansas River over- flowed its banks and played such havoc with the fort that it was rendered unfit for use. A new Fort Lyon was built twenty miles down the river. The old fort was later repaired, however, and was for several years used as a cr by Barlow, Sanderson and Company, who es a stage _ from Kansas City to Santa fort has long since disappeared, but if any one wishes the exact location it lay in latitude thirty- eight degrees, two minutes north; one hundred and three degrees, two minutes west. - JN CONNECTION with the Bents it might be of interest to relate that one of the brothers, Colonel William, brought forth a son by a Cheyenne mother who was destined to spread terror through- out his particular neighborhood. When he was a youngster Charles, the son, was packed away to St. Louis to attend schodl and re- ceive the blessings of an education, of which his father had littl. He was not permitted to return to his home until he was twenty-one years of age, the idea being to transform a half-breed savage into an élite gentleman. When he returned to his father’s home at his majority he could speak noth- ing but English, But if his doting father. thought an education in the | Adventure would wean the boy from his savage instincts he was vastly mistaken. No sooner had Charles set foot in the old home town than he shed his civiliza- tion and began to plot deviltry. He found enough young Indian bucks and renegade whites who were of his mind, and a formidable band was formed. Under Charles Bent’s leadership the band took the bloody trail. "THEY attacked ranches, wagon-trains, stage coaches, even army caravans carrying supplies to the scattered army indiscriminately and wantonly. of the army scouts seems to have been a mania with Bent; he was determined to wipe the breed out of existence. He got them into his power by , only to catch treachery, ys pe retending friendship them off their guard and. slaughter them. At times, as a diversion, he spared their lives and turned pa murdering ifting the scalps them over to his Indian followers to be tortured | after the methods of Indians. Charles Bent was one of the most ferocious out- laws that ever struck terror to the West, and the Government offered $5,000 for his capture, dead or alive. The most authentic accounts say that he evaded capture and eventually died a lingering death induced by a wound he received in a battle with the Kaw Indians. THINK I will risk boring you in order to men- tion another man mentioned by Mr. Dunn. No doubt the Maxwell mentioned by Mr. Dunn and also by Col. Inman are one and the same. Lucien B. Maxwell was at one time said to be the largest landowner in the country, owning what was called Maxwell’s ranch, a tract of land comprising about two million acres. Even to this day complete maps of Colfax County, New Mexico, show a sec- tion called Maxwell Grant. This land caused a good deal of litigation in after years and was even- raed settled by the Supreme Court of the United tates. Maxwell lived like a prince, his ranch-house be- ing a veritable palace with hardwood floors and fitted with many’ luxuries one‘would not expect to find in such a wild country. He was a great entertainer, as open-hearted.as was wide the land in which he lived. Every day his table was set for not less.than thirty guests, and at times tere were a hundred and more. Hundreds of Indians could always be found encamped near the ranch-house. for Maxwell had contracts with the Governmer ¢ to furnish the Indians with beef GPEAKING of what was termed the Baronial © Hall at the Maxwell ranch, a large room almost devoid of furniture, Col, says: “T have slept on its hardwood floor, rolled up in my blanket, with the mighty men of the Ute nation lying all round me, as close as they could _ possibly —_ I have sat there in long Winter evenings when the great room was lighted only by the cheerful blaze ha the crackling logs roaring up the huge throats of its two fireplaces built diag diagon- ally across opposite corners, watching Maxwell, Kit Carson and half a dozen chiefs silently inter- change ideas in the wonderful sign language until the advent of another day.” Maxwell was a demon horseman, and mounted on the boot of his Concord coach drawn by six - horses would dash along at a breakneck pace along (€(0) IOOKk (E©)