Page:A Brief History of South Dakota.djvu/135

Rh carrying a sort of basket upon which the children could ride (the other end of the poles dragging on the ground), and started down the river for the Yanktonais camp. Mrs. Duly was lame, having been shot in the foot, and had to ride the horse. Mrs. Wright was strong and able to walk, but had no shoes. Martin Charger took the moccasins from his own feet and gave them to her. As they were making their way slowly down the river, White Lodge, with a few warriors, came down to carry his threat into execution.

The rear guard was placed under command of Swift Bird, and he made the most of a display of the two guns in the party. Marching as rapidly as they could, parleying and arguing with the old chief, they finally bluffed him off and got safely away with the captives.

The Yanktonais, for the boys' last remaining gun, traded them an old cart and harness, fed them, and gave them a supply of food to last them until Fort Pierre was reached. The children were packed into the cart, Mrs. Duly continued to ride the pony, and the remainder of the party walked, dividing into squads who assisted the pony by pushing the cart along. In this way in two days they reached Fort Pierre, where with great difficulty they crossed the freezing river and were kindly received by their own people and the trader. Charles E. Primeau, the Indian trader, dressed the captives as well as he could from his rough stock of goods, and after a short rest they were taken to Fort Randall by Louis La Plant and Frederick Dupree, two well-known frontiersmen.