Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/476



in purchasing Mrs. Marble. On the morning of May 6th, she learned that she had been sold by Ink-pa-du-tah to two strange Indians. She bade her companions a sorrowful good-by. Mrs. Marble assured them that if she should reach a white settlement she would do all in her power for their rescue. Mrs. Marble was taken to the Agency at Yellow Medicine where, after several weeks, she was ransomed by Mr. Riggs and Dr. Williamson, who paid the Indians $1,000 for her release, which sum had been raised by Major Flandreau. Mrs. Marble at once did everything in her power to effect the rescue of her two surviving companions. Major Flandreau was also untiring in their behalf.

The Minnesota Legislature promptly appropriated $10,000 to be used by the Governor for the rescue of the captives. Large rewards were offered to friendly Indians and volunteers came forward at once. Major Flandreau procured an outfit and, on the 23d of May, a party started with orders to purchase the captive women at any price. Four companies of soldiers were to be marched at once from Fort Ridgely, as near Ink-pa-du-tah’s camp as was prudent, to fall upon the Sioux as soon as the captives were secured and exterminate the perpetrators of the massacre, if possible. But as the troops were ready to start, orders came for them to join General Johnston’s Utah. expedition and Ink-pa-du-tah’s band thus escaped punishment. While these events were transpiring, the two captive women were being taken farther into the wilds of Dakota and were hopeless of rescue.

One evening after the two women had gone to their tent, Roaring Cloud, a son of the chief, came in and ordered Mrs. Noble to come with him to his tepee. She indignantly refused to go. He seized her and attempted to drag her off. She resisted with all of her strength, determined then and there to end her wretched life, rather than again submit to the horrors from which there was no other escape. She alone of the helpless captives had often resisted the