| OCR Text |
Show i * n & A" known as the "White Chief" among the Ute whom he "' led in a war with the Cheyenne. It is reported that Dan once rode up on a party of Ute engaged in burning a prisoner at the stake. The writhing Cheyenne, who spoke Spanish, yelled to Dan, "For the sake of your mother's milk, kill me!" Dan relieved the victim's torture by shooting him between the eyes. This story was related by the late Charles Kelsey, trader at Zuni and a close friend of Dan, as the only recorded killing by him. However, I was once informed by Frank Hamilton Cushing that Dan could boast eight notches in his gun; but for this I am not prepared to vouch. That Dan knew no fear there can be no doubt, as the following episode will s h o w - When the Hemenway Archeological Expedition, under the directorship of Cushing, was conducting excavations at and near Zuni in 1888, Dan was employed as general utility man, looking after camp affairs generally, building a corral for the mules, and slaughtering a steer now and then when driven from St. Johns,.the meat being eaten almost at once, consequently it was as tough as leather. X It was during Dan's stay at Zuni that we had an opportunity to observe something of his vagaries. He was ferocious when in his cups. On one such occasion he chased cur lAtle Alsatian cook, Eduard Haag, all around the camp and through the house, who feared that the end of his days had come, but Eduard succeeded finally in eluding Dan by seeking asylum under one of the beds. At another time, while I was writing in my tent, I heard a commotion close at hand. Stepping outside, I found Dan looking down the barrel of a Colt 45 held by his brother-in- law, Luberto. Dan was saying, "Put it down; put it down, I tell you!" But Luberto, trembling of hand, was deaf to the command. A spade chanced to be leaning against my tent-pole. Entirely unmindful of the revolver still threatening him, Dan grasped the spade, and, holding it aloft, brought it down on the head of Luberto, felling him to the ground. Dan picked up the gun and the affair was brought to a close, except for Luberto's revival a few minutes later. The cause of the difficulty was Luberto's claim that Dan owed him some money which he had come to collect. As Dan always paid his debts, I imagine that the claim was hardly substantiated. Cushing related a story of Dan's attitude toward anyone who did not wish to drink with him. Drinking, no matter what, was a ceremony, for more than anything else in Dan's estimation it foreordained all the joys of life-health, wealth, prosperity. Thus it was that a young engineer, fresh from the East, was invited by Dan to drink with him. The young man declined. "So you don't want to drink with me, eh? Anybody got a clock or a watch about him? No? Well, let's see." Dan commenced to tap slowly on the floor with the toe of his boot. "Young fellow, I'm counting ten and if you don't show some sign of drinking with me when I've finished . . ." The young engineer arose, stepped to the bar with alacrity, and who knows that a possible tragedy was thereby averted? I remembered this episode years later, which I shall relate in due course in connection with a similar polite invitation on Dan's part. BcgiS* SSS 'l^^'vW!*^ , . . _ . 3 M * i v * * '>,>VJr « " * • ^ £ « s ixiBggfesg!g& £§ |
