Often reports would come to the stations that Indians were in the vicinity. The express rider departing was advised to keep a sharp eye on the trail. Behind a pile of rocks a bright spot might show which, to the trained vision of the frontiersman, immediately meant possible danger. The little speck of color was perhaps the feather of an Indian’s head dress. There was no chance or time to turn, the rider kept on at his furious pace until he was within shot. A puff of smoke suddenly came from behind the rock and out would jump the Indian warriors. But quick as a bullet speeds the express rider would be quicker, and ducking behind his pony turned him instantly off the trail and thus avoided being shot then and there. Now, however, came a ride for life, for just ahead more Indians would appear and try to block the way. Luckily few of the Indians had guns in these days and the frontiersman, watching his chance, could usually kill one or two Indians before they succeeded in shooting their arrows. This would act as a sudden check to the red men, and fast and furious the express rider would spur his pony on toward the station and escape.
Once in a great while, however, because of the many hostile Indians who laid in wait all along the trails to capture the riders, the pony express had to be stopped for a time.
The next step in western travel was the famous overland stage which ran from St. Joseph to Sacramento, a distance of one thousand miles. This was a most difficult enterprise. For the stage carried at times large sums of money and was therefore frequently held up by highwaymen or Indians.
The coaches were strange, heavy vehicles with very large wheels, made unusually strong, since they traveled the roughest roads imaginable. Passengers could ride either inside or out, but no one ever thought of going without being fully armed, for day or night the coach was likely to be attacked.
One of the most famous trips was made by Buffalo Bill from Fort Kearney to Plum Creek. It was a difficult task to manage six horses and at the same time keep a keen eye open for Indians. Owing to Buffalo Bill’s skill the stage usually got through, but in the hands of other less competent drivers the tale was often a sad one, with heavy loss of money and good men killed or wounded.
THE WAY MAIL SOMETIMES CAME IN
THE GOVERNMENT’S FIGHT AGAINST THE INDIANS
ALTHOUGH the United States Government had maintained frontier forts, it was forced finally to undertake important aggressive campaigns against the Indians. The white settlements encroached more and more on the Indian territory, and the red man seeing nothing ahead but the destruction of his cherished hunting grounds by these intruders, aimed to destroy every white man he saw, but inch by inch the savages were crowded back from the land that was rightfully theirs into a cramped and limited area.