396 INDIANS. 



naturally and instinctively resists, is ' staked out,' and 

 subjected to the fury of passions fourfold increased by 

 the fact of her being white and a novelty. Neither the 

 unconsciousness nor even the death of the victim stops this 

 horrible orgie ; and it is only when the fury of their 

 passions has been glutted to satiety that she is released 

 if alive, or scalped and mutilated if dead. If she lives, 

 it is to go through the same horrible ordeal in every 

 camp until the party gets back to the home encamp- 

 ment. 



Should the Indians not wish to be burdened with a 

 captive, they may, after surfeit of their passions, tie her 

 to a tree and leave her, as I have known in two instances ; 

 or butcher her in cold blood, of which there are number- 

 less instances. 



The wife of a sergeant of the old 2nd Dragoons was 

 captured by a party of seven. They stripped her naked, 

 staked her out, and all violated her until glutted. They 

 then tied her to a tree, whipped her with switches until 

 her body was covered with bloody weals, and left her. 

 Next morning she was found by troops almost dead. 

 A laundress of the 3rd Infantry, straying too far from 

 camp on the Pecos Biver, was seized by Indians, thrown 

 in front of one on his horse, and hurried off. Her 

 screams attracted attention. Two or three men sprung 

 on horses and dashed in pursuit. Finding himself unable 

 to escape with his burden, the Indian drew his knife, cut 

 and stabbed the poor woman, and threw her lifeless body 

 to the ground. 



A very pretty, intelligent, and attractive girl was in 

 1867 captured by Indians within a few miles of Fort 

 Dodge. One man of the party escaped and hurried to 

 that post. A force of cavalry was at once sent out, which 

 came upon the Indians in time to rescue the poor girl 

 and save her life, but not until she had been ravished by 

 every Indian, numbering at least thirty. In this case the 

 girl's good looks undoubtedly saved her a worse fate, the 



