Experience of the Lasater Brothers

December the 24, 1868, Green, Marion, A.M. George, and Luke Lasater, had a narrow escape in the Keechi Valley, about three or four miles south of the present town of Perrin. About seven hogs had been running loose for some time. So the boys went out with their hog dogs, to find them if possible. For the hogs were already fat on the autumn mast. A.M. Lasater killed his hog first, and followed the hog-dogs after three more. The brothers waited for him to return. When he came back, they were discussing their further moves, and while their plans were being put into action, Green Lasater, said, "What is that out yonder?" A.M. Lasater said, "It is Indians." So the latter jumped down and with his Bowie knife cut loose a hog that was tied to his horse's tail. Since the rope was drawn tight, after the hog was released, one end of the rope flew around and hit the horse, causing him to pitch. But A.M. Lasater managed to mount his pitching steed. The Indians were still some distance away, and apparently had not discovered the Lasater brothers. A.M. Lasater then recalled that he had instructed George to meet him at a certain place. So he and his brothers ran about 10 yards, where they could see Geo. and Luke, coming in an ox-wagon to haul the hogs. But these brothers had also discovered the Indians, and were running the oxen toward the timber. The Indians, by this time, were approximately four hundred yards away, and the Lasater brothers were about two hundred yards from each other. George then jumped out of the wagon, and ran toward Green and A.M. But when he jumped, the steers whirled around, and made it difficult for Luke, who was about thirteen years of age, to know just what to do. So A.M. Lasater passed George, managed to get Luke on his horse, and George mounted the horses behind Green. By this time, the Indians were almost about 100 yards away. But the Lasater brothers ran about three-fourths of a mile to the timber, and successfully escaped from the sixteen savages. The Indians buried an arrow up to the feathers in each oxen, but the steers got well. Several citizens who lived near old Black Springs, followed the Indians, who went on south to Loving's valley, where they ran Isom Lynn, Jones Keith, and Andrew Peters, into the timber. The Indians went on into Hart Bend, on the Brazos, about six miles east of Palo Pinto, and from time to time, they dropped stolen horses. From here, they crossed the river into the Cedar Mountains on the west side, and went up the Brazos to where they recrossed at the south of Big Keechi, a famous Indian crossing. Here the pursuing citizens were forced to abandon the trail because of darkness. The next day, the Indians were again followed, but never overtaken. A.M. Green, and Marion Lasater, Wes Sheek, Geo. Furtz, Sam Ham, Alf McCurry, Martin Lane, John Keith, and several others, numbered among those who followed the Indians, who seemed to realize they were reasonably safe in the wild brakes along the Brazos.

The above story is from the book, The West Texas Frontier, by Joseph Carroll McConnell.