Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-08-25

savages. Our hopes revived when we
heard the familiar cheer of our COM
rades, but dependency followed fast, for
we discovered that our wood was on fire.
The sharp cracking of the burning TINA
ber approached nearer and nearer with
awful rapidity, and we had to shift our
position. We crawled almost to the edge
of the wood, when we discovered that
the fiends had fred both sides. We
moved around until we found thick
cluster of what they call mulberry trees,
under which we crept, The grass on the
edge of this place was very green, and
as it had been raining little before and
there was no wind, when the fire APP
preached our hiding place it ran very
slowly, so that was enabled to smother
it with my gauntlet gloves. The fire
consumed all the underwood around us,
and was almost expended by this time.
There we were in a little oasis, sur
rounded by fire, but comparatively safe
from the element, and with the advan-
tage of seeing almost everything around
US without being seen. We could see
savages going backward and forward,
and one standing on the picket no more
than seventy or eighty yards from US.
evidently put there to watch the progress
of the fire. At about o'clock p. NJ.
this picket fred four pistol shots in the
air at regular intervals from each other,
which | interpreted as signal of some
kind. Soon after this fire we heard the
powerful voice of savage crying out,
making the same sound four times, and
after those two signals we saw 200 or
more savages leave the bluffs and ford
the river, evidently leaving the ground.
About one hour after the same double
signals were again repeated, and many
mounted Indians left at gallop. Soon
the remainder of those left on the bluffs
also retired.
Hope now revived, the musketry rat
tie ceased and only now and then we
could hear far-of shot. By o'clock
everything around us was apparently
quiet, and no evidence or signs of any
Indians were near us. We supposed the
regiment had left the field, and all that
remained for us to do was to wait for the
night and then pass the river and take
the route for sthe Yellowstone river, and
there construct raft and descend to the
mouth ofPowder river, our supply camp.
OF course during the SO hours we were
in suspense we had neither water nor
food at 10 o'clock P. M, we dropped
: ourselves into the river, the water reach
ing our waists, crossed it twice and then
carefully crawled up the bluffs and final
ly reached the broken, high country,
took our direction and slowly and eau
tiously proceeded southwark.
After marching two miles thought /
would go up a very high hill to look
around and see if we could discover any
signs of our command, and ON looking
around | saw fire on my left, and in
the direction where we supposed the
command was fighting during the day,
> probably two miles from us. OF course
we made two conjectures on this fret
might be an Indian fire and it might be
from our command. The only way to
ascertain was to approach it cautiously
and trust to chance Accordingly we
descended the hill, took the direction of
the fire, climbing another and another
hill we listened while and then pro-
: ceeded on for mile or more, when on
the top of hill we again stopped and
: listened. We could hear voices, but not
distinctly enough to tell whether they
! were savages or our command. We pro-
: ceeded a little further and heard the
bray of a mule, and soon after the dis
tinct voice of the sentry challenging
# with the familiar words. The challenge
r was not addressed to us, as we were too
e far off to be seen by the picket and it
t was too dark, but this gave us courage
+ to continue our course and approach,
S though carefully, lest we should run into
= some Indians again.
e We we're about 200 yards from the
g fire, and | resolved to call out to the
: picket and tell him who l was. / told
!, my companion to be ready to follow af-
: ter me, and when l had well surveyed
s the ground cried out, Picket, don't
: fire; it is Lieut. De Rudio and Private
r O'Neill." and started to run. We re-
e ceived an answer in a loud cheer from
4 all the members of the picket and Lieut..
] Varnum. This officer, one of our brav-
D est and most efficient, came at once to
e me and was very happy to see me again,
. after having counted me among the dead,
e and his JOY affected me so much that I
: entirely forgot the adventures of the
S thirty-six hours lust past. and was bannv