The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-12-22
The Scouts Last shot.


er. butterflies float on lazy wings,
ami birds re sin ging their sweetest
SONS.
lis a scene of deepest peace.
Awav TO the right Is the Little Bear
r n - of mountins-to the LETT the
Drairie ocean extends as far as the
eve can reach.
Ten miles ahead is a grove OF cot
touwoods and a spring-behind the
thirty halfnaked sayages on horse
back.
Here Is a frontier scout as the
pivot on which the scenery swings.
On his way hom fort to fort with
dispatches. his trail has
been struck by a war party of Paw
nees. and they have hung to It since
dark last night, following II across
the lerel, and over the swells at a
slow but never ending gallop. They
knew that he was full hundred
miles from help, and they knew
that his bloody scalp would add
another to their trophies.
~You'ra rubbed out man = said
the scout as he looked back at dusk
and sass them coming at slow gal
lsp over his trail.
They could not have overtaken
him in q dash of two miles, but IN a
csllop OF fifty they would tire him
ogt,
A az easy gallop of five miles an
hour IT, uustang forged ahead thro
the long 4a4 weary night, changing
bis pace only yhen the rider got
-IoEn and ran beside him.
Two miles behind him, riding 30
abreast and covering 4 front of half
mile. followed the implaeable foe,
gaining little, but ever confident
When the sun came up from his
prairie bed not a savage was mis-
sing.
The scout turned in his saddle
=nd counted them, looked ahead for
laa&marks and coolly said
You took the chances and you
have lest. Jct you will die game"
The mustang was almost blown.
For the last half hour he had labor
ed heavily. and had almost been
held up by the bit
The grove would have been the
same. said the scout as he drew up
and disnountcd.
The Indians were twomiles away.
In ten minutes they would be in ri
he-shOt
"Good-byc, old pard-I must DO
D. IL. said the scout, as he took hold
of the mustangs head and drew his
knife across the faithful equine's
-hr0It.
He wanted s breast work and
here BE had it. Two minutes were
time enough to cut bride and sad
de to pieces. and then he mounted
the body of his dead friend and
calmly awaited the approach Of the
indians.
IA shout of triumph was sent
across the prairie rs he was brought
10 bay.
That had been a strange chase.
They had suddenly appeared on
ais trail without a sound, seeming TO
sise oat Of some fissure in the flower
covered prairie.
Not once through the long night
had the scout heard from them ex-
cept as he dropped from the saddle
and placed his ear to the ground.
But for the steady thudi thud of
the horses feet he mighthave almost
made himself believe that he was be-
ing pursued by shadows.
Sixteen bullets in this Winches-
Ter and six in the revolver" solilo-
quized the scout as the Indians were
within a mile of the spot. Did they
mean to ride him down? Each ri
der was bent over his horses neck,
and each horse kept the pace he had
for hours.
My scalp is worth the scalp of ten
Indians !" said the scout as he rais-
ed his rifle, "but mebbe | can't get
over six or seven"
Straight at him rode the line Of 80
redskins until he raised his rifle for
a shot.
Then the band divided right and
left and inclosed him in a circle.
Not q shout from any tongne. 1t
might have been called a still
hunt
The line was out of rife shot at
first, but it gradually worked nearer
and nearer, and at last the report OF
the scouts rifle broke the stiffness
Of the morning.
"Twenty-nine left" he said as he
threw out the empty shell.
Not a shot came from the Indians
in reply. Every warrior threw him
self on the opposite side of his
horse, and the hardy ponies followed
the circle at a steady gallop.
"Twenty-eight left r. said the scout
as he fired again.
No shout nor shot in reply, but
the circle was growing narrower.
"Twenty-seven left !"
Three of the horses in the ring
were galloping without riders.
Twenty-six leftl'
The scout had fired coollv and
deliberately, shooting every victim
through the head.
His rifle had longer range than
those of the Indians, but now they
were near enough to open in re-
ply.
Twenty-Five left" he said as
another savage fell into the grass
with a wild scream of rage and
pain.
Five of the thirty were dead.
Now yell runs around the circle,
and every horse turns his head to-
ward the common centre and charg-
es the scout.
Puff bang puff bang! bang!
bangl"
Three horses went down and
two more riders fell backwards from
their saddles.
''Twenty-three left !" counted the
scout, as he dropped the gun and
leveled his revolver.
They were upon him, and tried to
ride over him.
"tun bang" Puff! bangm
Five shots struck men or horses.
and when the hammer fell for tho