The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-25

oosct, II tzob setaaaiy AtetHT sbflan
ours mad fewer membranes, and, as
we felt assured, could maintain the race
Tor a longer period. Still we plunged
on, the old coach rocking from side ~
size, and the horses foaming with
| sweat
al last we were SO far oyertaken
that the foremost Indians came within
range OF our firearms
Every man take sure aim at one
! fedskin and kill him, cried the old SER
/ geant, pausing before the words kill
him, to suit the action to the word.
which he did.
"A score of reports followed the
crack OF the old soldiers rifle. and a
nali-dozen more of the foremost red
skins fell. Still they poured on. Bull
lets seemed 10 make no impression upon
them 7hey saw that our horses were
becoming winded, and with wild wells of
defiance they rushed into the Ieaden
spray as IL 1t had been a shower of rain.
AT length they came within arrow
range OF us, and with delirious howl
OF delight, which | shall meyer FORGET
they sent into us "a flight of weapons.
winch we afterward discovered had been
poisoned
tone OF the soldiers, struck in the
temple, was caught rs he was falling
over the side of the coach. and hauled
pack again in the throes of death.
Another, pierced in the breast, fell
backward to the ground, and was quick
~ handed away by the hindmost horse
man to a pack of red fiends, who now
appeared on foot
"A passenger close behind me was
slam where he knelt by an arrow which
WINGED past my own head as stood
nrlng, at the window, and crashed into
his skull.
THE express agent received his
death-wOund from bullet-for they had
firearms as well rs bows-and. failino
to the ground, he was carried off in trfi |
Hmph to be scalped Nine besides these |
We're wounded, and died before the
journey was over.
All this terrible havoc was the result
OF that one charge; and still the demon |
warriors rode on, yeHing and shooting.
We brought down few of them with |
our rifles and revolvers but their num-
bers We're so great, and their movements
so swift, that there seemed to be no dim
mutton in the crowd by which we were
. Look here, gentlemen, I'll tell YOU
what 1t Is, called out the old sergeant,
who had been loading and firing, and
tSAOt1eiiiS anu Win unSnaken /
gravity the whole time, these ere red
skins IL be the death of us mighty sud
len now if we don't do something. The
horses are getting winded, and l don't
ike the looks o things. I've heard
noise sometimes friphten
Indians. Let's hold hard and give 'em
regular vo1leyt
1T was difficult maneuver to exc.
ute. When you are under fire there is
! tendency to keep on firing whether it
he wise or not. However we managed
o do 1t. The whole party, having made
eady, waited for the word 1t was civ
n and we fired.
Il firmly believe to this hour that ev-
ry shot told. From fifteen to twenty
edskins and horses fell at that one dis
barge. 1t was our last throw and we
Ion it. Whether we killed the chief or |
ot | cannot tell. l know not which
Fas the chief; but certain it was, that
o sooner was our volley fired and its ',
fleets seen, than the whole body of In
ians fell into the rear, and we saw no :
lore of them during the trip.
But mark YOU. we did not owe our
lfety to that. 1t was bad generalship |
n the part of our assailants If they
ad had the sense to shoot the horses, |
lstead of devoting the whole of their
ttention TO the men, not one of us
)uld have escaped. "