Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-14
comes the cavalry and behind them tho

comes the cavalry and behind them tho
PACK Train. The only sounds heard arc
the steps of the animals on the rocks O r
nard earth, the mufied tinkle of the
bell on the bell horse of the pack
train, accompanied by the occasional
crack of a packer as some mule shows a
tendency to leave the column. No
smoking or talking is allowed. Sudden
Y the Indians halt, the trail is lost, the
n breaks, spreads out like afan, and
IN the dim starlight men are seen on
their hands and knees feeling the ground.
After a time some Indian will rise, per-
haps away off to the right, and a soft
"Hish!' is heard. The trail is found,
n the command runs forward in the
new direction. 1t is all night work, and
the men have been almost without sleep
for forty-eight hours. 1t is long time
since the stock have been watered, and
the strain is beginning to tell on both
man and beast.
At daybreak the mountains have not
been reached, toward which the trail
runs, and the command hunt a depres-
sion in the plain where they can rest
unseen. Signs of hard riding on the
part of the Indians have been found in
. number of killed and abandoned
ponies. In the matter of a moment
they have every advantage over the
troops: liza pony gives out he is at
once killed or abandoned, and another
stolen to replace him at the first oppor-
tunity. Should a troopers horse give
out he has to dismount andlead him-he
cannot steal.
Towards evening q scout runs in and
reports water, his refilled canteen being
proof. 1t is off the trail ten miles, but
it is now sixty hours since water has
been had, and the animals must have it.
The trail is abandoned at sunset, and
the command pushes as hard as tired
men and leg weary animals car for the
point where water is reported. On ar
irving the water is found to be in q
water hole and strongly impregnated
with alkali. Halt! The men tumble
off their horses without command; a
guard is put On the hole to keep out
mules, whose bump Of self-interest is
more hugely developed than that of any
animal, human on otherwise, that exists,
and who always break for water, to the
detriment of all, if not restrained. The
men and SCOUTS drink what they want,
canteens are refilled, the horses are then
watered and after them the mules. Re-
newed and %invigorated by the water, the
force sweeps forward to renew the pur-
suit. The story of the march is the
same scarcity of water, the trail leading
in a direction to bring about this re-
suit, and avoiding any possible chance
of being approached without the pur-
suers being discovered long before they
come within striking distance.
On the other hand, suppose that by
good fortune and night marching the
Indians are SO closely pursued that they
cannot escape without q fight. The
trail leads to water, the commanding
points around which are fortified with
breastworks built of stone. On rush
the scouts, who are leading. The trail
is 'shob" now, and they cast aside all
superduous clothing and spring forward
like cats over the rough ground in Ma
ture's garb with the exception of a
breech clout and moccasins. Wildly
excited they scatter all yer the hills
e~ndeavoring to find shelter from which
to deliver their fire with effect. The
troops have their horses in a safe place
and move forward in extended skirmish
lines, trying in some way to flank the
hostiles. It is a fight now till death.
Officers and men know that if wounded,
and the command is repulsed, a horri-
BILE death awaits them. Probably two
days without water, may be three, they
are fighting for that as much as any
thing else. The scouts are fighting for
plumber and pay, the troopers because
it is their duty. The hostiles in impreg-
nable positions, unapproachable except
through narrow passes, pour in a fire
SO hot and searching that in a few min
utes every Indian and soldier is behind
some shelter. The fight lasts all day
or until a tlanking party, after long and
wearisome marching, gets near them,
then the Indians withdraw with their
stock and squaws, the former freshly
watered. The troops find the water
fouled upon capture and have to wait
until the spring cleared and refilled be-
fore the exhausted stock is watered, and
by this time the hostiles are miles away,
probably in Mexico.-One of Them, IN