Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1884-03-07
miscellaneous.
AS A WARRIOR DOES.

Inc Trail OF serpent Denus 10 tie
right and left and makes curious turns.
This trail, as you suddenly pick it up in
the rank grass, leads away as straight as
an arrow. The trail of a wounded wild
beast invariably displays weakness and
terror. There are greater clots of blood
at long intervals on this trail to show
where the victim rested, but had he been
in fear he would not have held such
determined course.
Not an hour ago a young Indian war
rior passed here. Had you been con-
cealed in the grass as he pulled himself
along you would have betrayed your
presence by a cry Ten miles away
and twenty hours since there was u
SUDDEN rush upon ii train -whoops. yolls,
shrioks the crash Of small arms and the
redskins where whirled aside. More
than one bronzed corpse was left on the
grass, and more than one wounded man
rode away with teeth shut hard to pre-
vent screams of pain.
Two hours after the train had moved
away one of the corpsss suddenly sat up.
The grow of the wolf and the cry Of the
vulturc had brought life to one who had
been counted among the dead. A bullet
had passed his cheeks, second had
broken his left arm, and the hand of a
white enemy had twisted of his scalp
and borne it away as trophy lie was
horrible object as he sat up and stared
around The wolves shrank back with
short barks of alarm instead Of growls
of anger, and the nearest vultures took
wing and croakcd hoarsc notes Of sur
prise,
Wateri Not drop! Food2 Not u
morsel Safety Well, the white men
are miles away, while the defeated red
skins have been scattered and driven be-
fore them. The one will not return to
use knife or bullet, and succor need not
be looked for from the other. The wolf
knows this, and he returns to his feast
TheSulture knows this, and he folds his
wings and drops heavily to the grass.
Die Fall back upon his bloody bed
and wait for the teeth Of the wolf and
the beak of the vulturel No.
Live? Drag himself over the grass,
foot by foot, under the burning July
sun, to the grove miles away? Kesl
You do not know an Indian worrior-
Blackfoot, Pawnee or Sioux-if you
think he yields up bis life while there is
hope to cling to Let the blaze Of life
burn ever so low and dim and he will
seek to woo it back by shouting defiance
at death
Die? No? the hot sun boils down on
his bleeding and mutilated head-his
face has swollen until his eyes can
scarcely see the corpses around him,
and the first move Of his body wrings
cry of pain from his very soul But
the journey begins.
II was carly morning when the war
rior began moving. Noon came--night
came morning broke again, and he was
still alive and still moving Every foot
of bis trail was stained with blood
every foot Of progress brought horrible
suffering Here was another boiling
sun to increase bis awful thirst, and
here was another long day before him,
but neither groan or murmur escaped
bis lips.
II is when the sun rests upon the dis
tant prairie like ball Of fire that the
crippled warrior drags himself in the
shelter Of the grove His face was ter
fibly swollen yesterday now it is gaunt
and pinched and ashen. The eyes are
large and CLASSY, and the fire in them
burns strong and steady.
Water lie has pulled himself all
those miles with such vision before
him as comes to sbipwreckod mariners
when they have been days without drink.
His lips are parched and cracked his
throat seems full Of frc--his very soul
is shivering for the want Of water. AT
midnight, as the wind blew soft and
warm and the terrible pain chained him
to one spot for quarter Of an hour. he
lost control Of his nerves for time
lie believed himself at the edge Of a
cool spring bubbling up at the foot of
the cottonwoods. The glorious draught
softened bis terrible pains his parched
lips grew moist again the flames burn
ing away at his soul were quenched.
Strength and hope returned. and in his
exultation he shouted his war-cry. The
echo called him back 10 his terrible situa-
ton, and rs il was answered by the
plaintive howl Of a coyote the warrior
shut his teeth like wise and resumed
his progress lie is here at last Pain