Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-02-15
irawn dsh, and death bad claimed his


viii weep FOR her son, Who vii! neysr re,.
sern. Aud pretty. gentle little Nsllis
VIII mourn for the manly lover Who will
never come 10 her. Closing the sy.s of
TIE dead man. the lone man looked ont
into the night. Nov there i no rsason
why hs should stay. His friend In dead
and the foe can harm him no more.
Hs, what means that hehtY Havs
the Indians fred Ihe prairief Writhiuo
and cracking through the grass oorsss
tue nre, With its scorehinR heat and s,i-
ninR smoke; bat a. the bill on which the
tort y built Is almost bare, il does NOT
take IRE. Bot the light bssrays ali. and
the indians nov know that tsere il bot
one man in the fort The darkness
comes again, bat they do not attempt 10
modest him.
Tue night sore 90. Far across the
pralrle came the cry of the wolf that
scented its prey. The losn answered ID
from tue lake With cry like the vail OF
lost spirit IN the gloom OF eternity. A
shudder eEeeps over the watcher a. be
iistens 10 these vOices OF the night. Over
the bill rises the full moon, gildinR the
earth with mellow light. The face of
the dead nan seems 10 brighten. Can
II be possible that be is not dead? This
strange fancy seizss the mind Of the
watcher. be speaks to him, and, kneel-
ing, takes HE hand. There Il no re-
sponss. How cold aud clamIny his hand
10. Ins stars are now fading in the sky;
the mofping draws near. He must now
DO on the alert, for at day break his en-
emy will be upon .hiH. Carefully he
nils the magazines of the rifies With
cartridges, and sees that the revolvers
are ready for use. All being prepared,
be smiles grimlv as be thinks that before
his scalp adorns a braves belt il will
cost dear price.
He dees not have 20 wait long, for
soon there Is sound Of coming foot
steps- de Rrasps q revolver IN each
hand and faces the enemy, Who are nov
upon him. SWarming around the fort
are ten chosen warriors, who have been
selected by the chief to take him alive.
ihe only arms they carry are the knives
IN their bands. Before the warrior that
is IN advance can spring over the breast
work pistol flashes, and be falls; and
now the reports come thick and fast,
and another warrior falls. Their cour-
age fails them, and, seizing their fallen
companions, they disappear in the dark
ness.
A risy of hope comes over the heart of
the brave youth. He knows that, il he
can keep them at bay for few hours,
help will come either from the town in
the east or from the soldiers in the
north. As there IL bat q train over the
road ouce week, no help can be expect
ed from the west.
Tue hours hy past. The sun is now
climbing to she horizon. II the men
that had left the tort had not been in
teroepted asd had reached the camp of
this soldiers, they would soon be back;
and from the town ia the east they
would send out to see what had delayed
she train.
Out of the ravine ride the warriors
once more. Soon there is a struggling
mass of men and horses arouad the fort,
bat from It comes an almost constant
report. The lndians fear that rapid and
fatal hre, so they retreat to the ravine
once more. In the fort the defsnder is
reelinR like drunken man. The blood
Ia streaming from two wounds in his
thigh, bat he in unoonquered in spirit;
for with a shaking hand he relOsds his
rifles. and, though faint and sick at
heart, means 10 die game.
What was that sound that came to his
ears, borne on the wings Of the windf
Was that not the rumble of a coming
trainf Gazing eastward, he can see a
wreath OF smoke floating over the prai-
RE.
Yes, relief Is at hand, but il must
come quickly. Many objects are dane.
ing before his eyes; in his ears Is the
sound of rushing waters, and there ia a
great faintness at his heart. Again Peais
the wharwhoop. He slowly rises TO his
feet and with n trembling hand grAsps
his Winchester. and fears that the eud
has ooms, as his powers Of defense are
gone. But no attack comes. Looking,
he sees the warriors speeding away over
the prairie, and the reason of their de
parture is apparent when troop of cav
airy o0me RAlloping over the hill. The
tall officer that rides at their head wears
on his shoulder the insignia of a gsn-
eral. As he rides past be swings bis hat
and gives cheer. IL is feebly answered
from the fort.
Speeding onward, "a fast as steam can
drive il, comes the train from the east.
The shrek Of the whistle goes echoing
over the lake. and the engine slows down
aud tsen comes 20 a full stop. From
| the doors of the cars leap three hundred
armed men, who are nov joined by the
returning troops, who have found that
their faded horses are no match for the
| fleet ponies.
Walking IN advance OF tie motley
band of soldiers aud civilians come the
general and superiutendeut of the road.
| They stop and hook az the poor wreck OF
/ humanity lying beneath the engine, and
many q bitter curse is uttered when they
zee the scalpleas head and mutilated
| face VI the dead fireman. Thsn they
count the bodies Of the dead horses that
are lying on the prairie. and words Of
gratiiicatipn are spoken when, by the
signs on .he blood stained grass. they
see thai the riders as well a. the horses
have fallen.
Then they consult together, and all
seem to dread 20 approach the fort that
Is SCARED and splintered with oallets
| and hrissling with arrows. AZ last the
general and superintendent come 10 the
side Of the hsFFicade and look over.
| There. lying upon the grousd, IL the
wounded defender OF the fort, bis face
grimed and blsckened with powder and
smoke and his clothes staised with
blood. holding the body Of his friend
10 his arms and crying like child. No
is spoken. The superintendent gives =
signal. and . hundred willing hands
remove the timbers thai formed the
fort. and than take up the rides and
pistols that are lying among the empty
shells that ssreW the ground, and that
| tell 0f toe leRgth Of the siege and OF
the stubborn defence. The surgeon OF
the troop comes forward and takes the
body Of the dead man out Of bis friend's
arms and hands Il % two soldiers. who
carry IL 20 the train. The saperintend-
eat then lifts the wounded boy 10 bis
arms, as tenderiy a. = mother voald her
infant. AZ be passes through the lines
Of nan every hat is lifted, and the gen
erai stepe forward and erasps bis nerve
less hand and says;
"In the pages OF history there are
Acss Of henoisn recorded where a fes
men have battlea against hosts. The
heart thrills With pride when ve read
nos Horatins and ais sue companions
fonaht a. the ridge of Rome; Of Gordon
Thomson and his seven companions. whs
held their oun against leslons OF foes
Of Sally and his eight men. Who kept
thoasanas Of their FOES 81 bAy, and, wheE
shey coald no longer defend their lisea
applied the taFph 90 the powder naaea
xine and died with their foes In the ex
plnsion that followed; vet none Of thes'
4 - = AnmU 49,