Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-09-23

II
the tree during the night, and from
| their elevation could look down into
the rifle pit. They could not be seen,
but two OF the men opened a rapid
hire, and after about twenty-five shots
had been fired both redskins were
tumbled to the ground, Their fall
was the signal for the ball 20 open alJ
along the line, and again the bullees
whizzed over the pit like legiorls Fan
CRY bees. The Indians we're pretty
| cautious about exposing thealselves,
but during the forenoon thres OF them
were seen to drop, either hard hit or
killed outright.
From noon to ) o'clock not shot
was fired on either side, and nom
to shutdown the lndians nred cnly
a dozen times sufficient TO warn the
white men that the sI4ge was still
on. Hunger now compelled the men
to eat raw bacon and -four; and thu
torrents OF thirst were increased.
Swift suffered far more than the 9th
ers, being wounded, but not com
plant passed his lips. He was too
stiff and sore to leave the pit, but
about 10 o'clock one of the men vol
untered to try for water. Some of
the Indiaps had swan across, and
were located under the bank. While
they could not climb IL, or at least did
not, they were at hand to prevent
the mel. from getting water.
1t was Foster who went out on the
tree this time, and he had not yet
lowered the vessel when a bullet knock
ed his cap of, a second struck the
stock OF his rifle, and a third went
through the coffee pot, He reached
the pit unwounded, however, and Swift
advised that no one else should ex-
pose himself. They dug mp the roots
around them and got slight consola-
ton from chewing them, and again the
morning broke. 1t soon became evil
dent that the Indians intended to fin
ish their work They were whooping
and shouting all along the line, and
seemed in good spirits.
An hour after daylight the whole
line advanced along on the pit, each
redskin working along under the best
shelter he could find. There were only
four men to defend the pit; but,armed
as they were, and desperate as they
had become. the odds were not so
great. They fired coolly yet rapidly.
and they not only halted the line, but
at one point where three bucks were
killed within ten seconds ofeach other
panic occurred. Thirty Or more
Indians rose up in a body for a rush,
but the fire broke them before they
had made d jump The four men had
the six rifles, and their revolvsrs were
lying beside them for the emergency
which all expected. The peril OF the
morning did not last twenty minutes.
The bafiied Indians retreat
ID back to their old position,
and about nine O'Clock withdrew so
quietly that their going was not stIs-
pected for another hour. They went
cn masse, leaving not even scout be-
hind. When thefour men had secured
water and something to eat, they took
look over the battle ground. The
carcasses of seven ponies had been left
behind, and there were plenty OF blood
stains to prove that their WincheSters
had not thrown away all their lead.
A Dog-Sioux, who was afterward EN-
ployed as a scout at Fort Sully, told
the military authorities that thirteen
Indians were killed and twenty-one
wounded in the fight, and that they
felt themselves fairly whipped. Other
Indians reported the number killed at
nineteen and the wounded at thirty,
but they asserted that the number OF
white men was fourteen.