Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-10-21

drawing up few swallows Of water
and ut once FASTENED 10 Swift. The
Captains wound had of course set him
in fever, and while he could have
gulped down quart he had only gill.
Cooper returned to the tree ,and in low
ering the canteen lost it. Another rope
was extemporiZed and coffee pot low.
cred, but the Indians III some manner
got hint of what was going on and a
gain opened fire. While Cooper was
not wounded, he was driven to the pit,
and all further hope of securing water
was abandoned. Not man slept a
wink during the night, it being gener-
ally understood that the Indians might
make rush any moment. AT early
dawn a shot was fired from the top of g
tree in the edge Of the grove which
struck a man namedAbbOtt in the head
and killed him instantly. A second
shot Immediately followed, but hit no
one. 1t was at once discovered that
two Indian sharpsb0oters had climbed
into the :ree during the night t,and from
their elevation could look down into the
rifle pit. They could not be seen, but
two Of the men opened rapid lire on
the tree, and after about twenty-five
shots had been fired both redskins were
tumbled to the ground. Their fall was
the signal for the ball to open all along
the line, and again the bullets whizzed
over the pit like Iegions of angry bees.
The Indians were pretty cautious about
exposing themselves, but during the
forenoon three Of them were seen TO
drop, either hard hit or killed alright.
From noon to o'clock not shot
was fired on either side, and from to
sundown the Indians fired only about
dozen times-suflicient to warn the
white men that the siege was still en-.
Hunger now compelled the men to eat
raw bacon and -four, and the torments
OF thirst were increased. Swift suffer-
ed far more than the others, being
wounded, but not complaint passed
his lips. He was too stiff and sore TO
leave the pit, but about 10 O'Clock one
of the men volunteered TO try for water.
Some of the Indians had swan across,
and were located under the bank. While
they could not climb it, or at least did
not, they were on hand to prevent the
men from getting water.
1t was Foster who went out on the
tree this time. and he had no. yet low
cred the vessel when a bullet knocked
his cap off, a second struck the stock CT
his rifle, and a third went through the
coffee pot He reached the pit un-
wounded, however, and Swift advised
that no one should expose himself.
They dug up the roots around them
and got slight consolation from chew
ing them ,and again the morning broke.
1t soon became evident that theIndianS
intended to finish their work. They
were whooping and shouting all along
the liue. and seemed in good spirits.
An hour after daylight the whole
line advanced 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
cody yet rapidly. and they not only
halted the line, but at one point where
three backs were killed within ten Sec
ones of each other a panic occurred.
Thirty or more Indians rose up in
body for rush. but the fire broke them
before they had made a jump. The four
men had the six rifles, and their revol-
yers were lying beside them for the en-
ergency which all expected. The peril
of the morning did not last twenty min
utes. The bafiled Indians retreated
back to their old position. and ABOUT 8
O'Clock withdrew so quietly that their
going was not suspected for another
hour. They went zen maSSe," leaving
not even a scout behind. When the
four men had secured water and some
thing to eat they took look over the
battle ground. The carcasses of seven
| ponies had been left behind, aud there
were plenty of blood stains to prove
that their Winchesters had not thrown
away all their lead. A Dog Sioux,who
was afterward employed 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 whip
ped. Other Indians reported the num-
Der killed at nineteen and the wounded
at thirty, but they asserted that the
number of white men was fourteen
Neav York Sun.