Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-09-18

George let it ride past unmolested. The
wagons next appeared, with infantry
men walking on each side of them, and
these were followed by the main body
Of infantry, another platoon of cavalry
acting as a rear guard The under
| growth was SO thick in the damp, low
spot through which the foraging party
was passing that it had been thought
almost impossible To throw out flank
| ers, and the officer commanding had
| deemed it the best policy 20 hasten on
to a more open country before pursuers
could overtake them. The many INK
| ious chances turned toward the dense
woods on either side, however, proved
that the aspect of the place was any
thing but pleasing.
The partisans chafed under Georges
delay in firing, and were fast losing
their self-restraint. Few had received
even the first lessons in discipline; they
were a chance assemblage OF wronged
and angry men, who had tacitly ac-
cepted "A young untried leader within
the last hour; and had he not given the
signal from his rifle, in time, his plans
would have been disconnected. Being
an unusually good marksman, lie fired
upon the officer leading the rear-guard
of dragons and the man fell, as also
did several of the wagon drivers and
protecting infantry. There was a mo-
ment of CONSERVATION, and then the
enemy fired n volley into the woods.
Bullets flew like hail about the parti-
sans, but the intervening brush ore
vented accuracy oi aim. The rear
guard troopers came ~galloping forward
and those III the van also returned to
the point Of attack. The only sound
they heard was the receding rush OF
steeds us the first equad retired accord
ing to Georges directions. The other
two squads had the courage and steadi-
ness to remain quiet at their leader
warning gesture and command ''wait. >
The cowardly curs have made of, y
shouted a British officer in the road,
There's no use trying to follow where
only swamp foxes can run. Other
drivers take the rcins and push out OF
of this hole. Forward
AS a response, equally clear, Georges
voice rang out, half of second rank
aim at the leading horses on the wag-
ons. Fire!'
Now, down went both horses and
men, and the wagons again came to .
standstill. The officer who had char.
acterized the partisans as "cowardly
curs' was on the ground, riddled 10y
buckshot from Angus's fowling-piece,
The British, Of course, again began fir
ing in the woods, and now that the 10,
cation of their foes was better local
lied, their aim was surer, and two OF
three of the partisans were hit.
Follow me, ALL cried George, ant
away they went. crashing through the
wood road, with bullets flying after
them.
BY this time the British troopers il
advance had found the obscure Woo
t road at this point where it intersecte'
the highway, and a dozen brave fellow
spurred into it. They paid dearly
however, for their temerity, for, crowd
ed together in the narrow passage
they soon revealed to George his oppor
tunity.
.'Halt!' he shouted. ITO cover o.
both sides of road. Now don't all ain
at the two or three in advance. Pic
out your man. Fret
Again the irregular body was so ei
fective that the pursuit was checked
! but only for a moment or two.
Follow me ALL" again cried George
, and he led the way until the rear squa'
, caught up with the others. 1--WE mus
change our tactics" he resumed
Scatter. Each man take to the wood
for himself, but keep Acknowledgements
Charlotte. When you see a chance 70
n shot. blaze away and 10Y on. KeeI
within sound of three whistles from me
which will summon you togethe
again, Away, and each man be a
!, Indian
The pursuing force came up in TIM
only to hear r~eceding sounds in ever
direction, and to catch an occasiona
glimpse of a receding form here anC
there. Some, who had not been suffi
GENTLY swift in obeying the order, hac
narrow escapes, but they soon turned
the tables on the enemy, and, from
places of concealment, began a scatter
ing fire, which increased as opportuni
ty was found to reload.
The English troops soon learned
that it was useless to follow. A form
seen for a moment, melted away, van
ished only to indicate its presence in
another locality by a fatal shot. They
quickly retired, therefore, to the high
way again, where there were confused
counsels and almost panic. Georges
orders TO fire on the horses had dc.
layed the British troops, but they still
clung to the hope of getting off with
their plumber. The poor dead and
wounded beasts were drawn aside, two
wagons abandoned, and, with the rest,
the party was again pushing forward.
Men were reluctant to mount to *
posed positions in the drivers seat,
and the partisans soon increased this
hesitancy.
The conflict had now taken on Il form
well suited to the hardy natives, every
one of whom had been a hunter. AS
the troops retired from the wood road,