The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-02-01

had ordered one of my men, started for
the guidou. Just as my hand grasped
| it my head appeared above the bank, |
heard yell, and there. not stones
throw away, was my old fankiug parry
of Indians. Abandoning all idea of say.
ing The guidon, l gave my horse kick
that sent him plunging through the
undcrbrush in one direction, while I
divcd out of sight in another. AS soon
as the Indians reached the top OF the
bank they blazed away at the point
where my horse was creating so much
comm otion, and made detour, coming
out on the bank at another point.
ssiere the outlook was not very cheer
ing. The main body of tho Indians had
advanced and halted in line between me
| and my comrades, and were now deeply
engaged in watching the movements of
the retiring troops. 1t was desperate
case, and / was at loss to know just
what to do. To remain where l was
meant a most certain death; so | deter
mined to rush through the Indian line,
trusting to luck and the Indians excite.
ment to save me from their bullets. l
had just crept up on the edge of the bank
| to put this plan into execution when a
yell on my left caused me to stop. There
were my old friends the tlankers again
coming around to join the main body.
"At their yell many of the main body
turned, and dropped behind the bank
again just in time to escape shower OF
bullets sent after me. There remained,
expecting each moment to have
them como over after me, and
determined to give them taste
of my revolver if they did. But
either on account of fear or because they
thought that they had me trapped and
could attend to me at their leisure, they
did not come.
every soon 7 left that position, dccid-
ing that tie best plan was to hide until
darkness should set in, and to then slip
out if | could. was carefully stealing
along the Led OF the stream, hiding as
best could, when I thought that I
heard the whispered word:
Lieutenaut'
81 listened and it was repeated, and,
looking up into large hole under the
oyerhanging bank, saw Sergeant and
two men, one of whom was an Indian
scout and the other half breed inter-
prefer, who, like me, had been left be-
hind. The two Indians had horses,
which I advised them to turn loose,
feeling sure that they would, by
neighing or paving, give notice of our
presence to some passing Indian. This
they refused to do, and l left them.
AFTER wandering about for some time,
1 finally found place in the wide bot.
tom which was piled high with logs and
other driftwood, and I made pit for
myself so that was hidden, with only
my head projecting from the drift. Then
took my cartridges from my belt and
spread them out in front of me, where l
could most conveniently reach them. l
then laid my revolver beside them, took
out my tobacco pouch, rolled cigarette
and lit it. l had hardly taken half q
dozen puffs of the nerve soothing smoke
when I heard, hardly hundred yards
from me, the most diabolical shrieks and
yells that you can imagine. Hastily ex-
tinguishing my cigarette and peering
through the underbush, l saw party of
six or eight old squaws, slashing them
selves with knives, and expressing grief
at the death of the brave whose body
they had just found.
"Aftcr this performance had gone on
for some time they removed the dead
mans ornaments and continued the
search. With savage yell one of them
threw herself on the dead body of SOL
dier hardly stones throw from me, and
hastily removing all of his clothing, they
busted themselves hacking, cutting, and
mutilating the remains until they left it
to look for fresh subjects.
81 breathed a sigh of relief as they
disappeared, but was soon made aware
that new and equally awful danger
threatened me. Dense clouds of smoke
were born past me on the rising wind,
and not far away l could see the hot
fame licking up the dry leaves and twigs.
Leaving my hiding place hurried down
the stream again, not knowing where to
turn. My progress was soon interrupted
again by that whispered word:
Lieutenant
~ looked in vain for the Sergeant.
whose voice recognized, but after push
ing through the undcrbrush in the direc-
ton from which the sound came. l saw
the same party rs before, now hiding in
place protected from view and from
fire. On one side the steep bank lowered
above them some twenty feet, while
on the other the dry, stony bed of the
stream stretched for some yards. Here
we waited, while the hot air was blown
past us in sufocating gusts, until, for
tunately for US, sudden heavy shower
put the fire out.
"As soon as it was dark enough we set
out to find the troops, the two Indians
mounted on their ponies, to whose tails
the Sergeant and l clung. lest their
riders should give US the slip and escape
| without US. We soon left the wooded
bottom and Travelled a:ross the prairie.
, everal times we passed parties of Indians
who, thinking from the size Of our ponies
that we were Indians. did not molest US.
As We nearcd the ford we found immense
fires burning and the ford defended by
guards. Finding it impossible to cross
there, We started up the stream, hoping
to find some uudefended ford. We had
been for some time cautiously following
the faint trail along the river, when
suddenly, almost in our faces, was
gruuted out the Indian challenge:
:'lIow 2
"The two mounted members OF our
party whipped up their ponies aud sped
past the challengers. The sudden mo-
ton of the animals had thrown the Ser
geant and myself to the ground, where
We lay hardly daring to breathe. The