Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-05-04

rldge and down past our party in ludicrous
CONFUSION. At the same instant some of Up
nam $ men. farthest to the west, opened fire.
ana then at last my phlegmatic chief remarked
Win exasperatlng slowness: ''We-ll-I guess
we might start" We were the last in the in
iernaI hole. and that was probably what the
commander of the 5th desired to have said. Just
assIowly he refined about rode Acknowledgements
the raylne. his adjutant. sergeant-majOr and
the headquarters party following In prescribed
order. and then no sooner was he out of the
slopes behind Upham's line. and clear of the
smoke. than he looked around. Wherever
that COMPOUNDED old white and red signal
flag of his seen the Indians seemed to
lose all interest in intervening objects and
to concentrate their attention on that. The
standard bearer had discreetly kept it furled.
therefore, on this eventful morning, and now
the commander missed it,
where's that flag of mine!" he demanded;
up with itr'
GOODNESS UNDER FIRE.
So up it went and and in less than a minute.
as we rode slowly away, with our backs to
the swarming foe, the bullets began whirr-
ing. whistling and singing past our ears
Napoleon used to say that. facing the en-
envy. most men could keep up bold front,
but that Ney was the only man he knew who
could preserve his sang fl0id with his back to
the blazing musketrv. Whether 1t was on 1.-The
burnt child shuns the fire" principle or not, |
cannot say. but l had been perforated by
Indian bullets couple of years before; the
wound had not yet healed and no more
were needed just then. especially in the
back. tipping missile aimed at that absurd
flag nearly cut away the lobe of my
right ear. and l gave equally absurd duck
to the left, but Carr rode stolidly on without
sigh OF diScOmpOsure until he reached little
ridge and there We halted to look around, the
whole party meantime damning i'll soldier soto
yoCe the fates that made Us ride at slow walk
n 70
about and fight.
SPIRITED SCENE.
1t was a spirited scene that met our eyes,
Southwark. over mile away, Crooks long
columns were crawling slowly over the dips
ana swoies of the prairie. Westward. Ma
sons battalion IN columns of twos was
thrown out on the right flank to guard
against sudden dash from the range of
heights. parallel to the line of march and only
1000 yards away. Eastward were the intermin-
able lndrlatiOns of upland prairie. Northward
the dense PABLO smoke from the burn
ing village and the swarms of darting
dashlDS Indians on its southern verge
were the horses of the five troops of Up
hams battalion with their holders and
guards sitting quietly in saddle. and half way
down the long, gentle slope a rank of Skin
mlshers stretched at five Yards intervals from
right to left across the prairie, slowly falling
back. face to the foe. and keeping up
steady and well-aimed fire. Midway be-
tween them and us the tall form of the
bearded major commanding. on his big brown
charger. and by his side his battalion adjutant
the same Wisconsin lieutenant of whom told
yOur readers two weeks ago making the
night ride with me in the NeZ-PercCs cam
palgn Of a. Even we turn and gaze the
Indians make combined rush in hopes of
spreading panic in the line and inducing the
men 10 drop their wounded comrades and run.
HALT! LIE DOWN.
ring the orders from the troop commanders,
and such a volley grects the charging Sioux that
long before they get within close range they
whirl about and scatter for shelter Again
in disciplined silence and steadlness the long
line rises and retires. Half-a-dozen wounded
men are being assisted up the slope and
again the Indians dash. On the western end of
the line Capt. Leib's men have seized little
knoll and are reluctant to abandon it. and Up
ham sends Mr.. Bishop at a suffering galop
to make them come down out of that
Once more the reunited line is nearing
us and Gen. Carr. satisfied that all
is going well. turns slowly away Once
more the Indians swarm on the ridge we leave
and firing over the heads of the retiring Skin
mlsh lines. drive shot after shot at our party
ana that COMPOUNDED flag. Then comes a new
excitement. livery moment Crook is getting
farther and farther away. We are now full
two miles from his rearmost files and mile
DANGER AvERTED.
Nobody seems to give & backward glance to see
how Upham is getting on with his awkward
and trying duty. What if the Indians were
To dash around our tanks and cut us of
Cumbered with our wounded we could not
well charge through them. l had hardly
time to think OF Il when. sure enough. a
swarm OF mounted warriors appeared scurry-
ing along ridge to the east. bent. evidently
on working around Upham's right and rear
We were on high ground, and could see their
move: he was down IN the swale ard could not
Ride down and warn him. are TIE coloners
brief orders. and away We go. my raw
boned charger and 1. Upham sees
the new danger at a glance. word
to Colonel kellogg. the commander of | troop
and his men leap for their horses, swing INTO
saddle. and in another moment are deploying
as skirmisEers and driving the would-be
hankerS before them like chatf before "a gale
Once. too. they peer around the other flank
bu; are saluted with such wicked fire from VI
troop that they go tumbling back. yelling like
devils. bnt ducklng down behind their scamper-
ing ponies.
And 50 for full mile more they follow IN our
wake. but not man can they nab in all the
long line. Not once do they break or phase
II. Every time they make "a dash the troopers
face them. and the misty air fairly rings with
the clamOr of our carbines and at last reluct-
antly they draw away and leave Us in peace
Mount Is signaled from the trumpet at head
quarters. Troop after troop swings into saddle
as it reaches its horses, and by o'clock the
lively sklrmish is at an end, and we jog along
to catch Crook. CHARLES HING