Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-03-29

| He had marked the spot before and knew its
! possibilities for defence, and there in less
! than five minutes he had his men sheltered
in an oval "dipn along the crest and yet
com man ding the approaches in every direc
ton. From here they not only successfully
STOOD or every attack until dark. but
prevented the Indians reaching the bodies of
the slain and securing the coveted trophy
of their scalps, and covered the teamstcr-
who wore sent down TO unhitch and secure
the mules. When night came half-brced
scout slipped away with OF the corral
and Hatton found that two Of his men were
severely wounded and that few Of them had
any water in their cantccns. The river
was full six miles to the south. Neither
stream nor spring was close at hand and
with characteristic improvidencc, the team
| sters had failed to fill their water barrels at
the s.o ,tade before starting. "Nhat was
the use with the Niobrara only a few hours
march awayy' Bitterly did Hatton re-
| preach himself for his neglect in having left
! so important n matter to the men them
| selves. but there was no sens in fretting
| over tho past. Something had to be done at
once to provide water for the morrow S
siege. They heard the eXultant whoops of
| the savages, who, under cover of the dark
ness, had crept out and succeeded in scalp
ing the two dead soldiers. They knew that
very soon the Indians would be crawling out
to the wagons in an attempt to run them
away or fire them. Hatton himself ven
| tured down to examine the water barrels
and found not more than half a barrel OF
dirty, brakish, ill-favorcd fluid in all. The
darkness grew black and impenetreble
Heavy clouds overspread the heavens and a
morning wind crept out of the mountain
| A. 4
| sweeping down across the treeless prairie.
Every now and then they could hear the
galloping beat of pony hoofs and knew they
were closely invested in their hillock citadel,
and at last, about 10 O'Clock, sergeant
who had been sent with couple of men to
see what was going on at the wagons, came
running back breathless The wagons were
gone. Every one of them had been run Off with
| by the Indians under cover of the wind and
| darkness. and presently half mile over to
| the southeast, glare of flame arose. and
| the white tops became for moment visible,
and dancing, capering naked forms around
| them, and then the cotton duck attracted
the eager, fiery tongues and i'll another mo-
ment the flames seemed to leap high in the
air, but the performers III the aboriginal
| ballet scurried for shelter. The soldiers
sighted their rifles for 900 yards and the
little hills blazed and sputtered half min
ute with a rapid discharge that sent leaden
messengers whistling through the burning
wagon covers and humming about the ears
of the jewellers.
Fifteen minutes later Hatton resolved on
bold move. Mounting his wounded men
on mules and leading his little party, sol
diers, teamsters and quadrupeds he slipped
away from the hillock, and keeping well to
the east of the road, CROPPED through the
darkness back to the high range overlook
ing the valleys of cold Womans Fork of
the South Cheyenne and Hat Creek to the
eastward, and morning found him bivouack-
ed at a little spring not 10 miles from the
stockade. Thther, of course, the Indians
trailed and followed at daybreak. There
again they attacked and besieged and were
repulsed, again and again, and there at dawn
on the second day, after an all night march,
the tl'umpets of the cavalry rang the signal
of rescue, and the charging troopers sent the
Sioux whiriing i'll scattered bands over the
| bold and beautiful upland. The little de-
! tachment was safe, but its brave conman-
der was PROSTATE with rifle bullet through
! the thigh and another in the shoulder. DR..
! Weeks declared it impossible to attempt to
move him back to Laramie, and in a litter
| made with lariats and saddle blankets the
men carried their wounded leader back to
the stockade at the head of Sage Greek and
there wrote Weeks. he might have to re-
main a month, and there unless otherwise
ordered. the other wounded men would re-
main with him; Weeks himself attending
them in his improvised field hospital.
Major Miller and DR.. Bayard, after brief
consultation, had decided that the young
surgeon ideas We're sound. The stockade
was we'll guarded and provisioned. Medical
and surgical supplies We're promptly for
varded under strong cavalry escort, and
| that Same day the entire cavalry battalion
struck its tents and moved away northward
over the route Hatton had taken. Once
more was Laramie left with only a handful
of men and hardly company officer fol
duty.
Old Bruce turned out, despite his rheu-
MATES, and announced that he was gam,
for any garrison service under the circum
stances Roswell Holmes who had stoweC
q box of wine and several boxes of cigar
in the supply wagons with his compimen
to DR.. Weeks and his patients, and who had
remained at Laramie instead of going TO tn,
front solely because of an odd turn in lOca
events now declared that he must be con
sidered a brevet second lieutenant, and be
sought Dr.. Bayard's permission to visit hi
patient, Mclean to solicit the loan OF hi
uniforms, swords, etc. Major Miller laugh
ed gleefully at the idea and all the garrison
wasibeginnng to pick up heart again, for Hat
toms wounds were pronounced not dangerous
though painful, and all the infantry peopl
were proud of the way he and Mclean haC
upheld the honor of their corps. Jenni
Bruce and Elinor had had long hours o
who knows what delicious condolences anC
fearful exchange of sympathy. Mclean wa
reported doing very well; Blunt was i'm
proving; Miss Forrest was taking the air o
her gallery. Everybody seemed in bette
spirits despite certain constraint and mys
terry that overhung the garrison-eyerybod,
with one exception DR.. Bayard.
"Nlr. Mclean is recovering so rapid
that he is able to sit up already and vii
need his Uniform himself " was his respons
to Holmes laughing suggestion, hut bot
Major Miller and the gentleman addresse
looked at the speaker with surprise. On
might have haZarded the assertion that
was matter Of regret to the post surgeo
that his patient was on the mend. Mile
eyed him narrowly. Ever since the strang
conversation held with the doctor the pc,