Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-08-23
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to Clark's camp" answered the corporal,
solemnly; land heaven preserve you
from all danger"
81 am not afraid-with you'll" answered
Ethel, quickly.
Their eyes met, she held out her hand
and he clasped it and carried the white
fingers to his lips.
.Ill die defending you" he whispered,
''and SO will my men,"
81 believe you. i trust you," came the
murmured response.
And then an involuntary cry Of alarm
rose to her lips, for the Indians, d!scov-
ering that their expected prey had left
the trail, set up a chorus Of shrii yells,
and dashed down toward them.
ITO Clark's, boysI' cried the corporal,
u~nslinging his Winchester rifle. ''They
outnumber us twenty to one. Ride for
your life-never mind the pack mule
and shout as you gallop."
On they dashed, with the Indians gain
ing upon them at every step, for their
horses were fresh, and the animals rid
den by the rangers hadbeen hard pushed
all day.
In vain the Rangers discharged volley
after volley into the ranks OF their pur-
suers. Their telling aim did not check
the advance.
Down a ger.ly sloping dry water
course they dashed, and just ahead Cor
poral Brown saw a low rooted building
Of stout plank, which he knew was the
powder and dynamite magazine for
Clark's camp.
"If we can hold out for twenty min
utes"- he was thinking.
But just then Ethel's horse stumbled
and fell. Had he not reached out quickly
and seized her in lis strong arms, she
also would have been dashed to the
ground.
Still g~alloping, he lifted her { o q place
on the saddle before him, and his horse
dashed past the magazine, and COM
menced to pant and slacken its pace as
they began to climb the divide.
"Wo can never hold out. II must be
a fight TO the deathr' he gasped.
For his men were already in tie lead,
with only the heavy laden pack mule
behind him.
In passing the magazine the mule fell
to the ground and lay there helpless.
This momentarily checked the adj
vance of the Indians. for the band halted
to rob the pack.
The delay enabled the Rangers to
reach the top of the divide.
Corporal Brown locked back.
The entire Indi an band was grouped
about the fallen mule and the magazine.
He refined UP his painting horse, set
Ethel upon the ground, and leaping
from the saddle himself, cried:
"lialt, men-lic low-the magazine!"
The Indians were already mounting,
when he raised his rifle 10 his shoulder,
took quic6 aim at the magazine below,
and with a prayer that the shot might
prove ~effectual, pulled the trigger.
Almost simultaneously with the crack
of the riae was another report that
seemed to rend the earth.
The entire party was thrown down by
the explosion, and even the horses stag
gered and fell.
For an instant they lay there, and then
Corporal Brown, with a confused buzz
zing in his cars, rose slowly to his feet.
in the dry water course below a cloud
of dust for a moment obscured his vision;
but when it settled he saw only a gaping
hole, on the edges of which were the coD-
fused fragments Of what might be the
bodies Of Indians or horses, he could not
tell.
His bullet had exploded the dynamite
In the magazine and they were safe.
Thank GodI' was his fcrvcnt prayer,
as he helped Ethel to her feet.
He did not mount again. but, holding
her hand, walked across Tie divide to-
ward Clark's camp.
They were met presently by q big
gang Of tho navvies, who had been
alarmed by the explosion, which, so it
was stated, was heard twenty miles
away.
Corporal Brown explained matters;
but he made a longer explanation 10
Ethel, and a still longer one to her father
afterward, who said in reply:
"She's young to marry, corporal, and
I'd thought to keep her with me several
years yet: but you've fairly won her,
and she's yours. l only exact from you
one pronise-leave the Ranger service
and go back east with me. My contract
will be finished in about three months"
Who can blame that corporal for
promising when such a treasure rs
Ethel was the stake?-Apaclre George ia
Philadelphia Saturday Night.