The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1890-11-20
THE CRY OF DEATH.
It Awoke the Sleeping Camp to }
the Presence Of Danger.
Only the Cbirping Of Cricket Had Dis.-
turbed the Quiet OF the Night when
the sentinel Saw . Dark Spot,
Shot, and Saved His Friends.

Not an Indian had been seen all the
afternoon-no.s signs had been met with,
writes contributor to the Detroit Free
Press.
The ride had led over vground SO,
sterile that even. sage-brush could not;
grow there-across dry ravtnes-over-
out-crop Of f1inty rock-from one ridge
to another, until at last we came to the
Loup river and went into camp in q
scattered drsves No signs of Indian
there. AS the setting sun flooded the
earth with It's golden light we could see
for miles and miles In every direction.
No sign of danger.
Night comes down as softly as q chiM
closes its eyes in sleep, and the light
breeze from the north brings a flrn Of
white cloud to hide q portion Of the
stars A sentinel is posted on the bank
of the stream-a second. to the east--a
third to the west. 1t seems almost alb
surd to take these precautions. The
crickets sing under the stones-feld mice
run about in the grass-the waters of the
Loup sing peaceful song as they ac-s
past our camp
No 1ndians-no signs. It Is such calm,
quiet nights as this which have lulled
the tired emigrant to his last sleep on
earth. Seeing no Indians, he has argued
that none were lurking and watching.
We who had fought the red man from
Fort kearney to the source of the-Pow-
der river know him better. The very
absence of his footprints is menace.
The quietness OF the night is warning
to be needed.
At ten o'clock everybody but the
sentinels is fast asleep. Some of the
horses are lying at full length, so,buried
in slumber that their heavy breathing
can be heard for yards away. Ateleven
o'clock all is quiet. Even the crickets
have almost given DER their noise.
Fleecy clouds now cover the whole heav-
ems, making the night no darker, but
more uncertain. As the eye looks off
over the level plain the shadows take on
a.different shape and have more life.
Midnight! The three sentinels softly
enter camp, bend over the sleepcrs. and
five minutes later the guard has been
changed. Those who slept arc now as
watchful as foxes; those who, watched
are in the land of dreams.
Half-past twelve! No sound now but
the purling waters, and their monotony
would close the eyes of sentinel who
| listened long,
One o'clock! Now there is the quiet
ness of a graveyard. Men and horses
seem to be dead The sentinel to the
east gives sudden start. He would
deny it on his oath, but for an instant he
slept. He shakes himself'and looks over
the camp. All is peace, but he has re-
ceived shock which makes his heart
beat faster. His stand is at the foot OF
cottonwood. He sinks, down on his
knees and peers out from either side OF
the trunk. Nothing in sight-nothing
but the dark shadows cast by the clouds.
"Chirp! Chirp! Chirpr'
A cricket begins his song again after
long silence. 1t seems loud enough to
awaken every sleeper, but it is not. II
Is very low and quiet. 1t reaches the
ears of only one sentinel.
"Watch! Watch! Watch!"
His, heart leaps to, his mouth. The
words come to him as plain as if spoken
by some human being. Watch what?
Watch where? Watch for who?
"Watch! Watchr Watch
The sentinels eye falls upon dark
spot on the grass hundred feet away.
| 1t Is the shadow Of cloud. The darker
spot in the center is rock lifting Its
head out of the earth. He noticed it be-
fore darkness came. He can see nothing
moving-th is no danger.
"Look! Lookt Look!"
His heart jumps again and his eyes 60
back to the dark spot. They cling there
| for two or three minutes, during which
time the cricket is absolutely silent.
| Did something move? Is the black spot
| nearer than it was?
"Creepings Crawling! Coming!"
So shouts the cricket, and now the
sentinel Is sure the dark spot has ad-
vanced. OF course 1t has! 1t has also
changed the line Of its advance. With
bated breath he waits and watches. The
man who disturbs camp without good
cause will be taunted with cowardice.
All! 1t does novel The black spot IL
not now over fifty feet away.
'Shootl Shoot! Shootl" ....
The sentinel softly pulls back tho
hammer Of his heavy csrbine raises
tne weapon qulotAy to ms snouioer, anu
the loud report is followed by a cry SO
long-drawn, so wild and weird and full
of death that no one forgets 1t for q
month. There is wild confusion for q
mament, and then every one is ready.
what Is it?"
Three or four mon advance to the
dark spot to find the body Of an Indian
stretched at full length on the earth,
shot through the breast Eighty rods
away are half Q hundred herce warriors,
waiting in the darkness for the spy tc
return and report. At the sound Of his
death-cry they mount their ponies and
ride away.
The Compliment Miscarried.
1t doesn't pay to tell "white lies.
says the Kansas City Journal The