Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-11-18
CEREBRAL cusrER's END.
.V.n skIsl.

a Gallant straggls Against tho Most Un-
evoa odds.
Mover realizing. as believe, tho
fearful odds against him. believing
that he would find tho village ION tho
rum" and that between himself and
Reno bc could 'doublo them up" in
abort order, Custer had jauntily trottcd
down to his death. II was a long Ave
mile ride from whor0 be sighted tho
northern end OF tho village TO whcro
no str;c,ss its osa;sr around .sis. Ac!a
point OF bluff. and from tho start to the
moment his guIlons whirlod into view,
and his troopers camo gNlloping front
Into limo" down near the ford. he never
fairly saw tho great ylllage-never
dreamed OF Its dopth and extont Round
Ing tho blun, ho suddenly found him
self face 10 faoc with Thousands OF tho
boldost and most skllful warriors OF tho
prairieA lie had hoped TO charge at
once into tho heart OF the village. to
hear the cheers OF Reno's mon from tho
south. Instead no wai groetoi wit h n
perfect fury of fame and kissing lead
from tho dcnse thlcket OF willow and
cottonwood. n flre that lad to be an
swercd at once Quickly ho dismountcd
his men and throw them forward on
tho run. each fourth man holding, cav
airy fashion. the horses OF tho other
three. The line seems TO have swept
in parallel very poarly with the general
course OF the stream. but to no purpose.
Tho foe was ton to ono In thoir front
Boys and squaws were shooting from
the willows con. We had plenty
gunsl" said our story-tellcrs)i and
worse than that hundreds OF young
warriors had mounted their ponies and
swarmed across tho stream below him.
hundreds moro were following and cir
cling all about him. And then 1t was
that Custer. the hero OF hundred dar-
Ing charges, seems to havc realized that
ho must cut his away out Mount"
rang the trumpots, and leaving many
poor fellow on the ground. the troop
ors ran for their horses. Instantly from
lodge and willow Ogalallas and Brules
sprang to horse and rushed to tho ford
In mad pursuit. Mako for the heightsl"
must have been tho order, for tho first
rush was eastward; then moro 10 tho
left. as they found their progress
barred. Then. as they reached higher
ground. all tney could see, far as they
could SEQ. clrcling, swooping, yelling
like demons, and all the timo keeping
up their furious fire. were thousands OF
the mounted Sioux. licmmod in, cut
of. dropping fast from their saddles,
Custer's men saw that retreat was i'm
possible They sprang to tho ground,
turned their horses loose" said tho
Indians, and by that time half their
number had fallen, A skirmish limo
was thrown out down tho Slope, and
there they dropped at five yards inter
val; there their comrades found thom
two days after. Every instant tho
foe rode closer and gained in num-
ters; cvory instant somo poor
elbow bit tho dust last, on mound
that stands at the northern ond Of
li,tlo ridge, Custer, with Cook. Yates
and gallant Brother Tom" and some
dozen soldiers, all that were loft by this
time, gathered In the last rally They
sold their llvcs dearly, brave fellows
that they werc; but they were as q
dozen TO the leavo' OF the forest at tho
end OF twenty minutes and in loss than
tSenty-ilvo--all was ovor.--Captain
Chorlos King, In Iiarper's Magazine.