The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-29
THE FACE or A DEMON.

Of numbers had they possessed the nerve to
charge en- masse. AT two O'Clock in the af-
ternoon | counted at least foul hundred of
the hestiles in sight-every n mounted
on his war pony and armed with a good
rife, if not q Winchester.
Sixty troopers and thirty teamsters to 400
redskins. Big odds in favor of the whoop-
ing. screaming, defiant riders, and more SO
because out of the thirty teamsters not
more than half would fire a shot in case of
I Grand charge. Western mon and not their
Arst sight of Indians by a dozen times, but
teamsters are not the machine q soldier is.
Az tho reds began to close in and become
more defiant I noticed many white faces
among the wagons, and / figured that
many a man would cut loose his ~feetest
mule and seek to escape by flight if worst
came to worst.
We must give the Apaches a lesson in
We had been waiting until the
train should reach n favorable location.
Tke moment had come. On this ground
the transfers could take care of it with ten
troopers to guide and direct. and that left
6ftv Of us to act. The word was quietly
passed down the line, each man prepared
himself, and at a note from the bngls a
wonderful change took place. Our captain
wheeled with twenty men. and charged to
.the rear; our single lieutenant wheeled to
the left with ten men: q sergeant charged
straight ahead with ten more; I toe nine
others and wheeled to the right and rode
straight at q body Of eighty Indians
punched on a kuoll just out Of rifle shot.
sslsight whesl-steady, now; forward.
trot, calfop--charge!'
Tensto eighty! Eight to one! Odds
enough TO prove our metal and make it ex-
M ~. " IYyarx, fr,n-or in avarv crr,oSrnp
was cheering as ho rode. His ,carbine was
strapped to his back and his sabre was held
alQft in his right hand.
HRush 'ern, boys; drive right into EN-;
make d hole in the bunch!'
Our plan had been executed SO swiftly
that the reds we're dumb-founded. Only
three or four shots were fred at us as we
charged, and the whole band sat there gaz-
ing at US as we Numbered mp. We struck
them with an awful crash-ten of US in sin
gls rank, and as our sabres began to fash
the Indians Thought only of getting out of
reach. We had them flying in two min
utes, and the order was, in case they took
to flight, to keep together and run them for
. couple Of miles, using our earbines on
their backs.
Ihad a light horse, not much larger than
an Indian pony. He struck and knocked
over two ponies. and as cut q warrior
down with my sabre my horse pitched for
ward and flung ms heavily to the ground.
+ was stuaned, but remember that two or
three horses stepped on me as the Indians
drew out and took to flight. When ! strug-
gled to a sitting position it was to find my
self almost helpless. My right shoulder
was broken, my back severely injured, and
nv legs felt numb. I was in q hollow, from
which I could not see the wagons, but /
could hear the fighting going on in all d.
~Tecbions.
10 the right of me was a dead warrior, to
the left d second further to the left a dead
pony: to the right Il wounded one; directly
in front Of me and twenty feet away was q
redskin, kicking and struggling. | had
just got a rest on my left elbow when he sat
up. The right side of his head was all
bloody from d sabre cut which had shaved
off an gar, but this would have been a trife
to him. He mus have been d~isrnounted by
the shock, as I Was, and had also been trod-
den on. HI" rIGGt arm hung limp ana his
back vas 0l0&uu. lie fell back as he tried
to sit up, and, rolling over half way, his
eyes looked Equarely into mine
Talk of the fury in the eyes of a tiger
brought to bay-of q lion crippled and wait
ing to strike ii dying blow-of the fires of
hell burning i'll the eyes of a mastif at
tackled with ~hydrophobia and impatient to
DESTROY! The face of that Indian was the
face of a demon fresh from the confines OF
Hades. The hate in his ewes made the
blood chill. The desire for vengeance
DuTQGO OuL IAG IL DluLe on u EllluDD u XIII
night.
! felt for my revolver with my left hand.
1t was in the holster of my saddle. My car
bine was at my back, but I could not get al
1t, injured as was, and the slightest move
msnt giving me exeruclatlng pam. Was he
armeoI Yes! | saw his lett hand go dow
and seize the handle OF his tomahawk, anC
as he raised it he tried to utter a shout o
vengeance. He could not sit up, and hi
right arm was helpless, but shutting hi
teeth tightly together TO force back tn
pain, be waved the tomahawk three or fou
times to get an impetus and then lung 1t a
me. It passed over me and sunk into tn
earth.
Had he any other weapon? He lay back
painting with pain and exhaustion after hi
throw, and again his eyes glared into mine
while the blood oozed from his wound ant
ram down his throat snd neck.
Hate! Vengsance! sFury! Hope. De
spair! I road each tesling as it passe
through his heart-read it from the eye
which burned and glinted AID blazed unit
Igrew faint at their m~allgnity.
Then he moved his arm again an
brought up 81 knifa-a long hin knit
which the liehtest blow would drive to
mans heart. 1t flashed and g~listened |
the sun, and my flesh crept as the red dew
wounded unto death and almost helpleG
reached ont, laid the knife on the GTonnt
and then sought to eluVch tho soil ana dra
his body towards me. An 1nch-tWo lnchI
-three-fye-ten-a foot! If he can ha'
time he will pull himself across that spac
to within striking distance and then drlS
that knife into me,
He reaches out again-he groans in pain
his fingers dig up the dirt-his eyes lot
blood-red as he calls UP his thirst for We
geance to help his muscles perform Tho
work another inoh-six i~nches-auoth
foot! | feel the ground around me again
far as | can. No weapon-EothIns TO ST
his advance,
Once more he reaches out and deposi
the knife-ths black fingers sink into t
soil and find u hoid-tha powerful muse
OF Il single arm pull his crippled BODY aIor
inch by inoh-inch by inch. Theresa
brighter blaze in his ey4s-additional ia
creeps into that steady glare. lie has be
wounded unto death, put if he can Kill l
he will die without Il reQret-aye. with
shout of exultation on his lips.
Inch by irch-coming, c~oming-near
neareri Two feet more and he can rea
me and stab ana thrust with that kni
But suddenly | notice that the firing /
ceased; / hear the hoof-beats of gallopi
horss q, and now half u dozen troopers ri
up, and enc of them calls out:
BLESS my stars, but heres our sergea
Hello, old boy, catch Ii bullet? Down, DO
and look after him. and III just put
ounce ball into tho head of this red de
who's been picking his teeth with his hu
ing knife. Stand clear a minute, DO
One, two, t~hree-gone to injun heaven
fool with no more Wagon tralns.'-M. Qu
in New York World.
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