The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-10-07
WITH THE WAGON TRAIN.
A Thrilling story of q Brush With 8
Band OF Indians.

|
country. Yes, we shall be attacked by
the hostiles- They would not let such
an opportunity pass. They can muster
four to one, even if we counted in the
transfers. Col. Blank, at the new post
to which we were bound, had written
to Capt White, who was to command
| the train:
MY wife is to come out with you.
See that my previous instructions are
carried out. She knows what they
are
And we had not marched an hour
when Capt. White sent for me and said:
Corporal, you will act as special
guard over the third wagon"
Very well, sir"
THE colonel's wife is in that wagon,
as you probably know"
Yes, sir"
I'm case the Indians are too strong
for us they must not find her alive.
| That's ALI"
| rode back to the third wagon and
placed my horse at the nigh fore wheel,
and lifted my cap to the lady. who had
been provided with comfortable seat
by herself. She was little bit of a
woman, not ever twenty-five years old,
and married to the colonel only two
years before. She looked at me out of
her big blue eyes and smiled, but she
could not steady her voice as she leaned
forward and inquired:
Corporal, do you-you think we
shall be attacked|'
Quite likely, ma'am, but we may
squeeze through"
And if attacked, ard you can't beat
the Indians off, you"
81 have the captains orders. ma'amw
Yes; very WE'LL
We both understood. l had been
specially detailed to kill her if | saw
that we were to be wiped out. The
thought of it made me dizzy as rode
along. Now and then | glanced up at
her to find her face white and her eyes
| anxiously searching the horizon.
! had my orders and was there to obey
| them, but could do it? If was the
last living man of that train, could
raise my carbine and become her MUIR
derer?
AT two o'clock on the afternoon of the
second day out we saw dozen mounted
Indians on a ridge to the right and
| closed up the train. To the left were a
| succession of ridges, and if there was
any force of hostiles about they were
hidden behind them. The coloners
wife was one of the first to discover the
Indians at the right. She was looking
| at me as glanced up.
1--WE shall be attackcd?' she queried
within ten minutes, ma am"
well. you-you--"
"Tes'm. but hope we shall beat
them off
The redskins on the right now began
to ride to and fro and whoop and yell
and seek to draw our attention and
force the train to halt. Orders had
been given the day before to keep NOV
ing in case of attack In closing up the
wagons had doubled the line, moving
two abreast The horsemen fell into
their places at once-twenty on side,
five in front and five in rear. Some of
the transfers had carbines, while all
had revolvers. Half a mile beyond
where we had seen the first Indian the
attack was made, and it was bold one.
AS we came opposite valley running
back into the ridges hundred or more
mounted Indians came charging down
on us. The valley was just about as
wide as the train was long, and there
fore the twenty OF us on that side had a
chance at the reds as they came on in a
mob, shooting, shouting and seemingly
determined to ride over u.s.
Corporal,
at was the voice of the colonels wife,
just as we were preparing to fire.
'Yes'm, | remember ! replied as |
lowered my carbine to look up at her.
We poured the fire of our carbines
into the charging mass and checked its
rush. The Indians then passed to our
front and rear, so as to assail us on all
sides. There were fully three hundred
of them, and had the train halted but
for minute they would have had us
wiped out. A part of them had been
ordered to fire only at the mules at
tached to the wagons. AS they were
kept moving only three or four were
struck and none disabled
''Corporal,''
There was fighting on front and rear
and both sides, and the bullets were fly
ing about us in a spiteful way. Five had
passed through the cover of the wagon
beside me.
1t was the colonels wife calling TO me.
l looked up into her white face and she
gasped:
Corporal, are you going toto"
Not yet-we are holding our own.' I
replied as turned TO open fire again
We were gradually getting out Of the
trap. Further on the ground was open
and to our advantage. The Indian al
ways does his best fighting at the start.
Here and there we had man wounded,
but there was no confusion-no hating.
Whenever they gathered as if to charge
we opened fire on the spot and scattered
them. Our fire was rapid and well-sus-
tanned, and at the end of a quarter of
an hour we had them beaten. We were
just drawing clear of the ridge when a
bullet struck the third wagon teamster
in the shoulder, and he fell forward on
his saddle. 1t happened right under the
eyes OF the colonel's wife and she called
to me:
Corporal, obey your orders"
She had her hands over her face so
that she might not see me as raised
my gun. The next few seconds must
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