The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-11-16
The corporars Orders.

Twenty army wagons and their drv-
ers-fhy cavalry men from Troop E-a
pull Of ninety miles across the Indian
Territory. Yes, We shall be attacked by
the hostilss. They would not let such
an opportunity pass. They can muster
four to one, even II We counted on the
reamsters. Colonel Blank, st the new
post to which We we're bound, had writ
ten to Captain White, who Was to CON-
name the train;
Ny wife i, to come out vita you See
that my previous instructions are carried
out. She knows what they are"
And We had not marched an hour
when Captain White sent for me and
said:
Corporal. you viii act as a special
guard over the third wagon"
@very well, SIR
In case the Indians are too strong for
Us they must not End her alive That's
all"
Ir1de ba OK to the third wagon and
placed my horse at the nigh fore wheel
and lifted nv cap 10 the lady, who had
been provided with = comfortable seat
by herself
She was a little bit Of a woman, not
over . 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 inquir-
ed:
Corporal, do you-yOu think We shall
be attacked -
~Qaite likely, ms'sm, but We may
squeeze through
~And IL attacked, and you can't beat
the Indians of, you"
q have hecaptain's orders. ma'am."
We both understood. had been spe-
eially detailed to kill hsr II l sGE th,s
We were to be wiped out, The thought
Of it rnsde M dizzy as rode along. Now
and then glanced up at her to see her
face white and her eyes anxiously scar
ching the horizon had my orders and
was there to obey them, but could 1 do
it, III was the last living man Of that
train, could raise my earbine and be-
come her murderer?
At o'clock in the afternoon Of the sec
ond day out We saw a dozen mounted
Indians on a ridge to the right and clos
ed up the train. To the leh were a sue
cession Of ridges. and If there was any
force Of hos.iles about they were hidden
behind them. The eoIonel's wife was
one of the first 10 discover the Indians at
the right. she vas looking at me as 1
glanced up.
I'VE shall be attacked? p she queried.
within ten minutes, ma am"
Well, yOu-you-you-"
aYes'm, but hope We shall beat them
on
The redskins on the right now began
to ride 70 and fro and whoOp snd yell
and seek to draw our attentien and force
the train to halt. Orders bad been given
the day before 70 keep moving in case Of |
attack.
In closing up the wsgons had doubled I
the line, moving two abreast. The horse I
men fsll into their plac.s a. once-tSen-
ty on a side, i've In front AMI i've in the /
rear. Some Of the teamsters had car
bines, while ali had revolvers. Half a
mile beyoud where We had seen the FIRST /
Indian the aitAck va. made, and it was
a bold one.
As We came opposite valley running
back into the ridges, hundred OF more
mounted Indians came charging down
on Us. The valley w41 about as wide as
the train was long, and therefore the
txenty CT Us on that side had a chance
st the reds as they came on in = mob,
shooting, shouting and seemingly deter
nined 10 ride over rs.
"C0rp1ral -
ItNas the voice OF the eliOneHs wife,
just as We vere preparing = ire
We poured the IRE Of cur carbines into
Ia. charging mass snd chscke its rush.
The Indisns then passed to our front and
re.r, 50 as to assail Us on all sides. There
were fully 500 Of them, and had the train
halted bat for a minute they would have
had Us wiped ont. \ part Of them had
been ordered to fire only q. the mules at
tacheI to the wagons. As they were
kept moving only three or four were
struck and none disabled.
Corporal y
There was fghtingin front and rear
and both sides, and the bullets we're fly
ing about in a spisefal way. Five had
passed through the cover Of the wagon
beside me.
Il was the coIOnel's wife calling to me.
l looked up into her white face aad she
gasped:
Corporal, are you going Toto"
Not yet We are holding our ovn,"
I replied as | turned to open IRE again
We we're gradually getting out Of the
tap. Farther on the around Vas open
and to our advantage. The Indian a.
ways does his bcs. lighting at the start.
Here and there We hal man wounied,
bat there vas no eonfusion-n0 halting.
Whenever they gathered as # to charge
we opened FIRE on the spot and scattered
them. OGriire vas rapil anl well SIS
/ tsineI ana A. the enI OF a Q1artsr Os al