Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-10-13
WITH TIE WAGON TRAIN.
q Thrilling Story of a Brush With
 Rand of Indians,

pull of ninety miles across the Indian 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 teamsters. 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 a special guard over the third wagon"
 "Very we'll, sir.'
 ''The coloners wife is in that wagon, as you probably know"
 "Yes sir.'
 s'In case the Indians are too strong for us they must not find her alive. That's all!"
 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, and you can't beat the Indians off vOu-'' 'I have the captains orders, ma'am!" "Yes; very we'll"
 We both understood. I had been specially detailed to kill her if I 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 mur- ! derer?
 At two o'clock on the afternoon of the second day out we saw dozen mounted | Indians on 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 I glanced up. "We shall be attackcd?' she queried. | "Within ten minutes, ma'am." | "Well, you-you--" | "Yes'm, but l hope we shall beat them off"
 l 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 mov- l 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 o1 the teamsters had carbines, while all had revolvers. Half 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 a hundred or more mounted Indians came charging down on us. The valley was just about as I 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 us.
 "Corporalr'
 s'It was the voice of the colonel's wife, just as we were preparing to fire.
 ''Yes'm, I remember I 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.
 looked up into her white face and she gasped:
 Corporal, are you going to-to-'
 ''Not yet-we are holding our ownr'
 replied as turned to open fire again. | We were gradually getting out of the
 trap. Further on the ground was oper
 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 halting
 Whenever they gathered as if to charge
 we opened fire on the spot and scattered them Our fire was rapid and well-sus , tained, and at the end of quarter ot an hour we had them beaten. Wewert just drawing clear of the ridge when {
 bullet struck the third wagon teamste, in the shoulder, and he fell forward or 5 his saddle. It happened right under thu 7 eyes of the colonePs wife and she called
 to me:
 B Corporal, obey your orders!" She had her hands over her face st : that she might not see me as I raised my gun. The next few seconds mus
 have been terrible.
 Beg pardon, ma'am, but the reds arc
 drawing off and the victory is ours'' , She dropped her hands and stared al ] me for a minute as if she could not com n prehend. Then she fell back in a deaC faint, and it was a long half hour before 1 \ 1,a 1OI l. Il .