The National tribune., 1892-03-24
when he heard it again he knew it was the cry

Sandy Morgan turned and moved toward tht
spot If he had discovered Spotted TaiPs
grandchild he might have hostage of safety
and with this hope uppermost in his mind he
followed the echo of that cry in the dark.
| Suddenly something just discernlbie moved
near him and he bent forward.
| He held in his right hand the knife which
| he had carried for years ON his scouting expe.
ditions, aud did not know but what he would
be compelled to grapple with some redskin in
the dark and fight for life.
1.-THE kid, by Jupiter!" said Morgan, and
the next moment he had seized the arm of a
child of six and had lifted it from the ground
He turned back and crawled toward the cav
ern. He drew himself into the opening, and
| going back to the heart of the hole on the
rocks he struck match, to utter q cry of hor-
| ror.
The child was dying!
Morgan saw this at glance, for the eyes
were already set, and broken limb told the
cause of approaching death. Somewhere
among the rocks the Indian boy had fallen,
breaking his leg, which had swollen to twice
| its natural size.
The scout pitied the child, but saw that he
| could do nothing to alleviate its suferngs nor
stave off the dread angel, even then lowering
| over the head destined never to wear the war
bonnet of chief.
| Sandy made soft bed for the little one. he
! took off his coat and spread it on the hard stone
| floor of the cave, then he made a pillow by
| placing his hat upon heap of dust, and thus
| situated the grandson of Spotted Tail crossed
the great divide"
The old scout stood over the body and
thoughtfully looked down upon the heap of
clay.
al know the red wretch out there" he said.
81 couldn't make him believe that didn't kill
| the boy, and if / were to surrender the whole
crowd would take delight in torturing me. /
won't tell 'em. i won't tell 'em now, at any
rate. i want to get out of this pickle first and
some day FL tell the mother of the boy the
truth"
Morgan could hear the movements of the In
dians all that night. He saw torches rise and
fall as they moved about searching for the lost
child, and for the moment he was forgotten,
though he knew that single movement on his
part would bring the thousand redskins down
upon him with the fury Of pack of wolves.
Every now and then Morgan would go to
where the child lay and hold match over the
placid face.
"He's about as big as Jim was when the fever
carried him off" he said one of these times.
9 1t was 20 years ago. and ] remember it we'll.
Jim was my little brother, and when the ground
closed over him / said good-by to Kentucky,
and since that time haven't seen Jim's grave"
II was curious how the dead boy in the
mountain worked upon the feelings of the man
red encounter. 1t was curious, too, that. after
SO many years, Morgan, the rough scout, should
recall, with tears in his eyes, the little boy who
died in his arms in far Kentucky and this over
the remains of one whom, if he were man, he
might have met in hostile encounter in the land
of the Sioux.
Morning came with long arrows of light
shooting over the horizon, and Morgan anx-
iously looked from the mouth OF his retreat.
He yva feel 10 of
horse, without water or food. was nickering in
a manner which showed that he, too, was suf-
feriDg great torture.
A lot of Indians stood on the nearest rise
Their figures were outlined against the glow
ing sky, and Morgan recognized Spotted Tail
by his war-robes covered with spots. He knew
that the old chief was blind of one eye. and he
often wished for an opportunity to shoot out
the remaining one
There was no longer any doubt in Sandy
Morgan's mind that the Indians had located
his retreat. He saw the chief point toward
the very cavern he inhabited, and after awhile
he heard yell which he knew was a signal,
and down the mountain came 20 redskins all
mounted and riding at breakneck speed.
The attack had come! Instantly hundreds
of heads appeared in sight along the ridges,
Morgan. falling back, cooked his rife, and with
a stern7face awaited the charge.
He knew that the pass leading up to his re.
treat was so narrow that two horses could
barely move abreast, and when he thought of
this, bis eye lighted up for moment and he
seemed to smile with grim delight.
On, on came the red forlorn hope. Spotted
Tail, with a lot of chiefs. stood off and watched
the movement. The willy old chief with the
single orb felt assured of success and held to
his eye glass which the last campaign had
given him from the dead body of some Federal
officer.
Sandy Morgan saw the party reach the pass
He looked down upon the foremost struggling
for precedence and then opened on the 90. In
moment there were two dead Sioux in the pass
and the horses ridden by them were plunging
in every direction and trying to get back, as
if brutes though they were, they seemed to
believe that death lay ahead.
Morgan worked the Winchester with deadly |
effect, and co0ly.
He threw away no cartridges, for he had |
none to spare with the outlool, ahead, and when
he saw the few survivors of the charge 90 back, |
dragging after them the dead bodies of their
comrades, be looked across the valley and saw
Spotted Tail gesticulating with the rage of
frenzed demon.
That was the last charge of that day In
fact, the Indians seemed to have become mbued
with wholesome fear OF the lone man in the
cave. They shook their heads when they
looked toward the mountain, and said that the
white man shot six bullets at once.
Morgan expected an attack that night, but |
none came. He was growing weak from hun
ger and thirst, and began to look at his horses
arched neck with wistful eyes
81 break through the lines today, or per-
ish," he said. " I'm going to hoodwnk Spot
ted Tail or die by his fires"
He moved out of the cavern with dirty
handkerchief over his head, and the Indians
ran out to look at him. Morgan was mounted
this time. He sat astride his hungry steed
with the GOODNESS of q man debating terms to
an enemy.
Spotted Tail himself accompanied by few
sub-chiefs, came over the hills to meet him.
When few hundred yards still separated
them. Morgan stood upright in the stirrups
and it was seen that lie carried bundle on his
arms.
81 will give Spotted Tail back his grandson
if he will let me pass through his lines" said
Morgan.
The old Chief was seen to start.
"White man no got little Ab-se- o-ka," said
the old Indian himself.
He is here" responded Morgan, holding up
the object be carried az don't want the boy,
but if am hunted longer if you attempt to
touch me, by heavens the child in my hands
Will never become chief"
This seemed to alarm the Indians. Spotted
Tail and his chiefs came closer together.
"What is the white scouts plan?" came over
the intervening space in the Sioux tongue.
81 will carry the boy through your lines.
No warrior shall come nearer than 300 yards;
all weapons shall be on the ground 10 feet from
their owncrs the mother of the child will
come to me and accompany me to spot one
mile from the Indian camp. / will give the