Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-08-10
THE TRIANGLE OF DEATH.

Brave Men whose Fate Was Avenged
at Last.
1t was II o'clock in the forenoon when
the column suddenly halted, and a minute
later the news came down the lines that
the trail of the lieutenant and his six men
was blotted out by the hoof prints OF In
dian ponies This meant that war party
had swung in behind them. The ponies
had been at full gallop. That meant the
party was in sight of the redskins
We rode on for a mile, and just over tne
crest of a ridge we found the dead body OF
| a cavalry horse. 1t belonged to one OF the
men with the lieutenant. The blood had
poured out on the ground from mouth ana
ears, proving that the swift pace hao
brought death. There had been an IN
stant's halt here-just long enough for the
trooper to secure his ammunition anu
mount up behind a comrade.
Another mile and we find where the
party had halted again. A horse fell, put
was lifted up again and urged forward
Here we picked up half dozen empty
cartridge shells. The Indians had been
held off for a time. Only half mile had
| been passed when the horse went down
again and died as he fell. Here he lies on
| the trail, his bones picked almost clean
| since day before yesterday by wolf and
vulture Here we pick up a handful OF
| shells. AS the party started on again two
of the horses We're carrying double
And whence were the men fleeing? 1t Is
| forty miles to Fort Wallace-thirty miles
back to the temporary camp from where
| the courier started with this escort. But
| they make head to the west, squirting their
| faded horses as they never used spurs be-
| fore The lieutenant rides ahead, looking
| for battle ground-the Indians shrek and
| scream as they follow after.
Halt! Dismountl Lie down"
The two double loaded horses fell at the
same instant and lay prone upon the dry
| grass of the sunbaked plains. The other
| three heave to and fro and pitch about as
their riders dismount, but keep their I'M
steady footing until brought down by the
| bullets of the Indians Now the doom of the
soldiers is surely sealed. They are but seven
| to forty, and the ground furnishes all the
cover a warrior could wish for. They
make their circle to cut off all escape, dis
mount and then creep forward up the dry
| ditches-along the ridges-from rock to
rock and bush to bush. Three OF the horses
| fell so as to make a triangle. Within this
| triangle gathered the seven men. using the
| bodies of the horses for n breaStwork. The
sun was not yet two hours high. No man
| lived to relate what orders We're given by
| the ofIicer-what they planned-their hopes
| and fears Under the burning August sun,
without water, without hope of relief, with
| grim despair weighing them down, they
| hold their own hour after hour. At 10
| o'clock one of their number was killed.
| At noon a second. At l O'Clock third.
At half past n fourth. AT O'Clock only
| the lieutenant and one man were left. At
| there was no more firing from the tri-
| angle, and the Indians charged to find that
| all were dead.
They are here before US just as the war
riors found them. No. not that, but as
| they left them The wolves and buzzards
| have been satisfied 10 feed on the horses
| and pass the corpses by, but as we look
| down upon them every soldier cries out in
| horror and indignation. The devils who
show no mercy to the living can feel no re-
| spect for the dead who died soldiers
| death They have mutilated them until
| the spectacle will rise up as nightmare
| to every man in this troop for evermore.
| God be thanked that all were dead before
| those fiends began work with arrow. toma-
| hawk and knife!
| We scatter out to search the battlefield.
Here a warrior was wounded-here one
| killed Here-and here-and here are blood
| spots, which the wolves have passed by.
| They prove what a soldier loves to know
| that his dead comrades fought a gallant
| fight Scores and scores of empty shells in
| that bloody triangle, but not one single
| cartridge left. We dig a trench for the
| men-a grave LOT the anu when
| the earth has covered them in and we have
| piled on stones safeguard against the
| hyenas of the plains we ride away in
| silence. No man has word for his COM
| rade. He is too busy with his thoughts.
| AS that vision dances before his eyes and
| the odor of blood clings to his scent he
vows vengeance against warrior, squaw
| and papoose to the end of time
A week later, as daylight breaks on the
| valley hundred miles away, the bugler
sounds the charge, and we dash into an
| Indian village. Nothing that lives is spared.
| No cry for quarter is needed. There are old
| men tottering about-babes born less than
| a month ago. A troop of devils charges
back and forth shooting and slashing,
screaming and cursing When the fight
is over there are no prisoners-no wounded.
| All here are dead. Even the dogs of the
] village have been exterminated in that
! wild frenzy for revenge Men look at the
dead and cast reproachful glances at the
| troopers who sit their painting horses. In
reply these men silently point to the west
and whisper:
Remember Kidder and his menr'
| NJ. QUAD.