Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-09-01
ICoNTINUED.l

Hoped so short a time before-the valley
beyond which, a long, long days march
away, stands the guarded camp of com.
rade soldiery awaiting their return.
Berrien studies the scene long and care
fully through his glasses. intermediate
ridges are not many, but they are sharp
and clearly defined.
"Who was it reported that the adj
vance saw signal smokes south of us at
noonY he asks.
Corporal Waite, sir; he and two OF
the men saw them plainly, and they
seemed to be answered off here" And
Ellis points miles away to the west.
Berrien ponders a moment
Where away would you locate the
agency, sergeant, if You were going to
take bee line for itY'
"Out off here, sir"
"And they crossed that line going into
the valleyT'
"They certainly did, sir, and Look,
major! look yonder Another band,
and from exactly the same place"
A little bevy of dark objects darts
suddenly into view from behind cur
tainlike divide and goes skimming over
a level stretch toward the lowlands of
the valley. Berrien's glasses seem glued
to his eyes,
Twenty of them in that partly What
do they see? What's their hurry? They
would not expose themselves to our
view unless there were urgent need for
haste"
1.-The old road comes in from that d.
rection, sir, answers Ellis. I'VE left it
a few hours out from the cantonment,
as you remember. Can anything have
been seen along that road 10 give rise to
signal smokesY
Berrien turns half over and looks
keenly into the sergeants intelligent
face.
THAT road has been abandoned for
weeks past. Everybody to the east of
us has taken refuge at the railway long
since. Nobody would be coming from
that direction
II know that, sir; but would not any
detachment coming from the agency TO
meet us, for instance, be apt to keep
the road? | understood we were TO
strike for it in the morning and follow
il in"
Again Berrien gazes long and earnest
ly through the binocular "They are
certainly heading for that road and
riding at full speed. How many men
have you at this 'front.' he quickly
asks.
"Just eight, sir, all told, but eight
more are almost within call over on
our left flank. Yonder is the ridge
where my men are posted" And Ellis
points to their left rear where lies the
low crest.
Just keep good lookout here, SER
geant will move them over this way
and then ride to the left flank. My
horse, orderly" And, thinking deeply
over the matter as he rides, Berrien
spurs into lively canter across an in
tervening dip in the prairie. "Some
mischief ahead" he mutters. "They
are not speeding up that valley for moth
ing. We may have to saddle and get
over there"
Not two hundred yards has he ridden
when from the point which he has just
quilted there comes sudden yell of
warning, followed almost instantly by
two shots in quick succession. Then
bangl bangl another two, and, as he
whirls about, the first object that meets
his startled gaze is Ellis handsome black
horse plunging to earth almost at the
edge of a shallow ravine some distance
out in front of the butte.
my God, sir" cries the orderly, ''Ser-
geant Ellis is killedw
Berrien's heart bounds. There, face
downward upon the sward, motionlcss,
just few feet away from the plunging,
death stricken horse, lies the sergeant,
his carbine dropped from his nerveless
hand. At the same instant red glitter
ing, bedaubed with paint, bespangled
with cheap finery, two young Indian
braves lash their ponies into furious gal
Top as they shoot up out of the shallow
ravine, and rifles in hand, coupsticks
advanced, race madly toward the strick-
en- trooper in eager effort to secure the
trophy of their prowess, the coveted
scalp of the fallen foe.
Your carbine, manf' yells Berrien to
his orderly. "Quickl Shoot that lead
err And putting spurs to his snorting
horse, reckless of the fact that he is
armed only with revolver and that the
ravine may be full of Indians, the vet
eran soldier drives full tilt at the charg-
ing braves. He thinks only of the fact
that one of his men lies PROSTATE and
helpless before them. They are almost
upon Ellis before Berrien has galloped
rod They are within twenty PAGES of
him when, with a shout of delight, the
major sees him whirl suddenly over,
grasp his carbine, and all in a second,
the flame leaps from the bronzed muz-
zle, the foremost warrior drops his
rife. whirls up a clinching, convulsive
hand and topples headforemost out of
the saddle. Scott, the vedette, echoes
with another shot that kicks up the dust
close under the second pony's flashing
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