The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-09
A cHllD.s FoREkNowLEDeE.
An Incident Relating to the Great Custer


A cHlLD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE.
An Incident Relating to the Great Custer
Massacre.
Among the many curious instances OF
seeming second sight may be placed the
following incident of that saddest trag-
edy of modern days-the death Of Gus
ter and his gallant followers.
The love existing between Capt
Blank and his blue-eyed. golden-curled
boy, little Buster" the pet and darling
of the whole garrison, was something
to be remembered Wherever the tai
soldierly figure of the youn ather was
to be seen unless on duty. nat OF the
child was sure to be close bcS;le, some
times riding on his father shoulder,
sometimes clinging TO his had, always
lifting TO his eyes full OF passionate
love and content.
When the dreaded day came that WAS
to separate those fearless men from the
women and children who so loved them.
Buster could hardly be torn from his
father, and my husband told me that
long after, the child's shrek of utter
misery, unchildlike in its intensity, rang
in his ears For some days after tbs
command had marched across the low
purple hills, out of the reach of loving
eyes, Buster dropped and pinned; but he
was child, and the old ch,f : 'ru;etv
came back to his eyes, and MS iaue :.
which rang out as happily rs ever, al
most Earring upon his young mothers
ear.
One warm June day at Fort Lincoln
Mrs Blank sat sewing IN her tiny par
lor, her baby creeping about the floor
at her feet, while she chatted with two
or three more lonely wives, perhaps OF
the beloved ones far off across tbs
plains and their possible return. Sud-
denly Buster rushed in through the
open door. eyes sparkling, hair flying,
Mamma" he shouted, my papa's
s'coting his 'volverl heard himw
did you, darling?" his young mother
said, STOPPING to kiss the little flushed.
eager face. How very NIGEL wish he
could come home and SCOT it Dont
you?n
:'He's s'ooting Iniuns;" the child went
on; land he'll SCOT EN- all, and zen he'll
tome home"
I'm sure 1 hope ne will, sighed Mrs.
Blank. Run out and play, Buster, and
don't go in the sun"
How Buster does talk about his
father some one remarked. Il often
meet him running along with some one,
and, child or man, soldier or officer,
you can always catch the words my
rapa' if you listen to him"
Then the talk wandered on, always
in minor key, for there had been quite
an interval of time since the last letters,
and there was always unacznowledged
anxiety, though all felt unbounded
faith in the powers of the gallant
Seventh.
Presently the sound of a child's bitter
crying brought them all to their feet,
and Buster ran into his mothers arms
at the door, sobbing wildly:
Mamma" he sobbed, 1.-THE Injuns
hes dot my papa He's dot no more
scots in his 'volver; he's s'ooted 1t all
Oh, / want my papa, and the bad In
juns dot himl"
Mrs. Blank lxnelt down on the floor
beside her boy, drawing him close 10
her heart, Hush, Buster" she said,
very gently, but firmly, You must not
be such a silly little hoy: the Injnns can
not get your papa. Gen. Custer is there,
he will take care OF papa and all the
men. Do You think + Troop would let
the injuns get papa? See you are maxi
ing US all feel very bad, and papa would
say that you were not his brave little
lad. Now stop crying and go and
play: you could not hear papa'S 'volyer
so far away"
Yes" the child exclaimed, earnestly,
81 tan hear my papa's 'volver, and L
know he's s'ooted it air. But army dis
cipline prevailed, and the boy choked
back his sobs, nesting in his mothers
arms and resting there, strangely quiet,
for the rest of the long summer day.
That evening, when the children were
both sleeping, and the daily bulletin 10
her absent husband had been written,
Mrs. Blank sat for some moments IN
silent thought. then drawing a sheet OF
paper TO her, wrote down the date, june
20, and poured out 10 her only brother
the aching of her heart and the sense
less anxiety caused by the child's fool !
ish words, the memory of which still !
stirred MIN in his sleep, Tor he sobbed !
and tossed all night.
On the 9th Of July. when the whole !
army writhed and cried out in agony at !
the news that had come TO us, we, 70 ,
whom Mr.. L. had shown his sisters let 4
ter, knew that on the 26th of June
Capt. Blank had dearly sold his life, and /
had been found pierced with many .
wounds, his empty revolver clasped IN j
his stiffened hand. And far way, in bis 4
quiet home, his baby boy had seemed 70
lnow it-Harper's Weekly.