Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-08-04

ing. We may have to saddle ana get
over there"
Not two hundred yards has he ridden
when from the point which he has just
quilted there comes "A 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.
"AIy God, sir cries the orderly, "Ser-
geant Ellis is killedw
Berrien's heart bounds. There, face
downward upon the sward, motionlcss,
just a 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
lop as they shoot up out of the shallow
rayine, and rifles in hand, coupsticks
advanced, race madly toward the strick-
en- trooper III eager effort to secure the
trophy Of their proves, the coveted
scalp Of the fallen foe.
Your carbine, manr yells Ber1ien to
his orderly. "Quick! 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 a
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 hrOnzed muz-
zle, the foremost warrior drops his
rifle. whirls up a clinching, convulsive
hand and topples headforemost out of
/ the saddle. Scott, the yedette, echoes
with another shot that kicks up the dust
/ close under the second pony's flashing
heels. Its red rider veers in broad circle
to the right, and in the tTinkling of an
eye the feathered war bonnet bows low
over the pony's stretching neck. Ber-
rien's bullet whizzes harinlessly above,
and the major himself, borne by the
rush Of his half maddened steed, dashes
on past Ellis, now kneeling for another
shot, and goes crash into the midst Of a
little knot of yelling warriors just
bounding up out of the gully to the res
cue of their stricken comrade. "Bess
my wife; Winnie" are the only words
he has time or thought to mutter, for
instant death seems inevitable.
But all the old fighting instinct is up
permost, and almost in the face Of the
foremost Sioux his revolver blazes Its
challenge, and horse and pony meet in
tremendous shock, and the lighter steed
goes tumbling and rolling over the turf,
There is chorus of yells, shots, soldier
cheers, laundering hoofs. There IS a
vision of glittering steel in front of his
eyes, of hideous painted face, sudden
sense Of stumble and stunning fall, q
shrill whOop of triumph, changing in
stantly into the death cry, and while hi.
Brule antagonist goes crashing down
pony and all, Berrien is conscious of tn,
superb leap Of big black charger Over
his own PROSTATE form, Of a stentoriaI
cheer from half a dozen trooper Threats
and the next minute Brewster is kneel
ing by his side, raising the honored gra,
head in his strong young arms, and thu
voice that Numbered in battle cry bu
an instant agone is trembling now as h
calls for n canteen Of water and bids hi
half stunned commander not to strive t
move.
"We've got two Of them, sir, all right,
he whispers, breathless, but well know
ing that to be the best news he can give
"Therest got away and left bullet hol
in your shoulder"