Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-06-30
N. j., THURSDAY, JUNE 80, 1892.

that there would be trouble if we tried
to do that. Finally the chief said if we
would give him an hour he would tell
where the boys were. advised the
agent to accept this They cannot get
away on their half starved ponies in an
hour ] said, SO it was decided to wait.
"When we went back Lone Wing was
ready to receive US.
Where are the young thieves? de-
manded the agent.
" The Great Father drives his chill
dren from their hunting grounds to
starve them, and then calls them thieves
for not being willing to die like rabbits.
The young braves are not here. The
white chiefs win find them in the hills
waiting for them.
They have left the reservationr ex-
claimed the agent, his blood hot. Put
spurs, captain, and overtake theml Bet
ter send some Of the trailers ahead to
find which way they have sneaEed off,
II had pretty good idea where we
would find the boys, and Lsaid, i don't
think trailers viii be needed in this case.
II They are not far off.
why, said he. where do you think
they have gones
Il pointed toward the hills where two
faint specks showed, and handed him
my glass he looked, and put spurs to
his horse.
".Noneed to hurry | said; they are
not running away.
And was right. When we got near
enough to make them out clearly, there
stood the two little fellows in warpaint
and feathers. their ponies by their sides
and their rifles in their hands.
" "'What do the rascals meang said the
agent.
But understood it well enough.
Their Indian blood wouldn't let them
suffer imprisonment or possibly a whip
/ ping, and rather than thus be degraded
in their own eyes and those Of the war
riors Of their tribe. they had resolved to
court a warriors death alone, outside
Z the reservation. and thus shield the rest
of the tribe from sharing in the punish
/ ment
when we were within 300 yards Of
4 them they mounted their ponies and
brandished their rifles, and could hear
their shrill, boyish voices in defiant
4 tones shouting the war whoop Of their
tribe. Before any of us could get our
breath they leaped to their ponies backs
and charged down toward rs at a furi-
/ GUS gallop.
81 think it was moment or two be-
fore any Of US took IN the audacity Of
the thing-two Indian boys charging
right into the ranks of 100 armed whites
+ but when they got within rife range
they opened our eyes by lying fiat On
4 their ponies and shooting straight at us.
.Give the young inps a volley, cap
i tainr excitedly directed the agent
II hated to do it, but there they came,
riding us down and shouting like all
4 possessed. Aim high: fire. command
4 ed the men. for couldn't bear to
/ slaughter the brave little chiefs. On
they rode, unhurt Of course, right. into
+ our teethl
"sOpen ranksr
-.They shot like wildfre through us
and were out Of reach before we could
halt and reform
Il supposed all we would have to do
now would be to chase the little rascals
back into the camp and deliver them
over as prisoners of war. But bless my
stars if they didn't wheel as soon as
they could, bringing their ponies to a
dead stop, and with another wlioop ot
{ defiance came charging back up the hill
! at us
1T was the most desperate exhibition
Ii of courage had ever witnessed in a hui
man being, red or white-a cool and
grim determination to keep up the fight
until they died fighting.
Pop! One of our horses was hit.
~Pop a cavalry man dropped bis
Winchester, hit in the arm. | dared
not spare them longer.
sFirer
The smoke Of our second volley
cleared away to show ms two PROSTATE
forms and pony kicking its last on
the earth. l shut my eyes. did not
want to see what knew must see.
Leave them to the coyotest growled
the agent. No, drag their bodies back
to the old VOLTS den. I'll teach them
a lessonr
Not by my command, Mr.. Agent,
said. 4 never faced any Drawer enc
mics. They shall be buried with the
honors of war
''Oh, I'm 50 glad you were in com
mand. Uncle Jack, little Ted cried. his
lips quivering with sympathy. Where
did you bury them then. Uncle Jack:
Not where the wolves could"
BLESS your life, youngster. | didn't
bury them at all. The agent and his
Indian police had gone back by the time
the sergeant with his squad got the
graves dug, and when they went topick
them up from beside their dead ponies
I'll be courtmartialed if they didn't
find two Of the most lively corpses that
ever played possum. The men had fired
low.
Before long they disappeared from
that agency. Their education had not
been of the sort to make them peaceable
and industrious Very likely they have
been fighting Uncle Sam since. But
couldn't hurt hair Of them. -. F.
Cowan in Youths Companion.