Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-05-19


two more were.lying side by side in the
center of the group, while three were
wounded and one of whom was slow
" dying behind protecting rock. The
rest were crouching or lying behind
the rocks and rubbish they had hur-
riedly heaped up as breastworlz,
watching for stray shots at .he dusky
figures that were occasionally seen
darting from rock to rock or leaping up
suddenly to fire into the little circle.
They knew that there had been some
mistake in the information they had
received. No one had imagined that
there were such numbers of hostiles so
near them. They had been entrapped,
cut off from the horses and surrounded
before they fairly knew what had hap
psuc1. TIC regiment was doubtless
expecting their return, but could have
had no news of their danger or of the
proximity of the Indians unless the
redskins had been bold and numerous
enough to attack the whole force sent
against them. The small supply of
water was going fast and the number
of cartridges was becoming smaller
and smaller. They knew very well
what to expect; in a few hours there
would be the yell, the rush of the hos
tiles, the hand-to-hand fight, and all
there would be leftwould be the heap
of bodies on and about those forms al
ready in the center But the discipline
of the regular service was strong even
in this crisis, and the love of fighting
for its own sake, that makes good sol
diers, was still apparent in the CLEAN
that shone in n mans eye when he
saw through the smoke of his carbine
one of those dark figures throw up its
arms and fall back. Most of the men
felt in some way that there was some
thing heroic in this position; they
understood that they would die as true
soldiers should fighting to the last.
But the lieutenant wondered, as he
steadily watched a rock from behind
which two Indians were trying to get
shot, why the inspiration supposed to
accompany such scenes was wanting
In another part of the circle Connors
had been meditating plan for the last
hour, and as night approached it be-
came a determination. Near his posi-
large number of powders piled togeth-
er, around which the sagebrush had
sprung up rather thickly. On this side
the Indians were fewer, and he thought
that perhaps it might be possible for
man to get through them in the dark
If the scene had been changed to the
slums of Chicago, and the Indians to
policemen, he felt quite sure he could
do it easily. But he reflected that In
dams and policemen differed. Still,
there was bare chance, better, at
least than waiting to be butchered,
and he determined to try it.
When the stars began to appear, and
the enemy commenced to fire more rap
idly, he turned to the man next to him.
Look a-here, Jim he said; 'T'm-"
There was a crash of two or three
shots from the Indians, and Jim rolled
over on his side, his arms and legs con-
tracted, then stiffly extended, while his
face turned a ghastly white, and Con-
nors saw that he was stone-dead. They
dragged the body into the center and
laid it beside the others Connors
thought better of speaking to anyone
about the project, and in the slight
confusion occasioned by moving the
man Who had just been killed, stepped
suddenly into the darkness, over the
low protection, among the sage-brush
and rocks, and disappeared. The men
in the circle wondered at the sudden
firing and few yells among the enemy,
and as Connors' absence was not no.
ticed in the excitement, faint hope of
relief was raised; but the noise soon
subsided. and all was as before.
In the camp of the regiment the men
were sitting about the fires singing
and telling stories, while the officers
were gathered together smoking, and
occasionally wondering where that de-
tail of X troop could be. Still there
was no real anxiety, as no hostiles
were supposed to be in the neighbor-
hood. The prairie stretched away
lonely and white in the'moonlight, and
the voices of the regime ntal singers
sounded sweet and plaintive on the
night air.
On a sudden there was Il shout from
the sentinels on the western side of the
camp, the singing stopped, and two or
three of the officers ran toward the
western outposts, while some confusion
arose in the camp Soon there were
cries for the surgeon, and that officer,
who had been interrupted by the noise
at the height of one of his best stories,
grumblingly arose and walked over to
the spot where o group of men had
gathered. bending forward to look at
something in the center of the crowd.
AS the surgeon approached he was sur
prised to see an unmistakable Indian
pony standing perfectly blown near
the knot of men, its legs wide apart
and head down, while the steam rose
from its wet skin. Here's the doc
tor" said some one, and the surgeon
made his way into the center of the
group.
Connors was on the ground, his head
and shoulders supported by one of the
men. He was trying to say something,
but could hardly whisper.
"The details up in DEVILS canyon
eight miles-east side. 1njuns all
around 'em-shootin' 'em like dogs
may be all dead now. For Gods sake
hurryl" whispered Connors, weakly,
and then tainted.
In the circle in the canyon a little
flicker of hope had arisen when Con-
nors was missed, and the shots and
yells of the enemy thus accounted
for; but the probabilities were so much
against any man being able to get
through alive that it was very small
flame, indeed. The heap in the center
was larger, and the grim certainty that
that fatal rush would come and the
wish of all that it might come soon
were stronger every minute. 1t was
quite clear moonlight now. The shots
of the enemy came faster, and had
closed in perceptibly in the last hour.
The men fired slowly, and the order
was given for each man to use his last
two cartridges on no account till the
end. They could not see the Indians,
but fired at the flashes. The faces Of
the men were set and rather pale; one,
with bloody shirt sleeve bound tight
ly around his head, looking particular
ly ghastly. The widest rumors were
entertained by the most hopeful but
the determination Of despair had set
tied on most. One poor wretch, NOR
tally wounded, lay near the center,
talking loudly in his delirium He
thought he was back at the fort with