The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-02-07

You see, I'd feel more comfortable
if l knew you were looking out fol
him.
.'I'll take care of him all right
miss" said Connors. Don't you worry.
Why. in few days he'll be back here
same rs to-day"
'Connors," said the little girl,
brolSenly, in rush of childish graft.
tude, ''you're-yon're SO good"
me good" groaned Connors, inward
~, as they turned back toward the fort
Four days afterward all that was LETT
of detachment of twenty officers and
men from X Troop, Tenth United
States cavalry, were grouped in an IT.
regular circle on a small hillock in
Devils Creek canyon, outstanding their
remaining cartridges. and sometimes
wondering whether they would ever
see the familiar buildings of the fort
again-a hypothesis that seemed ex-
tremely improbable even to the most
sanguine. They knew that two of their
number had been killed when the led
horses were captured, and the bodies of
two more VERIFYING side by side in the
center of the group, while three were
wounded and one of whom was slow
ly dying behind a protecting rock. The
rest were crouching or lying behind
the rocks and rubbish they had hur-
riedly heaped up as a breastwork,
watching for stray shots at the dusky
| figures that were occasionally seen
| dartipg 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
pened. The 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 left would 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 a 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 rock from behind
which two Indians were trying to get
shot, why the inspiration supposed to
accompany such scenes was wanting.
In ano ther'part. of the circle Connors
had been meditsting aplan for the last I
hour, and as night approached it be-
came determination. Near his posi-
ton, outside of the circle, was quite
large NUN Der of powders piled togeth-
er, around which the sageb brush had
sprung up rather thiclzly. 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
40 Aoc.1r- p.,<I Ia y-oAoofNl T.
dams and policemen differed. Still,
there was a 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 moro rap |
idly, he turned to the mannext to him. |
Look a-here, Jim," he said; "I'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 stifay extended, while his |
face turned a CHASTITY white, and Con-
nors saw that he was stone-6ead. They |
dragged the body into the center and |
laid it beside the others Connors |
thought better of speaking to anyone
hOS0S VIZ PAOJSSSs 1@<N ia 1kO
confusion occasioned by moving the
man who had just been killed, stepped
suddenly into the darkness, over the
low protection, among the sagebrush |
and rocks, and disappeared. The men
in the circle wondered at the sudden
firing and a fewyells among the enemy,
and as Connors' absence was not no.
tieed in the excitement, faint hope of
relief was raised; but the noise soon
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
wonderingswheret that de-
tail of y 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 ntsl singers
sweet and plaintive on the
night air.
On sudden there vas a shout from
l. -