Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-11-07

~ eRseso Ha1a - . Raoal 8ssoe ~ .
~YSunUBese."
He had eo0e cut 70 - - sscond lisa-
eonant-a yuung and beardlex graduate
ffum Wet Ruint-and the raeesd Old
trooper who had beea fighting Indians fcr
three yeaFs smiled in contempt. Pity was
mingled with cootempt, however. Il was
unjust to the boy to put him up against
the savage Apaches for his first trial.
Even some of the veteran officers Of the
swar had made bad ALLURE Of it when
they came out - the plains.
The youngster," - the men called him,
had been with rs . fortnight when the
colonel ordered him out on q scout. We
were to 60 down the valley four miles,
turn to the west and ride down the bank
Of Walnut creek three miles and then
come back over the hills. One sergeant,
one corporal-2s troopers in all. At that
time the chances were against sighting an
Indian, but the movement would tell their
spies that We Weze alert and watchful.
In due time We reached the creek and
turned in. Il was lined with trees and
bushes and offered cover to an enemy.
The younGster" gave no orders, however.
and appesr,i greatly surprised when he
looked back Eud observed the attitude Of
for what might come and obliqued OF
against the hillside. I think the officer
was about to hurl some indignant protest
1t us when We got q volley from the
bushes. Every man in that troop realized
on the instant that We had only ten or .
dozen redskins to deal with-every man
but the officer Had We wheeled into line,
fred volley and charged, we should have
driven them from cover and had q good
show to exterminate the band. The
youngster' was ratified by the suddenness
Of the attack. and because two or three
horses went down he lost his head and
ordered us to push forward at a gallop,
leaving two men who had been dismounted,
but were Unhurt, TO be deliberately shot
down as they sought for cover. We had
dashed forward abou: half mile when
every trooper suddenly pulled up and
wheeled about. No one gave the order.
but all acted in concert. We were too late
to save cur comrades, but the sight of
their mu,il;ped bodies brought shouts for
revenge as we charged the thicket. We
got n feeble volley, and another horse went
down. but in 10 minutes VIC had wiped out
the last skulkiDg warrior. Nine Of them
had put the - of Us to flight.
1.-The youngsier" was brought back to rs
by the sound CT the firing. Ills face wore
look of establishment and dismay as he
saw the dead When he was informed that
we had made a cowartily retreat before such
a small force, and when a trooper held up
the scalp locks of our dead comrades and
growled out that they had been abandoned
to their fate when u cool head would have
saved them, the face of the young man was
white as death and he made no reply. A
trooper was sent to the fort for an ambu-
lance to carry in the dead, and after beat
| ing up the bushes again we sat down to
await his return. The lieutenant dismount-
| ed and sat by himself. For long time he
sat with his face in his hands gazing at the
| earth, and there wasn't one of us who
didn't feel sorry for him. By and by he
| called the sergeant over to him and asked:
Sergeant, did you realize that we were
being fired on by go small force."
Il judged them to number from to Il
| SIR was the reply.
''And had you been in command what &C
| ton would you have taken:"
''Fours right, wheel and give 'em vol
ley and then charge. That would have
been my way il they had numbered 100
for a dash would have driven them from
cover and let US in
"And the order gave was to push Tor
i W0IU> winch WIS Tue sdtfie AS Ietfeats
$50 We understood. sir"
'.And you returned and aaacked without
| orders.''
| without orders, sir"
THAT will do. sergeant. The ambulance
should be here soon. and you will see about
the bodies. Try and tell plain, straight
story about the fight when you report t.
the cai,tain.''
With that he got up and moved up thu
hill as if surveying the country. and no on,
happened to lie locking Mt him when he pu
his revolver to his head and sent bulie
into his brains. He was dead before W,
reached him. Poor ''youngster.'' A cour
martial would have dismissed him from
the service. Even had no charges been pre-
ferred, he could not have held his head vi
among men-fghting men.
Say exclaimed the sergeant as VI
stood looking at the body. he made mis-
take, hut paid for it with his life, and N
man shall speak i'll Of him. He was
youngster and had never seen an Injun
and that's all that allied him."
M.QuAp.