The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-02-12
connors' blue sleeve and sobbcd as if

| IL he wanted to. Pooh!" lie contin-
ued, grandly. "Injuns is all towards
they'd run if you waved your hand at
en-" He knew that. not to put too
fine point upon it, he was lying
outright; but he told himself that he
was used to it and ought not to mind
it now
DO you think, Connors, you could
take care of him some and not let him
get shot?" said the little girl.
why, certainly, MISS" answered
| Connors, promptly.
You see, I'd feel more comfortable
| if l knew you were looking out for
him"
III take care of him all right,
miss" said Connors Don't you worry.
Why, in Il few days he'll be back here
same as to-day"
"Connors," said the little girl,
brokcnly, in n rush of childish graft
tudc, "you're-you'rc so good"
ME good" groaned Connors. inward
ly, as they turned back toward the fort
-Four days afterward all that was left
of Il detachment of twenty officers and
men from Y Troop, Tenth United
States cavalry, were grouped in an ir-
regular circle on small hillccl1 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 cx-
trcmcly improbable even to the most
sanguinc. 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 protecting rock. The
rest were crouching or lying behind
the rocks and rubbish they had hur-
riedly heapcd up as a breastworl,
watching for stray shots at the dusl1y
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 mum bcrs of hostiles so
near them. They had been cntrapped,
cut off from the horses and surrounded
before they fairly knew what had hap
pcned. The regiment was doubtless
expecting their return, but could have
had no news of their danger or of the
Ol lIlC lnUllIS 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 we'll
what to expect; in 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
| dicrs, was still apparent in the CLEAN
that shonc in mans eye when he
saw through the smoke of his carbine
one of those dark figures throw up it's
arms and fall back. Most of the men
felt in some way that there was some
thing heroic in this positions; they
understood that they would die as true
soldiers should fighting to the last.
But the lieutenant wondered, as he
steadily watched Il rock from behind
which two Indians were trying to get
shot, why the inspiration supposed to
accompany such scenes was wanting.
In ano Their part of the circle Connors
had been meditatng plan for the last
hour, and as night approached it be-
came determination. Near his posi-
ton, outside of the circle, was quite n
large number OF powders piled togcth-
err, around which the sagebrush had
sprung up rather thicllly. On this side
the Indians were fewer, and he thought
that perhaps it might be possible for a
man to get through them in the dark.
II 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
dians and policemen differed. Still,
there was bare chance, better, at
least than waiting to be butchercd,
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; "I'm-"
There was n 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 CHASTITY 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 occasioncd 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 Il few yells among the enemy,
and as Connors' absence was not no.