Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1893-10-26
Saint Maru's Beacon


over 400 miles with no halt above
four hours, and at 10 o'clock in the |
forenoon half the troops were sleep
ing in their saddles, as their lean |
and lame horses picked their way
over the rough ground, says the De-
troit Free Press.
We had planned to reach the
spot where the fleeing Indians
would cross the Little Missouri q
day or two ahead of them. We be-
lieyed We had accomplished it. At
10 o'clock we were within two miles
of the spot. Then the head of the
column halted for the men to close
up. Our line had strung out for
mile or more. Between US and the
crossing as the halt was made ma
ture had made a highway. 1t was
a grassy road about 20 feet wide,
twisting and turning like creek.
Either side was lined with dense
thickets. Half a mile down the
highway it was crossed by creek
with steep banks. Half a mile
further on was second creek. 1t
was hardly more than q rivulet at
this season, but the width from
bank to bank was 40 feet and the
banks were 0 feet high. Our guide
had never passed over the route.
No man in the column Of 200
men knew what lay beyond the
first turn. The halt to close up
was a precautionary measure, but
no one dresned of danger. IL the
hostile Indians had not turned
back or changed their route they
should still be forty or fifty
miles to the south. The stragglers
had come up, the sleepy troops had
braced up under the eyes of their
officers and the bugler was about to
sound the forward when the half
breed guide and scout held up his
hand in warning. A deer came
running up the grassy lane at full
speed and was within 10 feet of the
Colonel's horse, when it wheeled to
the right and vanished into the
thicket. Next came fox, who ran
under the feet of q dozen horses be-
fore he found shelter. Then a Sec
ond deer-then three or four rab-
bits.
What is it p asked the Colonel
of the guide.
Ambush = was the brief reply.
Where ?
The guide waved his hand to sig
nifty that it was down the lane some
where.
How do you know
See that p
A big gray wolf rounded the turn
a hundred feet away, coming at full
speed. The hair on his back stood
up, his tail almost dragged and it
was easy to see that he had been
disturbed and was put out about
it.
1njuns down there y said the
guide. we are too late ! They
have got here first and are in am
bush y
But what makes you think so p
persisted the Colonel, who was i'm
patient to 60 ahead and yet too
prudent to needlessly expose his
command.
Observation-Disclosures = re-
piled the guide. All were fright.
ened. All running away from some
thing. Injuns down there waiting
for us. We go some other way
We turned to the left and thanked
the position. We had made q dis
tance of seven miles when Indians
were seen and skirmishing began,
but they soon retreated southwards,
and as we followed them up they
crossed the Little Missouri. 1t was
the band we had hoped to intercept,
but why did they turn back with
out a fight: Everybody was ask
ing the question when few of us
rode off to inspect the ambush. The
death trap had been set for us be-
tween the creeks. The lower end
of the avenue had been blocked
with felled trees and bushes, and
trees partly cut down would have
blockaded the upper end as soon as
the last horseman had passed. The
road here had narrowed down to Is
feet. Wherever there was an open
in the bushes which lined the sides
it had been closed with thorns.
Scouts had observed our approach
and reported. When the head of
our column had fairly entered the
lane the eager squaws and impul-