The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-09-01
marks were quite perceptibrs to the un-


trained eye.
When we had buried the dead trooper, we
took up trot and travelled at a good pace.
1t was obvious that the captain was as
nervously anxious as any to come upon the
reds, for he quite frequently allowed his
horse to break into gallop, and we fol-
lowed readily. A consultation between the
''old man" and the scout and first sergeant
took place ut noon but OF that ! knew
nothing. am speaking as one from the
ranks. We had only few days rations
for horse and man, and we knew we should
be away out Of our course, but not a single
man murmured. We munched our "crack-
ers, boiled some coffee and went steadily
onward.
The old troop had the reputation of being
the jolliest Of the regiment while on the
march, but that day there was no song, no
laugh, no horseplRy. Healy rode by me,
and, poor chap once when looked at him
saw tear trickling down from beneath
his heavy red eyebrow.
All the afternoon and on into the even
ing, till the sun sank down among the
sullen clouds to the west of us, and it grew
chilly and dreRry-all that afternoon we
rode silently on.
A parting CLEAN of gold and crimson
just Hinged the horizon when the captain
halted and agSin consulted with the scout.
To our right lay the mouth of one of the
tributary creeks Of the Canadian, and the
stream descended from q precipitous can
yon, whose upper waters we're cushioned in
cloud of cedar trees.
AS the daylight spent itself as the sun
went down we turned in column of twos
and crept up the narrow pass, the Kiowa
few PAGES ahead of the column.
1t was on the very verge Of night, and the
captain was reckless else he would have
never ventured his men in such defile at
such time. We were getting up, up the
stream, and the banks were beginning to
reach far above our heads, shutting out the
last CLEAN of sunlight, when suddenly from
beyond came the clear, shrill notes of
bugle. The captain halted instinctively,
and the troop drew up behind him.
"WhNt-what-what was that, sergeantw
the old man asked as he turned in his sad
die and looked the first sergeant anxiously
in the face.
Healy grew tremendously excited. He
left his place in the ranks and galloped to
the front.
Its the kidP' he shouted. Its Billyl
Captain, can tell him-no one ever blew a
note like his-it's Billyp'
He was so wild that he would have
charged up the ravine by himself, but the
ranking corporal caught his bride rein.
The captain looked sternly at the Kiowa
scout and drew his revolver
''N hat does this meAn?" he asked.
Tie Kiowa turned with the calmest,
most innocent air.
"They are there" he said. big chief
no comeW
And he rode forward at gallop.
Again the clear notes Of the bugle rang
through the night air, and now all our
doubts were dispelled. 1t was Billy-no
one but he could tongue" bugle like
that, but even as we raised ourselves in our
saddles there was the ring of a rifle and the
whiz Of bullet, and the captain yelled:
"An ambushl Twos, right about march,
Gallopi March"
And we did and got out OF that ravine as
quickly as our horses could carry us. But
first the captain leveled his Colts" and
sent bullet into the back of that flying
scoundrel-our false guide.
We halted on the bluff near the river and
got the horses under cover in clump Of
cottonwoods. All that night and next day we
fought, skirmishing, charging and retiring,
until scouting party from Custer's COM
mand came to our relief But poor little
Billy-let me tell you what MAN With-a-
Knife" said Of his death-"Man-W ith-a-
Knife" is now scout in government en-
ploy.
He told us how Tip stumbled and
threw the bugler, and in the darkness no
one saw the mishap. He told us how the
boy fought with the revolver and killed
two savages. He told us how the chief,
laughing at the pluck of the "papoose'-as
they called hin1-saved his life then and
took him with them until the Comanches
Joined another party and waited for us.
All that march their scouts had lined tho
neighboring bluffs aud signaled our ap-
proach, and the treacherous Kiowa had
signaled back to them, unseen by our poor
old captain. They drew us on into the am
bush-we were nearly surrounded-wher
Billy realized what was going ON and
blew the bugle the fools never thought OF
taking from him.
'AndP we asked.
The Man With-the-Knife shrugged his
shoulders as only an Indian can.
''Big white chief hear papoose blow-big
white chief turn round and run away"
IF we had not heard the bugle," said
Healy gently, 1--WE would none of us have
been here. 1t was death hole they had
ready for u.s."
We didn't ask anything about Billy from
Man With-the-Knife,f for we knew it all too
well. They killed him-the devils-before
he could blow another warning note.
And that is why, in the cemetery near
Fort -, among all the white boards, there
is only one stone monument, on which is
written simply, I'm memory of William
Jones, aged 16 years, who gave up his life
for his comrades. Up. Y Black in Louis
vile Courier-J ournal.