The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-06

scalps inside Of two miles Can't you
see that's what they planned fur"
FIGHTING FOR LIFE.
In two minutes the horses were down
and we were ready. The Cheyennes did
not como. Seven white men armed with
carbines and revolvers would bring
mourning to many lodges before the last
one went under. They would have
charged two or three. They would have
circled four or five. They knew Cali
fornia Joe, and had set 9 price on his
head. They would have given much to
capture him alive, but to know that he
was dead would be cause for great re
joicing. They jeered and tainted him
They called us white squaws and dogs.
They shouted out that they could see
tears on our faces, and note that our guns
trembled as we took aim.
'What sort of q move are they max
ingln queried the sergeant, as those on
the TANKS spread out farther,
Ever bin roasted ahVer' curtly an
swered Joe.
"No"
'Waal, you ar going to be now That's
thar dodge-to fire the grass and roast
us. / spected that sort of deviltry when
] told the boys to wet thar blankets.
They won't save US thouFh-too much
grass. Them bucks out on the tanks ar
thar to head us off if we try to make
break"
I turned my gaze upward as the thought
of the vultures came to my mind and the
ten increased to nineteen They were
sailing in a circle and lower than before
mo pertickler hurry list at present, :"
continued Joe, as he reached for his plug
of tobacco and began shaving it off and
filling his pipe. They will send some
one out to demand our surrender fust.
Good The wind is droppin a leetle.
Sergeant, how does the sky look to the
north?"
"A cloud creeping up.''
"Goin' to be change, but it may not
cum soon 'nufr Thar Gums the critter
who wants us to swallow his promises
and surrender our scalps."
A chief detached himself from the force
in front and rode toward us with one hand
raised as a sign of peace. He was only
ten rods away when he halted. He at
first imperiously demanded our surren-
der. No one answered him, but Joe asked
of the sergeant:
ANY change in the SKYE"
"There 'sa small dark cloud which looks
as if it might bring squall."
The chief INDUCED in threats, but as
they were mheeded he turned to prom
ises. He offered to let the rest of US go if
we would give up the scout.
JoE's KETORT.
"Cloud spreadin' any, sergeant" asked
Joe as he brought out his match box and
handed splint to every man he could
reach.
yYes, and here comes the wind from
it, was the reply.
Hold steady Pm goin' to lift that
Ingun foot high. The mint fire light
them and stick em into the grassl Drat
the critter, but he's Off Ready with
your matches"
The dry grass almost exploded as the
flames touched it. A wave of fire ran to
the south and spread away east and west
with such Incredible swiftness that we
stood amazed Inside of sixty seconds
the fierce gusts which swept down from
the cloud had carried that wave to the
cedars at the base of the mountain. In
another minute the timber on the noun
tain was ablaze. There was one grand
yell from the Indians before the smoke
had them, and l heard Joe strangling and
shouting:
'Kiver your heads and the heads of the
bosses, and wen cum out all right"
So we did. A quarter of an hour later
the squall had settled into a fresh breeze
which rolled the smoke against and over
the mountains, but it was long after dark
before the horses would take to the hot
ground Between the spot we had occu-
pied and the base of the mountain we
counted right and left of our path twenty
two blackened heaps on the gray black
surface of the prairies. Some were the
bodies of Indians, some of ponies There
were plenty of heaps we did not see in the
darkness-enough, as we learned a year
later, 10 make the loss almost a death
blow to White Dogs band. They had
been consumed in furnance prepared