Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1894-02-26
WAS HE A COWARD?

quiet had succeeded the last Indian out
break, and the troop Of United States cav
airy stationed at this little post had found
IL hard work killing time with the dull
routine of garrison duty.
One morning In May, however, a scout
from the plains came In reporting that a
band Of marauding Indians had attacked
and burned a little settlement 10 miles
south of the fort the night before and
butchered the inhabitants. They had
found a lot Of whisky at the settlement,
20 the scout said, and after wild carous-
nj had gone off to the south about day
break. They numbered 90 or 80, he
thought.
Captain Dahlgrsn, the commandant OF
the fort, made immediate preparations for
pursuit. The officers were all In the cap
tain's quarters at the time, and turning
to the senior lieutenant he saidi
'Davis, take . detachment OF 25 men
and start al soon as you can get them into
saddle. BY sharp riding you can overtake
the red fends before they reach the rocks.
After that you may be guided by circum-
stances. will only say that i don't ask
you 70 take any prisoners-you under
stand"
"All right, SIR" replied the lieutenant,
"within half an hour I'll be after them. "
As he saluted his superior officer and
turned 10 leave the quarters, a manly look
ing young fellow Of about II, who had
been standing near Captain Dahlgren,
stepped forward and said:
zone moment, Mr.. Davis, please.
want to go with you. Father" he contin-
ued, turning to the captain, "you prom
ised that should 90 on the next trail.
couldn't have q better chance than this.
Mr.. Davis knows me and will vouch for
my good behavior. Don't refuse me, ia
ther-you know how anxious am TO go"
As he stood looking eagerly at his ia
ther he was as handsome picture Of
young manhood as you would care to see.
His eyes, even while they implored the
captain for his consent, flashed with the
spirit of the soldier, his form was proudly
erect, and for the moment the boy seemed
transformed into a man. He came from a
race Of soldiers on both sides Of his house,
and he looked forward to the glory OF
war, the clash and danger of battle, with
an enthusiasm that would not be controll-
cd.
"The spirits In him, captain, and he
gets IL fairly" said Lieutenant Davis.
"Let him go with me-hell bear himself
bravely."
every well, Ralph, you may go" said
Captain Dahlgren at last, looking at his
son with both a soldiers and a father 3
pride. "Do your duty, but be prudent" "
Thirty minutes later 25 well mounted
troopers, under the command of Lieuten-
ant Davis, left Fort Blake at a trot. On
one side of the officer rode the scout that
had brought the news Of the massacre,
and on the other young Ralph Dahlgren,
who was that day to receive his "baptism
of fire."
The boy had shared his fathers frontier
army life for more than year-ever since
his mother died-and though he had not
been without adventures and had faced
danger In various forms he had never yet
been in battle. His father had encouraged
his military tastes and provided him with
an outfit of which Ralph was naturally
very proud. He had a handsome mustang
pony called Firefy, as black as raven
and as feet as an antelope, which he had
trained to obey every motion Of his hand
and every pressure o. his knee.
His horsemanship was superb, even in
that region where superb horsemanship
was the rule, and where not to ride well
was a mark of inferiority. His arms con-
sisted Of a small breechloading rifle, made
to order for him, two silver mounted re-
volvers in the holsters of his Mcclellan
saddle and a long hunting knife, which
hung from his belt. His clothing was
made of buckskin, after a fancy of his
own-hah military, half scotland II set
off his muscular young figure admirably.
As the detachment left the fort and
struck out over the plain, the pace was
Quickened from trot to canter, for Lieu
tenant Davis purposed to run down the
enemy before they had time to reach the
rocks some miles to the south, where they
would be able to conceal themselves and
defy any attack that his force might make.
Every man in the troop was eager for
the fight, and none more so than Ralph.
Very little was said as the party rode
on. Lieutenant Davis asked the scout a
question occasionally, and now and then
spoke a word of advice to Ralph, whose
fiery. impetuous spirit he feared would
carry him into the hottest part of the bat
tie.
About noon they halted near little
clump Of trees for brief rest, for the lieu
tenant wanted both men and horses 10 be
fresh to meet the enemy, who could not
now be far away. Twenty minutes later
they were off again at a sharp pace.
At the end Of an hours ride they were
approaching a rise in the plain, beyond
the summit Of which they could not see.
Suddenly the lieutenant called out Haiti"
at the same time raising his right hand
above his head-a signal Of caution that
his men understood. The tramping of
the horses hoofs and the clanking of ga
bers Immediately ceased, and the troops
rested quietly in their places. The lieu
tenant dismounted, and bidding the scout
do the same and follow him he went for
ward to reoonnoiter. His quick and prac-
ticed eye had detected a wreath of smoke
family outlined against the sky as it curl
ed above the crest Of the hill. IL told him
that the Indians were near and that they
either did not expect pursuit or were reck.
lessly indifferent to II.
Moving cautiously forward, the officer
and the scout assembled the elevated ground
until near the summit, when they crouch
ed down, and concealing themselves in the
long grass looked over into the plain be-
low. The lieutenant was right. The In
dians were there, not 800 yards away, TAX
ing their noon meal near little thicket
Of stunted trees and underground. the ap-
pearance Of which indicated that spring
of water bubbled out OF the ground there
Near by were their horses. 85 in number,
cropping thegrass under guard Of three or
four of the band.
The thicket was the center OF a sort Of
basin, the sides Of which sloped gently
down from Q semicircular ridge, on part
Of which Lieutenant Davis and the scout
were crouching. OF to the south stretch
ed broad plateau, which ended abruptly,
three or four miles away, In the wild,
rocky formation spoken Of by Captain