Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-05-24
THE LAST OF THE ESCORT.
Row Sergeant williams Rode From Death
TO Life.

Row Sergeant williams Rode From Death
to Life.
While you take good look at the man
sitting in the sunshine on the hospital We
randa will tell you the story. 1t is not |
a long one, but there 5 much in II to make |
your nerves tingle and to give you a sore
spot in your heart.
Sergeant Williams by name-second ser
gcant of OBJ company. Wounded in six |
places by bullets, but Is rapidly recovering |
and will be back on duty In a month more. |
His company was stationed at ford on |
Lame Mans creek one day during the last |
Indian outbreak At 3 o'clock in the |
afternoon up comes an escort with an Off |
GERS wife, who must be passed along to
the fort Sergeant Williams was detailed |
for the duty and took nine troopers with
him. 1t was ride of 30 miles, and the
country swarmipg with hQstles. Every
one of the squad before reporting for duty
shook hands with his comrades and said
goodby The woman knew the risk, but
it was almost as bad to stop with the COM
pany,, which might be attacked at any mo-
mcnt.
"Push on at fair pace until attacked;
then ride for your lives. If pushed too
close dismount and stand 'em off and send
me word If all 60 down but you, kill the
lady and die fighting
Those were the orders to the sergeant,
and he saluted and rode away at the head
of his squad For an hour the fresh and
eager horses were held in hand, and the
way was clear. Then from the grove they
had left, half mile to the right as they
fordcd Cow creek there dashed a whooping,
! shouting band of painted warriOrs-l50 to
| 10.
"Thcn ride for your lives" repeated the
! sergeant as he recalled his orders. He
| looked over his shoulder and nodded to the
| men, turned to the woman and saluted, as
| if she were an officer, and free yein was
! given the horses. For five miles the pace
| was terrific, but the cavalry horses held
| their own. Then some of them began to
| lose ground The war pony of the Indian
is like the wolf of the plains-he never
! tires Foot by foot they began creeping
| up, but not trooper turned his head. The
sergeant knew the position of every man.
| and his ears detected the gallop of each
! horse in the troop.
THAT White gonel" he whispered as
three or four rife reports reached his ears
| and he suddenly missed the hoof beats of
one of the horses IF pushed too close,
| disnount and stand 'em off and send me
wordn'
They were being pushed, but to halt and
dismount on that level plain meant wipe
out. lie bore away to the left, hoping the
sooner to discover the spot he was seeking.
| He glanced at the womans face, and as
his eyes turned away a grim smile came to
his mouth, She was pale, and her teeth
were hard shut, but she was firm in her
saddle and had her horse in hand. He did
not look back to sec how the rear was com
l.
gaining or losing He looked straight
ahead and thought of the human skeletons
he had many time seen half hidden in
the grass.
That's Barnes" whispered the ser.
gcnnt as the reports Of firearms came again
and he missed the hoof beats of another
horse. "DismOunt and stand 'em Off
Must reach the broken ground first They Il
be right on top of us here before we struck
the grass
The woman knew too that a couple Of
men had dropped out-shot off their horses
as they brought up the rear She looked
at the sergeant in questioning way, but he
shook his head and saluted. During the
next mile the cavalry horses gained Il lit.
tie, but on the second mile they lost
ground.
Scott is out, and Henderson is out
poor fellows! sighed the sergeant as an
other volley was fired. 1T will take half
an hour of hard riding yet, and don't be-
lievc we can fetch II. There's Thompson =
horse running wild-poor Joe Thompsonl
Whew! but how "a bit of lead in the
shoulder does sting and burn! If the wo-
man is hit that ends il, but as long MS sha
is unhurt we must push on. Hello A rake
across the hip that time! They've got win
chesters, and that's good shooting for men
on the run. One-two-thrce-four
No I>t me lookI'
He wheeled I'm his saddle for THE first
time since the race begun Close behind
him came two troopers, bodies bent for
ward and eyes on the GROUND, but there
were no more Hardly more than pistol
shot away We're 90 warriors and ne they
noticed his action they set up yell and
fired again.
"Hit aganl' muttered the sergeant as
he cringed in his sadile "but the woman
is all right, Hastings and Green are be
hind me. MOI That last volley did for
Hastingsl All, Green-that's rght-rans 81
up aohgside Not much Ghauce for us
bur we II keep going. Hello am you hard
hit? Don give up man! Clutch the horn
of your saddle and lot your horSe guild,
t himself All, Poor Green and his horse
Is down tool
The woman had looked straight ahead
shutting her teeth little harder rs the
f fate of espA man came TO bel. knowledge