The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-03-22
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
it hard work killing time with the dull
routine of garrison duty.
One morning in May, however, scout
from the plains came in reporting that
band of marauding Indians had attacked
and burned little settlement 10 miles
south of the fort the night before and
butchered the inhabitants. They had
found lot of whisky at the settlement,
SO the scout said, and after wild carous-
al had gone off to the south about day
break They numbered IS or 80, he
thought.
Captain DahIgren, the commaEdant OF
the fort, made immediate preparations Tor
pursuit. The officers were all in the cap
tain's quarters at the time, and turning
to the senior lieutenant he said:
ssDavis. take a detachment of % men
and start as soon as you can get them into
saddle. BY sharp riding you can overtake
the red fiends before they reach the rocks.
After that you may be guided by circum-
stances will only say that / don't ask
you to take any prisoners-you under
stand"
"All right, SIR" replied tbs lieutenant,
"within half an hour III be after them"
AS he saluted his superior officer and
turned to 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. I
want to go with you. Father" he contin-
ued, turning to the captain, "you prom
Used that should go on the next trail.
couldn't have 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 gol"
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 man. He came from
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-
ed.
ssThe spirits in him, captain, and he
gets it fairly" said Lieutenant Davis.
''Let him go with me-he'n bear himself
bravely."
every we'll, Ralph, you may CO." said
Captain Dahlgren at last, looking at his
son with both soldiers and fathers
pride "Do your duty, but be prudent. "
Thirty minutes later IS 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 handsome mustang
pony called Tirefy, as black as a raven
and as feet as an antelope, which he had
trained to obey every motion OF his hand
and every pressure OF his knee.
His craftsmanship was superb, even in
that region where superb horsemanship
was the rule, and where not to ride well
was 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 long hunting knife, which
hung from his belt. His clothing was
made of buckskin, after a fancy Of his
own-half military, half scotland it set
off his muscular young figure admira bly,.
As the detachment left the fort and
struck out over the plain, the pace was
+o fo,, Ton
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 forcemight NJ AXE.
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
question occasionally, and now and then
spoke 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 a brief rest, for the lieu
tenant wanted both men and horses to be
fresh to meet the enemy, who could not
now be far away. Twenty minutes later
tucy WcIO oil again az q SndIP pave.
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 HaltF'
at the same time raising his right hand
above his head-a signal of caution that
bis men understood. The tramping OF
the horses hoofs and the clanking OF sa-
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 reconnoiter. His quick and prac-
ticed eye had detected wreath OF smoke
family outlined against the sky as it curl
cd above the crest of the hill 1t told him
that the Indians were near and that they
either did not expect pursuit or were reck-
lessly Indifferent to it.
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
dams were there, not 500 yards away, tax
ing their noon meal near little thicket
of stunted trees and underground, the ap-
L1I - rtr1rf