Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-11
LED BY A GIRL
She Was l. Heroine, but They Didn't En
 thuse Over Her.

She Was . Heroine, but They Didn't En-
 thuse Over Her.
 The wagons halted at our camp at g o'clock in the morning-thrce of them, with pioneer family in each-three men, three women, nine or ten children of all ages. Only three men to push out to the west where the Indians had wiped out almost every stage station on the overland trail for distance of 70 milesi We talked and argued. We pointed to our comrades wounded only the day before. They were sullen, determined men, those pioneers They thirsted for an Eldorado. They feared some one would find it in advance of them. They would have been restrain ed by force, but they slipped away like shadows, fearing us moro than the rcd skins. By and by the cloud of alkali dust raised by hoofs and wheels blew away, and the white topped wagone were lost to sight, and the camp settled down to the routine again Without orders every trooper saw to his arms and rcfltted his cartridge belt. They would surely be at tackled If they got word to us, WIG should be called out.
 Noon came, but no word Shutdown and no word Twilight was falling when over the ridge a mile away we saw a horse coming on the run from the west He bore some object on his back, but we could not tell what till he dashed into camp. Then we saw 1t was one of the emigrant children--a girl about 12 years of age. It was a team horse she rode, and he had only the lariat around his neck. She was the messenger expected. The troopers were making ready long before the bugle blew boots and saddles. We had noticed tho girl when the wagons halted. She was plain faced and had the look of a wo- man. Some of the soldiers had tried to joke with her, but had found amusement only in her dignity and scdateness. She did not dismount from her painting horse at the colonel's tent, but as he came out she quietly said:
 Its about 12 miles down the trail We broke a wagon wheel and went into camp early"
 Has the camp been attacked by In- dianst"
 'Yes."
 ''How many;"
 "A hundred mcbbe."
 'How did you get away''
 Caught tho hoss and rode through 'em."
 "There's blood on your neck. You arc wounded"
 Just scratched in two places. Ye'Il hev to hurry, kurnel. It's only three to a hundred, and pop was already wounded when cum away"
 We got boots and saddles an instant later-a hundred men to go. The colonel reached up to take the girl off her horse, but she shrank away and said:
 I'm goin back with you, of course. Give me u hoss and q gum"
 A couple of minutes were wasted in ar gument, and then she was given q frcsl horse and n revolver. We went away at | gallop, and she rode beside the captain A ,.sl Nf Hs sounds of the rifles on the still night air and she refined little nearer to the cap tain to observe:
 'Purty good fur three men to stand of a hundred all this time, eh:" "I hope we are in time, " replied the of flcer as he increased the pace. Plenty of time. Can't you hear th' guns2 Pops ole rifle booms like a cannon and as long as pop is alive the Injun won't git into camp. Coin to chargC 'emf''
 "Ycs"
 ''All right. I'll keep with you" But you must fall back. Thcrc'll b | hot work for n few minutes" "I know it, but I'll be right alongsid | of you.'
 And she was. The captain knew tn spot where the camp had been made When yet n mile away, he divided his fOrC' | and approached it from the ridges nOrtl and south. The Indians didn't attcmp to make n stand, but in their confusion | WIG got seven and had two men wounded There must have been hundred of them and yet they hadn't the pluck to charg into camp. For two hours they had fire, l at long range, wounding two of the men two women and three childrrn, and ever 1 single horse was lying dead. They wcr | closing in as we came up, and n delay of l | minutes would have witnessed n wipc out | The girl was right beside me as 1 rude II | to the wagon under which her father ha | fought, and heard the few worIls whic | passed between them. | Did you sec me go, popt" she asked. .'Ycs"
 | ''Waal, I fetched 'cm"
 II knowed you would
 That was all that passed between he T and her father. The mother looked out C the wagon and said: ''What is 1t, Suc?" 1T got n hoss and fetched the soldiers. l "Oh, you didy Waal, cum up herr an help me quiet Nancy. Shes bin hullctc in the shoulder"
 That was all. Not n word of praise not even u handshakc. The little elf ha saved that camp from destruction, and yc when the troopers crowded around tl wagon and swung their hats and chCCr' and called for her the father looked II from his blankets and growlcd:
 What you fcllcrs maxim much nOis over Sue fur;'
 ''why, we look upon Sue as n heroine, answered the captain.
 ''Oh, you do? Waal, you'd better quit Sues hushin the young uns, and she won thank yc to skecr 'cm half to death b howlin." M. QUAD.