Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-08-16

with as horrible yell ais ever ! \.
inanche managed 10 make. ~
The old captain Just realized -.
STATE of affairs He devoted ima.
thirty seconds to curSing the MS
and then began business
We were near the river. and a,,r Il,
mediate safety was 10 get across tbs,
Forming us up for we had aInss~
opened scattering iire on the Ipaian.
the old man charged IL one dino
ton. tented and forming in coInn,n,
of fours, turned TO the river mi
swimming and struggling, We reacbas
the other bank
There we formed as lisInountad s,,,, ),
mishers, while the reserve held ~,
horses behind the bluff ana waitsS
the crossing OF the Indians. but tbor
either thought we were stronger than
they, or, as is likely, remembered I'M
Indian principle Never fight in ira
dark
AT any rate they did not come. and
the roll Of us, in the gray'of the dawn
WIS f-tlittt Al HAI-l EES.
We were pleased TO find thar onlv
two of us had dropped from our sad.
dies. and we hoped we had hit soma
Of the enemy in the few minutes fight
but before daylight it was WHISPERED
along the line, ''Billy's missing
The poor little rascal! He had al.
ways had fancy for riding Tip when
he could. because the brute was tho
hardest mouthed. unmanag eable horse
in the troop. and Billy-as they say
fancied himself on his riding, and Tin
was now with US rideriess.
At last morning came. and We looked
across the Canadian, and there was
never a sign of comanche
The captain was as grave as a
Judge, and spoke quite softly as he
drew his saber and faced the center
of the troop.
Men he said. II was sent out here
with you to scout for cattle thieves
round the ranches here. Something
has happened. through 70 fault Of
yours or mine, TO make me break
through my instructions. dom;
know the strength OF that band that
we ran into last night in ne darkness.
but one of your most cherished com
rades is either dead among the bluffs
over there or with them a prisoner
| am going TO disobey my instructions
and find Billy"
All the afternoon and on into the
evening till the sun sank down among
the sullen clouds to the west of us
and it grew chilly and dreary- all
that afternoon we rode silently on.
As the daylight spent itself as the
sun went down. we turned in columns
of twos and crept up the narrow pass
the Kiowa few PAGES ahead OF the
column.
We were getting up, up the stream
and the banks were beginning to
reach far above Our heads. shutting
out the last CLEAN Of sunlight. "hen
suddenly from beyond came the shril
notes OF bugie. The captain halted
inStinctiyely aud the troop drew up
behind him
The captain looked stefnly at the
Kiowa scout and drew his revolver
What does this mean." he asked
The Kiowa turned with the calmest
most innocent air.
They are there" ne said. big
chief Gomez"
And he rode forward at gallcp.
Again the clear notes Of the bugle
rang through the night air, and nov
all our doubts We're dispelIed.
Ii was Billy-no one but he could
tongue a bugle like that, but even
as we raised ourselves in orr saddles
there was the ring OF a rifle and the
whiz of a bullet, and the captain
yelled:
An ambush, Twos, right about.
March, Gahop, March,
The first the captain sent a bullet
into the back of that flying scoundrei
our false guide
But poor little Billy-let me tell You
what .'Man-With Knife" said of his
death an-With-a-K Knife" is now a
scout in the government employ.
He told us how Tip stumbled and
threw the bugler, and in the darkness
no one saw the mishap. He told us
how the boy fought with the revolver
and killed two savages.
He told us how the chief. laughing
at the pluck Of the papoose" they
called him-sayed his life then and
took him with them until the Conan.
ches joined another party and waited
for us.
They drew US on into the ambush
We We're nearly surrounded-whel
Billy realized what was going on and
blew the bdgle the fools never thought
of taking from him.
II we had not heard the bugle we
would none OF Us have been here. 1t
was & death hole they had resliv
for Us.
We didn't ask anything about Billy
from Man-with-a-K Knife, for we knew
It all too well They killed him-the
devils before be could blow another
warning rote.
Aud that is why In the cemetery
near Fort ---, among all the white
boards, there is one stone monu-
ment on which is written simply; IN