The Penn's Grove record., 1895-07-12
"THg GROUND or T9s DEAD.
Bullets We're Noe the Only DcadlI
Things on This Might

Il NNA @N~~ 80 t
Things on This Night
We went into camp on e wooded
| ridge to the west of which was . desc
| late strip Of ground about q mile long
by half a mile wide. The soil was light
and without grass or bush. One could
not look down upon 1t without thinking
| Of the ashes Of the dead. Beyond this
strip was the dry bed Of o creek; al
the foot Of our ridge was a creek moi
yet run dry. IS-<tzzSFrie'
Just ut sunset two rabbits which had
been hiding In the bed Of the dry creek
came running towards Us in great af-
fright, though we could find no reason
for their action. Behind them came
q wolf and a fox, and we finally sus-
pected that an Indian scout had crawl
the bills to ascertain our strength and
spy out the lay Of the camp. Sentinels
were posted on that side Of the camr
at nm early hour, with instructions to
exercise the greatest vigilance, n as
we rolled ourselves in our blankets
each man placed his carbine and revol
yer where they could be seized at a mo
uent's notice.
At midnight the sentinels heard
strange sounds from that ground of
the dead" as some had named 1t 1t
was a sound akin to that made by
grasshoppers as they swarm over tho
earth, d~evouring every green thing as
they advance. Ten minutes later three
or four rabbits came rushing across the
strip and through the sleeping camp,
but the sentinels saw nothing in pur-
suit The rabbits were followed by
half e dozen coyotes, and a minute
later a wolf down by the dry creek set
up a great yelpiEg, as II wounded by
bullet or arrow. At half past IL the
sentinels heard faint splashes In the
creek at he base OF the ridge, but they
looked In vain for sight Of man or ami
NAL. They finally decided that the
noise was made by beavers swimming
about, and the half-formed idea Of
calling out the corporal Of the guard
was abandoned.
At 1 o'clock there were sixty Indian
braves crouched n the bed OF the dry
creek opposite our camp. They had
crept and crawled and skulked q dis
lance of two miles to reach the POSI-
ton. The scout had reported that we
were the paymaster's escort-twelve
troopers and paymaster and clerk. An
Indian always wants scalp and
money, but seldom finds the combine
ton. Here 1t was on this night, and
sixty to fourteen ought to win, especial
ly as they planned on q sudden and
complete surprise. Fourteen scalps,
$4,000 In cash, fourteen saddle horses,
four mules and an ambulance. with an
outht Of carbines, revolvers, overcoats,
blankets and small stuff-that was the
prize. Its taking would enrich the
whole tribe and crown every warrior
with a laurel wreath.
At half past / the warriors formed
for the charge-sixty men in a single
line. The light, ashy soil of the ground
Of the dead" muffied their footsteps
and the darkness hid them from view.
The bark Of a wolf was to be the sig.
nal to rush forward. They would be
at least half way to the ridge before
discovery. At the flash of the senti.
nefs carblne they would raise their
warcry, dash ahead with new impetus
and they might figure on finding at
least half the white men dazed and
confused from the sudden awakening
and therefore easy prey for bullet II
tomahawk. At a quarter of 2 the sig
nal Is given and the line dashes away
as one man. 1t is half way across the
field Of desolation when a warrior
cries out-then another and another
and the sentinels fire their caYbines
and shout an alarm. The line dashes
ahead, but mingled with war whoops
are cries Of alright and the line bends
and waivers and is broken. 1t reaches
the creek under the steady fire Of the
sentinels-a few warriors leap the
stream and utter shouts of victory.
Twenty seconds after the alarm is Civ.
en- every sleeper is On his feet with
weapons In hand. Five seconds later
every man is pulling trigger on the
black objects swarming up the hillside.
1t Is a strange battle, inasmuch for
every war whoop there Is a scream OF
shrek. 1t is yer In two minutes and
the Indians are retreatlng-all who
can walk or limp or crawl. The war
cries cease, but the strange cries and
shrieks ring in our ears for the next
ten minutes. Two wounded Indians
creep up the hillside into camp and
beg to be taken prisoners, and they
look down upon the ground of the
dead" and SILVER like children who
hear a strange sound in the darkness
We ask them to explain, but they can
lot.
Morning IN with a mist hanging
over the desolate strip. The sun comet
up to drive It away, and then the mys
terry Is solved. There are four dead
warriors between us and the creek-all
killed by u bullets. There are six
more dead beyond the other bank.
Half way the the bed Of the dry creek
are three more. On the bank of the
stream is a single one. and we doubt
not that under the bank, hidden from
our sight, are yet other corpses In war.
paint and feathers. We stand and stare
and wonder. but only for a moment be
fore finding the solution. The "grount
of the dead" Is swarmlng with cent?
pedes and serpents, driven from the
plains to the west by the continued
drought They came before the line of
warriors, and they had slaked their
thirst and were lying about In scores
TO be trodden IN and in turn to use
their deadly stings and fangs.-M
Quad in Detroit FREQ Press.
To Put Out Potato Eyes
NJ. Schraibau. Of the French Institut