Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-01-07
CHAPTER VII.

hopes to lure the white men from their
stronghold.
They would have waited until the
wagons were strung out in line and
pressing forward, and then a charge
would have brought victory. The man
who volunteered to act as scout had be-
trayed the plot. His willfulness would
cost him lis life, but it would save
twenty-thrce others.
Two minutes after that cry Of alarm
| had reached the men in the fort the In
dams could be seen all about them.
| COncealment was useless, and the red
demons circled about the fort on their
ponies and kept up such a yelling that
one would have thought they regarded
sound as powder and bullet They kept
up the hubbub for an hour, and then
dismounted out of rife range to rest.
1--WE shall hear from that renegade
before long" said the captain, as he
noted crowd of Indians at certain
point ''Have any Of you men got an
old fashioned rife?''
II have" replied a man named Peters.
Its not only old style, but heavy
enough to use as artillery. / brought it
along because | couldn't even give it
away at Brulc."
The gun was fshed out of his wagon
and brought forwa ard. 1t was the old
fashioned buffalo rife, carrying bullet
like cavalry carbine, and its owner
had brought along u few charges for it.
It had scarcely been loaded when the
renegade stepped out from the crowd
with white flag and advanced to with
in pistol shot Of the fort. Then he halt
ed and sung out:
Boys, you have made brave de-
Tense, but it's no use in trying to hold
out agin US Thar's over two hundred
Of US yere yet, as you kin see by countin
up, and you don't show sense by holdin
out
What do you want of us?" demanded
the captain.
WAL, when summoned We the
other day all we wanted was fur We to
turn back. Ye refused to, and ye've
killed couple Of warriors and wounded
a lot more. We can't let ye off quite so
easy now
"What are your ter1nS?
Now We begin to talk sense. If We
want to walk out and leave the wagins
We shall go in peace. That's lettin We
off powerful easy, being as the reds are
mad all the way through
"Shan't we also leave our guns and
revolvers behind?" asked the captain in
sarcasm.
CAS- to that replied the renegade,
taking him seriously, sit might be
good ijee. 1t would show yer faith
in us
you captured one Of my men over
the ridge an hour ago
1--WE did That is, we didn't capture
him, but axed him to stop with us for
visit. He's injoyin hisself as hearty as
you please"
LET him count your mum bers and
come in and give us the figures. If you
are as strong as you say we may decide
to surrender"
''We-we couldn't do that, ye know.
That's rayther agin the rules of war.
However, the mint We march out We'll
set him free to jine ye."
''It's no user called the captain in de-
cided tones. I'VE won't talk surrender
until the man comes in"
The renegade returned to his friends
and held a brief council, after which he
came forward to say:
no, | can't. Ye must cum to terms
or take the consequences"
won't you release the MANI"
1--WE can't It would only make one
more to fight us.
''Then go back to your friends and tell
them we'll shoot down every horse, burn
every wagon and shoot each other be-
fore we surrender!''
There was a general howl of rage
among the Indians when this news was
communicated, but no movement to at
tack. A water hole in the bed of one of
the gullies furnished them and their
ponies with limited supply of the
liquid, and they knew that the belea-
guered white men could not obtain
drop. 1t was only a question of time
when the climax would come. The red
skins were therefore content to pre-
serve an irregular circle around the fort
and wait.
Noon came.
OF a sudden each suffering horse
pricl1ed up his ears, held his head high
and gaZed lntently toward the east.
1.-The soldiersl" whispered dozen
men.
''No-rain!' replied the captain. as he
pointed to the sky.
AL looked to see black cloud loom
ing up over the ridge mile away, and
In d moment there was flash of light
ming and a heavy peal of thunder
'Rain-rain-rain shouted the men
as they rushed mere and there like so
many boys, but under the orders of the
cool headed captain the greater part of