Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-01-24

gong ont ssecona tinne."
Thornton closes his eyes Q moment.
Faint from loss Of blood, the rcaliza-
ton Of the peril Of the past hour and
the danger Of the present, he knows no
pain from his wounds he realizes that
he 10 in command, responsible for all,
and that there may yet be demand
for his every energy. He needs TO
think; yet everything seems awhirl.
Take another pull at this, lieuten'
ant" says LETTERS. You're very weak
yet, but we're all right now And he
holds the flask to the boys lips and
raises him on his arm. ats my belief
the battalion has struck the main body
Of these bepgars over near the river,
and fash signals have been going for
the last hour. We can see EN- with
your glasses. II they have, we're well
avenged, for there isn't an old hand In
all the regiment that isn't just mad for
a fair fight with EN-. They won't
bother US more this day, SO long as we
keep inside and under cover, and II the
colonel's after them the rest won't stop
to inquire for us tomorrow either"
slow many are woundedg' asks
Thornton, fccbly.
well, sir, there's yourself and Cor
poral Treacy-you'rc the only one seri-
ously hurt Little Reddy there Is shot
in the leg, and three Or four are
scratched. Schramm's shirt II full OF
holes, and thought he must be hit,
he was so covered with blood. Between
losing Schultz and Bredow, he feels
pretty well broke up; but there won't
be anything too good for him in the
regiment when we get back, sir Here
he comes now; he's been over at the
spring washing off the blood"
Thornton fecbly turns: "schramm,
my brave fellow 1t seems | owe my
life to you. Where would l have been
but for your courage?'
And Schramm, apparently not seeing
the hand feebly outstretched, stands at
salute and replies
"Where would have been, sir, but
for the lieutenant"
CHAPTER XII
HEADQUARTERS DETACHMENT tn IMAM
TRY, CAMP AT SLAUGHTER Cove, June =,
1877.
"Posr ADJUTAHT, Fort RANSOM:
SIR have the honor to report that In
compliance with the verbal orders Of the major
commanding the battalion ! marched with
four officers and seventy men Of Companies q
and II, til infantry to the relief Of Lieut..
Thornton detachment Of the Eleventh cav
airy, reported besieged by Indians at this
point Leaving camp Of the battalion on the
Mini Ska at 9. M. on Wednesday, with three
days cooked rations, we reached Buffalo
Springs soon after dawn (six and one-half
mlles), pushed on through Wagon gap, reach
Ing the heedwaters Of Fossil creek twenty
seven and one-half miles from camp at lO;4h.
From this point our advance was slow, as In
dians could be seen along the heights and we
had reason to expect attack They drew of ut
ou- approach, however, and We reachod the be-
sicgei party ut Slaughter cove about p. m,
much to tho relief Of its members, who, though
at no time suffering for food or water, were
without surgical attention for their wounded,
and had had u sharp fight with large force Of
hostiles on Sunday, and had been under fire
much Of the time over since Fortunately for
them, tho general engagement between their
comrades Of the Eleventh and the main body
Of the enemy, forty miles to the southeast, had
tho cIoct Of drawing oil but a small number
away from their front and Of driving them
thence to the agency. There Ia every reason
to believe, however, they would have returned
BY this time to finish their bloody work had We
not been hurried to the scene.
"Thc killed are Sergt. Schultz and civilian
BY the name Of Stearns whose son, lad Of
eighteen. IL with us, but seems 50 distracted
by his recent experience that his mind Is un-
balanced. Tho civilian was one OF party OK
four who had ridden northwerd and wero pur-
sued by Sergt. Schultz and Private Schramm
on the superstition that they were connected
with tho paymasters robbery ut Mindcn and
had the money with them. schramm reports
that these two met them close to the scene Of
tho fight, galoplng back, saying they were at
tackled by Sioux, and their comrades who
wcro some distance ahead, were probably
killed. The speedy appearance Of the Indians
proved the truth OF part at least OF their story.
Lieut. Thorntons prompt charge saved tho
lives OF the two troopers, hut in the engage
ment which followed Schultz was killed, and
tho other casualties were the result OF m at
tempt TO save MS BODY Lieut. Ihorntoa' wac
appears to have behaved with great Railantry
throughout, being TWICE WOundeu In tnO oH0rt,