The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-10-10
+ men was advancing through Il,

At the report Of the lieutenant's re.
volver the camp awoke, and for a few
moments, While the bugles rang out th,
alarm, there was . scene Of wild confu
sion. Men still half asleep stumbled
over one another toward the stockade.
Officers ran here and there with sharr
words of command, while the Hausse
sergeants etfectually aroused any lag
CARDS with the rife butt. If the soldie,
was q west Indian. the hint was ever
more vigorous. Then out of chaos CAM
forth order. Lines of men knelt beneath
thu brushwCod screen, supporting thei1
rifle barrels on the branches against the
HoWE NarG Grag uI the D;.yOncr, wnllc
the cnlonel moved coolly up and down,
revolver il hand, and saw that all was
ready.
just in ti.ae, fer an cntburst Of howls
! and Jells rose on tie night air. A crac-
king blaze Ct rifle fire ran round the
bash, and while the bullets sang over
head or ripped through the leafy screen
a swarm OF dark figures dashed across
the cren space toward the camp.
Fire voIleys ty half ccmp'ries!.
fhousSd tic colonel as his heart bound-
ed and the blood surged through lis
body
no. l Eaussas-fre!'' the voice Of
the ccnstalulary captain sounded clear
and distinct, and q blaze Of light burst
from enc side Of the stockade, while
the crashing report Of a volley rang cut
through the darkness. Before the sound
had c.ed away IA west Indian lieutenant,
farther off in the gloon, re-echoed the
command, "A comp'ny-fire!" And a
sheet ct flame blew along the two ends
Of tic square.
Before the almost simultaneous dis
charge the front Of The attacking force
melted away. Men lay writing amid
the wet leaves Or crawled Oh hands and
knees through the bush, but the Mussul-
man, with visions ct black eyed hours
and the tree Of Sedrat before his eyes,
has little fear of death; SO with loud
yeiis the fee spread out and at full speed
made fer the breastwcrk.
Independent firing
reared the colonel. and after captain
and lieutenants repeated tie order, the
Haussas. who, used TO frontier warfare
from childhood, think themselves marks
men, took snap shots at the fitting fig
ures. but did little harm beyond clip
ping clusters of leaves from overhancing
cottonwGods. Meantime the West In
dlans, who are accustomed to drill in
battalions, and fancy they are quite
equal to white infantry, after a desul-
tory shot or two stood silent with bavo-
nets at guard. Next moment the assail-
ants swept at the defense only to be met
by a glistening wall Of steel, and for a
short space both sides were locked in a
deadly struggle, the officers working
their revolvers until the barrels were
hot, while the troops fred as fast as
they could thrust in the cartridges.
Nothing human could face the murder
Gus rifle blast, and III a few seconds the
foe broke away and fed to the bush.
For awhile the smoke hung heavily
over camp on the damp Dir, then slowly
melted away, and as the colonel recov-
cred his breath be felt his wrist burned
by the back splitting Of his heated re-
volver.
"Taat was sharp work, lieutenantr'
he said to the young officer Of the west
Indians. I'VE shall have breathing time
and then they will come back.
How have your men come out Of it?''
AT least two dead, sir, and more
woandcd; but the Haussas got it wo1 e
than we did," was the answer as the
passed along the line.
An hour Went by, minute following
minute slowly-very slowly-as the
shadows OF the cottonwoods crept across
clearing, for the moon was sinking
behind the western forests. The sh Il
silver patches On the grass mar
rowed and shortened, but still much Of
the camp lay bright and clear in the
light. Here and there a wounded
Haussa mcaned family as he struggled
to repress q cry that would have been
unworthy in a believer in the Prophet,
While the west Indian, who possesses
the resignation of tie Christian
aor the heathen's contempt Of death,
srcaned over his hurts or hurled Lorri-
Die curses at the heads Of the invisible
zee.
~"Silence, men!" said their lieutenant
while tho ~censtahula-y captain
as he remarked: '"Thcse fellows
II yours are good to fight, but they have
soG the stamina Of miEe. The moon
lights going; still il these brufos corre
JACK they could pick US Gil man by man
I they We're only able to hit anything.
As It is, we shall get it lot. Tie weeds
re full Of them" Then he grospcd tie
houlder ct his friend and thrust Eirl
onward into the shadow, IS d Ire of
burst out Of the bush ara q fight
i bullets passed over the heads CT the