Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-06-04
The Captains Prem onitiOn.

At 10 o'clock in the forenoon the val
ley suddenly narrowed until we had no
choice but to take the path leading be-
sighted the Indians the day before. but
the night had passed without an alarm
and the morning had slipped along
without sight Of a warrior. Had the
savages figured it out that the fifty OF
us guarding the ten wagons of clothing
and provisions were too strong for
them, and that our keeping so we'll
closed up and on the alert made the
capture of stragglers impossible?
Halt" came the word from the head
of the column, and two men were sent
ahead to spy out the lay of the land.
They found the path only wide enough
for the wagons leading downwards and
away until it crossed'a creek and was
lost in the gloom beyond. Not bird
sang from the branches-not rabbit
skurried away in alarm. There was
the silence of death along the path.
Foot by foot. with ears bent forward
and nostrils dilating, the horses Of the
scouts moved on, and their riders had
the vigilance Of men whose lives might
be snuffed out at any moment.
No danger along the path-no danger
lurking at the crossing of the creek.
So the scouts reported as they returned
to the column, and the captain had just
opened his lips to give the order to
march when a wolf came running upthe
path and dashed through the column.
There was fire in his eyes, but yet his
tail was down.
'Skeered" whispered an old veteran.
land by Injuns at that! That wolf has
bin turned out of his lair by the redsv
IAN ambush down thar to wipe us
out" whispered a second.
The captain shaded his eyes with his
hand and peered down the path for a
moment. Then he quietly said:
Turn the wagons about and keep to
the east till we strike another path!
Don't hurry-don't shout! Corporal
French. strike up Dixie Land and you
boys all join in the chorus!'
In Ave minutes we were out of the
mouth of the gorge and marching away
to the east on the level plain again, and
as we marched every trooper sang the
chorus of the lively song at the top of
his voice.
what is it? What did the captain
see down there?" was asked from man
to man.
The captain saw nothing He was
obeyiEg an instinct-One of those pre-
monitions which sometimes stop a
man in time to prevent a terrible trag-
edy The men TESTED and sang, but
now and then one looked back over his
shoulder and gave the lie to the jest on
his lips. No one had seen anything.
No one had heard anything.
Miles away they found safer If longer
road. and the fort was reached at last
without sight of an Indian. Around
the mess table they joked the captain
for backing out of the gorge and adding
miles to his Journey.
"All ON account OF a scared wolf!'
laughed one.
"And scared at his own shadow at
that" added a second.
The captain had no reply. but to him.
self he wondered II he had not been
over-cautious. 1t was months later
when a captive sQuaw told him a tale,
All night long, as the wagoQ-guard lay
sleeping. the hostile Indians were COM
ing up by dozens and scores and going
into ambush along the creek. They
had dug rife-pits-they had piled up
logs ard stones-they were hidden un.
der the cedars until over 300 of them
lay waiting with bated breath for the
train to enter the trap.
When the last wagon and the las,
trooper should have passed a certain
spot the signal was to be given to open
fire. Three hundred jets of flame-3OO
bullets seeking living targets! There
would not have been twenty troopers
alive after that first volley. At the end
Of five minutes every man would have
been dead and the red demons scream