Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-31

man was the fact that he wore an officers
dress coat, and when he was not signaling
his braves he was blowing a cavalry bugle
with a vigor of lung wholly in excess of
his skill
We were in the presence Of the confeder-
ated braves Of the plains, and the leader
was Roman Nose, with bare legs. an old
plug hat, Duncan Graham's coat and the
cavalry bugle presented him by General
Hancock when two months before the
white men and red men on the Kaw swore
Ito be brothers while grass grew and wa
ter ram"
wish had the time to tell how the
pledge came to be broken, but we subse-
quently learned that irresponsible white
men were the first aggressors
Without losing man or a horse we
reached the quarry, where we found that
three men had been killed and five or six
wounded
Placing the dead and helpless in the
wagons used to carry stones to the fort, we
were about to make our way back, when
one of the wounded called out piteously:
For Gods sake, don't leave Tom Ryan
back there, He's my brotherH'
This Tom Ryan, as afterward learned,
had served as q lieutenant in a Kansas
cavalry regiment during the war. He was
at this time powerful man of 10 and In
charge of the wagons
When the Indians first appeared, Ryan
mounted his horse and rode out to see what
the presence of so many warriors meant.
He was cut off from the quarry, and every
man but his brother Dan believed him
dead and scalped
1t was hard to leave man behind If there
was a chance of saving him, but the sim.
pleSt could see that our own safety. as
we'll as that of the men with Beecher, Hale
and Lea in the fort, depended on our get
ting back as soon as possible.
We had half decided to retreat, when a
wild yell and hoarse shout came to our
ears from the cottonwoods down BY the
Smoky hill
On the instant every man turned in the
direction of the sound
Up from the river gailoped a bunch of
four horsemen. The one slightly in the
advance was Tom Ryan, the wagon mas
ter. His three pursuers were Cheyennes.
There was band Of 200 Indians within
reach. but they must have felt certain that
their companions were equal to one white
man, for they remained spectators. while
their wild yolls and laughter told they
We're enjoying the sport.
a number of dismounted rlflemen hur.
ried out 70 help Ryan, whose horse appear.
ed TO be failing.
We could hear the taunts of an Indian
who had brought his horse close up on
Ryan's bride arm but the triumph of the
savage was brief The white man suddenly
tightend his rein and dexterously wheeled
so as to bring the Indian to the right
Then came jet of silvery smoke, the. crack
nf a =, Al nd ba InIin,, oil
the mustang galloped into our lines.
Troopers and Iuarrymen sent up a wild
cheer, and it required restraint to hold
them back Had they gone to Ryan's aid.
every Indian within sight would have been
down on us
While disposing Of the foremost Indian
the Others had gained on Ryan. They were
So close TO him. and their positions were
changing 50 rapidly, that our best shots
were afraid they might hurt our friend, yet
more nervous men could not resist the i'm.
pulse to fire.
suddenly, and when within about 200
yards of the quarry, the three horses went
down in heap, and the next instant the
three men were on their feet
1t was now duel to the death, with all
the odds against the white man.
With a swinging blow of his rife Ryan
felled the smaller of the Indians, but be-
fore he could repeat the blow the other
brave flashed something bright above his
head, and then with leap like a wildcat
he sprang at the white man. and both fell
The two men rolled over, and save for
the occasional flash Of the Cheyenne's
knife they were hidden by the dust, for
the earth was as dry as powder.
The situation was intense. and the faces
OF the men showed how strongly they were
stirred. In the meantime the Indians up
the slope began to creep down, and we were
forced to follow their example
Our interest in Ryan had blinded us for
the time to the danger of our friends in the
fort.
Out of the dust the two men rose, still
struggling. Ryan pistols were empty, his
rifle had fallen from his grasp, and it was
evident that he was trying to get posses
sion of the knife.
We had hoped that the second Indian
was done for; but, to our panied surprise.
he leaped to his feet, picked up a lance and
was in the act of rushing at Ryan, when a
| rife flashed from our side. and that particu-
lar brave was forever off the warpath
Once mere the white man and the In
dian were on the ground, and the yells of
the savages in the saddle grew dcafening.
Again the knife flashed through the dust,
and Immediately one man arose with the
red blade in his hand
1t was Tom Ryan,
With cries OF rage, the Indians up the
slope came laundering down on their
| horses.
Having anticipated this movement We
| were prepared for it,
As Ryan came limping toward us. troop.
er and quarryman poured in a most effect.
I've fire on the advancing Indian line
Mustangs went down by the dozen. The
charge was turned into flight, and score
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