Evening star., 1896-12-05

Ell A.
said Mrs. Bankers to her friend, take that
bottle and hold it between you and a crack
IN the car, and when it lightens drop ten
drops into the spoon-I suppose We must
rot strike a light
'You bet you don't strike any light here
unless you are ready to give up your chig-
non," said Bankers without taking his
eyes from the crack through which he was
peeping. Emma took the bottle, and at
each flash of lightning dropped d drop of
hush medicine into the spoon. and when
she mad put In ten drops they gave 1t to the
baby. That made twenty irops-it was
dangerous-but it was sure death To all of
them If the baby cried aloud
The rain came in great gusts and with
such force that ii seemed that the car
could hardly hold the rail. 1t was not a
fullman car: just common red stock car
standing On siding with a few armfuls
OF straw upon the floor Occasionally
Bankers turned to glance at the Two wo-
men VINO were crouching in ore end If the
car. and when the lightning lit up their
faces they We're fearful to behoid Now the
ram, cold as sieet, came through -h, o;acks
IN the car and stung the faces OF those
within. Mrs. Bankers had seen three wind
ters at Woodriver, but her friend the
Young woman who had come out to west
erh Nebraska 10 teach school, was in every
sense tenderfoot and the experience of
this wild night had almost driven her mad
Rush for the Cottage.
There they are whispered I2ankers.
Now the women put their eyes to a crack.
and when flash came they could see a
reef Of feathered heads that formed a half
circle around the house, like a feather boa
ABOUT woman's neck. Half the band dis
mounted and made a rush for the collage
The door was broken and the red devils
swarmed in One of them took a newsna-
per and lighted it at the open Greulace to
make torch and by the light of il the lit
tie party in the stock car could see the
SIOUX running, half crouclng, from room
TO room. in search of the occupants Find
ing the place deserted and Smarting under
their disappointment, the Indians now set
nre 10 the house, and by the light of il
started to loot the railroad sta ton which
stood less than hundred yards away
Ihe station agent had been warned as the
others had been, by a Pawnee scout but
had pravely refused to leave his post. He
mad made no light, but sat in one end of
the dark little room which served as ticket
office telegraph Office and sleeping room.
and as the Indians approache opened fire
AZ tne very hrst shot the leader of the
murierous band leaped high into the air
came down on his feet, ieaped up again
ana again and finally fell in heap TO rise
no more. With a deafening yell the angry
band made a rush for the door and began
and guns -'"'9
Having emptied his rife the agent now
look up 4 pair of 45-caliber revolvers and
the lead fairly ratified against the door and
10 less :han half dozen hair-iifters sank
10 the PLATFORM causing the pesiegers to
fan back d space. From a distance they
began to pour the lead into the building
but the agent, crouching behind a little
IRON SAFE ''as still unhurt. An Indian
brought torch from the burning cottage
and attempted TO fire the station but The
ram and wind put out the fire. Two or
three sioux, noticing a string Of cars upon
ca table freight.
Fate of One Indian.
From car to car they ran, thrus,ing their
rifles into the straw. "Uh," said an Old
buck as his rife found something soft in
oneof the cars. and Bankers fell a hur,
in his short ribs Laying hold of the side
OF the car the Indian began to null and
Straln BY the mereSt chance he had taken
mold OF he car door, and now as it opened
ne thrust his hideous head inside Bankers
could nave blown the top of the Sioux's head
on, but he knew that to fire would be to
attack a dozen redskins against whom he
could not nope to hold out long. The wo-
men scarcely breathed. The baby, full of
pareSoric, slept as though it had already
entered upon its final rest
The other two Indians had given up the
Search among the empty cars and gone
L..
ing reloaded all his guns kept the gang
hopping and dancing about the station plat
form. The old Sioux at the car door cock ed
his head and listened. He must have
Iancled he heard something breathe for
now he put his hands upon the sill and
.eaped into the car. He had scarcely
Slaughtered up when Bankers rifle barrel
Tell across his feathered head, and he
dropped like beef. The school ma'am ut
tered faint scream, and that was the las
sound that came from her corner for some
time. The Sioux never moved a finger and
Bankers, having removed the warriors fire
arms and ammunition, gave the gun over
to his wife and then covered the dead Sioux
with straw.
Already the little frame cottage had burn
ed to the ground and the rain had nearly
quenched the fire. Every attempt made by
the band to fire the station had ended in
failure, and the Sioux We're now preparing
to storm the fort. 1t was hard for Bankers
TO Keep quiet in the car while the agent
sold Els life so bravely and SO dearly to
the Sioux. but there We're his wife and
baby, and the helpless school ma'am who
had been persuaded by the Bankers to
come to this wild region, and he felt il
MS duty to protect them as best he could
Timely Relief.
Presently Bankers felt the stock car
vibrate perceptibly as though il were
being rolled slowly along the rail- His
first thought was that the Indians were
ton, and that they would set fire to the
straw, and then there would be no possible
escape. Now there was a roar as of AN
approaching train, and an instant later a
great dark object hove in sight and rolled
past the car. 1t was a locomotive draw
a dozen box cars and running without a
headlight. The shouts of the besiegers the
rattle of rifles and the Wild cry of the night
prevented the Sioux from feeling the yibra-
ton or hearing the sound of the approa CHI
ing train.
The agent, who had been severely wound
ed, now crawled to the key and called
Ogallala. AT the first attack ne had wired
for help. and now. he told the operator
there he could only hold the place Cor a
little while longer. The agent was stiIl
at the key when the engine, rolling up 10
the station, shook the building, ana he
knew the moment he felt the quiver OF il
that help was at hand. Instantly the
doors of the box cars came open AID a
company of government sc puts, all Paw
nees, except the officers. ieaped to the
platform just as the band of Sioux were
making their last desperate charge upon
the station. Before they could realize
that reinforcements were at hand the
Sioux We're beset by the scouts. VINO al
ways fought to kill. The battle vas short
and decisive and when the Sioux fled they
left more than half their number upcn
the field