Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1896-02-11

scouts were sent out to make a recon-
noissance of the condition Of affairs in
front. They returned in about an hour,
having successfully made their way to
within q few hundred yards of the gath
ering savages. They discovered them
concentrated in the sand hills IN the
south side Of the Arkansas, numbering
more than 1000 warriors, according to
their best judgment, and were evidently
aware of the proximity Of the paymestcr
and his escort, for they, as the cavalry
man had before reported, were going
through their savage tactics usually
preparatory to an attack.
Major Smith gave positive orders for
no one to fire shot at the Indians until
they committed the overt act by COM
mencing the attack. One Of the ridicu-
lous provisions Of the so called 'peace
policy" inaugurated at Washington by
the humanitnrians in congress was that
no officer OF enlisted man Of the regular
army, under any circumstances, was to
shoot at an Indian unless the savage
himself commenced hostilities, under
the penalty Of punishment by court
martial. 1t is safe to presume, however,
that the order was better observed in
the breach than in it's performance, for
no one was quite fool enough to permit
an Indian to get the drop on him, " not
on the plains or in the mountains at
least.
All stood ready, however, with rifles
at a carry, to repel the first demonstra-
tion of hostile intent. They did not have
to wait long. With a blood curdling yell
Satanta, at the head of his warriors,
charged furiously on the little camp,
thinking, no doubt, they conld ride over
it like a herd Of buffalo tumbling over
a bluff. They had a very poor concep-
tion, however, of the mettle Of the few
determined men who stood behind that
Gordon of half a dozen wagons men
who wore familiar with all their devil
ish tactics, who had encountered the no
BILE savage more than once On his own
heath.
Down they came, riding like the tor
nado, making the usually quiet spot re-
sound with their unearthly yells-such
yells as only the plains Indians a give
utteranoe to. Bang, bangl went theiI
guns. Whiz-z-zl showored the arrows
around the camp, one Of which stuck
right through the top of the majors am
bulance, but their efforts were in vain
They could not make those men waver,
all of whom had passed cventful lives
on the plains and were perfectly at hom'
to such warlike demonstrations on the
part Of poor Lo."
Now came the moment for them K
act. The major gave the word, anC
clearly, as one discharge, rang out on thu
evening air the repeating rifles OF tn
besieged. So effective was the resul
that the savages, as quickly as they eve
did in their whole lives, threw them
selves ON the Off side Of their ponies ant
scattered mighty lively for the friendl.
shelter of the "sand dunes, I" out Of tn
reach Of the unerring balls from tn
magnificent weapons Of the viotoriou
little party.
It was give and take, the paymaster'
handful of men holding the viciou
horde Of Satanta's warriors at bay, afte
repeated charges, until the next morn
ing. During the night Major Smith ha
dispatched one Of bis trusty scouts I
Fort Dodge to inform the commander {
? that post Of the situation Of affairs q
Cimarron crossing. and requesting al
, Immediately. Accompany Of the famou
/, Seventh cavalry-Custer's regiment
was ordered out at once, and by a force
march, leaving TIE garrison at midnighi
a arrived at the crossing at 4 O'Clock Will
/ out the Indians having the slightest ide
, Of their coming. The latter, full Of bri
liant hopes, were just making ready Il
n one Of their daybreak charges, that hoJ
in which they love well to commit the
( devilish deeds. But as they were in Il
: act Of crawling s%tealthily toward ii
4 watchful little camp some Of their "rui
: ners'' saw the cavalry approaching, an
the whole band Of savages fed, afrai
- to attack the boys whose flashing sabe
had done such effective work amou
\ them on moro than M occasion. So Il
Z besieged party were relieved from the
embarrassing situation.
There tx no doubt that II Il had N
Il been for the opportune arrival Of q
troops the paymaster and his escort, I
gether with his "strong box, won.
l. have fallen a prey to such an owe
whelming forct Of savages; their an
= munition void have shortly becon
r exhausted. The Indians would have co
u tinued to annoy them, and they won
:: have been obliged to sucoumb, perha'
II not u left to tell the story Of the
70 capture and ever tually terrible dea
70 by the most refined torture. -Kans
City Times.
AZ