The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-06-05
A WARNING.

At 10 O'Clock in the forenoon the valley
suddenly narrowed until we had no choice
but TO take the path leading between two
FIR crowned ridges. We had sighted Indians
the day before, but the night had passed
without an alarm and the morning had
slipped along without sight of IA warrior.
Had the savages figured it out that tho 80
of us guarding the 10 wagons of clothing
and provisions were too strong for them
and that our keeping so well closed up and
on the alert made the capture of stragglers
impossibleY
"Haltp came the word from the head
of the column. and two men were sent
ahead Co spy out the lay of the land They
found the path only wide enough for the
wagons, leading downward and away UNI
I'll II crossed creek and was lost in the
gloom beyond. Not a 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 tho 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 10 give the order To march when a
wolf came running up the path and dashed
through the column. There was fire in his
eyes, but yet his tail was down.
''Skeeredp whispered an old veteran,
"and by Injuns at that That wolf has bin
turned out of his lair by the redsl"
IAN ambush down thar to wipe us outw
whispered second.
The captain shaded his eyes with his
hand and peered down the path for "a mo-
ment. Then he quietly said:
Turn the wagons about and keep TO
The east till we strike another path Don't
hurry Il don't shout Corporal French
strike up Dixie's Land, and you boys all
join in the ohorusr'
In five 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 was itg What did the captain
see down thereg" was asked from man TO
man.
The captain saw. nothing. He was obey
| ing an instinct-one of those premonitions
which sometimes stop "a man in time TO
| prevent terrible tragedy. The mon 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 any
| thing-no one had heard anything. Miles
away they found n safer If longer road,
| and the fort was reached at last without
| sight of an Indian. Around the mess Ia
| BILE they joked the captain for backing out
| of the gorge and adding miles to his jour-
ney.
"All on account of scared wolff
laughed one.
| "And scared at his own shadow al
| that added "a second.
The captain had no reply, but to him
| self he wondered if he had not been over
cautious. 1t was months later when O
captive squaw told him tale. All night
long, as the wagon guard lay sleeping, thu
| hostile Indians were coming in 10y DOZEN
and scores going into ambush along tn
creek. They had dug rifle pits, they ha'
piled up logs and stones; they were bidder
under the cedars, until over 300 Of then
lay waiting with bated breath for the traiI
| To enter the trap.
When the last wagon and the last trooper
should have passed "a certain spot, the sig
nal was to be given to open fire. Three
hundred Jets of hame-300 bullets seeking
| living targetsl There would not hav'
been 20 troopers left alive after that frs
volley. At the end of five minutes ever
man would have been dead and the RET
demons screaming with gleo as they twist
ed off their scalps. a frightened wolf be
trayed the ambush. Tho train took an
other route and was saved. For an hou
or more the Indians watched and waited
none daring To move for fear of betrayinI
his presence. At last all realized tina
their game had escaped from tho trap, ant
sullenly and noiselessly the 300 moved
down the path, up the rise, into the cedars
where their ponies were herded, and, with
out shout or curse or sound To he hear'
ten yards away, they mounted and rod
away, and the ridges hid them from view
| Detroit Free Press.