The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-04-27
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 a warrior
Had the savagas figured it out that the 80
Of us guarding the 10 wagons of clothing
and provisions were too strong for tn en-
and that our keeping SO we'll closed up and
on the alert made the capture Of stragglers
impOssible2
s'Haltl'' 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 downward and away IN
til st crossed q creek and was lost in the
gloom beyond Not a bird sang from tho
branches; not d 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, ard the captain had just opened
his lips to give the order to march when
wolf came running up che path and dashed
through the column. There was fire in his
eyes, but yet his tail was down.
'tSkeeredp whispered an old veteran,
ssand by Injuns at thatl That wolf has bin
turned out Of his lair by the redsr'
AN ambush down thar to wipe US outl''
whispered a second
The captain shaded his eyes with his
hand and peered down the path for mo-
ment. Then he quietly said:
Turn the wagons about and keep to
the east till we strike another PATH DOn'b
hurry - don't shout Corporal French,
strike up Dixie's Land, and you boys all
Join in the ohorusl'
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
'sWhat was it? What did the captain
see down there?" was asked from man to
man.
The captain saw nothing. He was obey
ing an instinot-one of those premonitions
which sometimes stop q man in time to
prevent a terrible tragedy. The men jestsd
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 a safer il longer road,
and the fort was reached at last without
sight Of an Indian. Around the mess ia
bic they joked the captain for backing out
of the gorge and adding miles TO his jour
ney.
''An on account Of q scared wolfP'
laughed one.
"And scared at his own shadow at
thatl'' added a second.
The captain had no reply, but to him
self he wondered if he had not been over
cautious. rs was months later when a
captive squaw told him a tale. All night
long, as the wagon guard lay sleeping, the
hostile Indians were coming in by dozens
and scores going into ambush along the
creek. They had dug rifle pits, they had
piled up logs and stones they were hidden
under the cedars. until over 800 Of them
lay waiting with bated breath 4OE the train
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 dame-300 bullets seeking
living targetsl There would not have
been 20 troopers left alive after that first
vOlley. At the end Of i've minutes every
man would have been dead and the red
demons screaming with glee as they twist
cd of their scalps. A frightened wolf be-
trayed the ambush. Tho train took an
other route and was saved. For an hour
or more the Indians watched and waited,
none daring to move for fear of bstraying
his presence. At last all realized that
their game had escaped from the trap, and
sullenly and noiselessly the 800 moved
down the path up the rise, into the cedars,
where their ponies were herded, and, with
out shout or curse or sound TO be heard
ten yards away, they mounted and rode
away, and the ridges hid them from view
Detroit Free Pross.