The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1897-01-15
Woodriver's Mad Night.
BY cY wARMAN.

wife, trying to hush the little one,
who was sobbing and moaning in her
lap. In the baby's milk wagon bit
ter fight was going on between pare
goric and pain, and the latter was dy-
ing hard. The wind drove tho rain
against the side of the car and made
it rock to and fro. Emma" said
Mrs. Bankers to her friend, stake
that bottle and hold it between you
and crack in the car, and when it
lightens drop ten drops into the spoon
Il suppose we must not strike n
light"
You bet you don't strike any light
here unless you are ready to give up
your chiguon," said Bankers, without
taking his eyes of the crack through
which he was peeping. Emma took
the bottle, and at each flash of light
ming dropped n drop of hush medicine
into the spoon, and when she had put
in ten drops they gave it to the baby.
That made twenty drops-it was dan
gcrous-but it was sure death to all Of
tner- if the baby cried aloud.
The rail- came in great sheets and
with such force that it seemed that
the car could hardly hoLl The rail. 1t
! was not n Pullman car; ju,t COM
| mon red stock car standing On sid
ing with few armfuls of straw up.n
tho floor. Occasionally Bank er.
turned TO glance Mt the two women
who were crouching in one end of the
car, and when tho lightning lit up
their faces they were fearful to be-
hold. Now the rain, cold as sleet,
camo through the cracks in the car and
stung the faces of those within. Mrs.
Bankers had seen three winters at
Woodriver, but her friend, tho young
woman who had come out to western
Nebraska to teach school, was in
every sense Il tcnderfoot, and the cx-
perience of this wild night had almost
driven her mad.
"There they are" whispered Bank
| ers. Now tho women put their eyes
to q crack, and when flash came
they could sec reef of feathered
heads that formed half circle around
| the house like II feather boa about n
woman's neck. Half the band dis
mounted and made rush for the cot
tage. The door was broken and the
red devils swnrmed in. Ono of them
took newspaper and lighted it on
the open fireplace to make n torch,
and by the light OF it tho little party
in the stock car could see the Sioux
running, half crouching, from room
to room, in search of the occupants.
Finding the place deserted, and
smarting under their disappointment,
the Indians now set fire to the house,
and by the light OF it started to loot
the railroad station, less than hum
dred yards away.
The station agent had been warned,
as the others had been, by q Pawnee
scout, but had bravcly refused to
leave his post. He had made no light,
but sat in one end of the dark little
room which served as ticket office and
sleeping room, and as tho Indians ap-
preached opened fire. At the very
first shot the leader of the murdcrous
band leaped high in the air, came
down on his feet, leapcd up again and
again, and finally fell in heap to rise
no more. With dcafcning yell tho
angry band made a rush for the door
and began to beat against it with tom.
ahawks, clubs and guns.
Having emptied his rifle the agent
now took up pair of 45-calibre re-
volvers, and the lead fairly ratified
against the door, and no fewer than q
half dozen savages sank to tho plat.
form, causing the bcsicgers to fall
back space. From distance they
began to pour the lead into tho build.
ing. but the agent, crouching behind
the little iron safe, was still unhurt.
An Indian brought torch from the
burning cottagc and attempted to fire
the station. but rain and wind put out
the fire. Two or three Sioux, MOTTO
ing string of cars upon the siding,