The evening times., 1897-11-29
1925 F Street.

can, ani tell 'em at the Tort how It was
with me-"
He turned and was soon hidden from
view, and we at once began preparations
for defense. AS / said at the start, We
could be approached only from the front.
and all s.A of US felt ourselves a match
for double tte number of Indians We might
look for. For half an hour we heard moth
ing more from the redskins. Then, from a
point down the valley hidden from our sight
came walls and cries of pain and distress.
as though the soldier were being tortured.
Our first thought was to rush out, but
after listening more closely all declared
that the tones We're those of an Indian. and
tnat the plan was TO draw US into an am
bush. When it was found Useless the cries
ceased ard an hour later Brisbane appeared
on the same spit as before, having the same
Indian with him. At the bidding of his
guard he shouted:
Little Bear has been joined ny twenty
" more warriors, and unless the SER
geant surrenders himself, all Will be killed.
You are to have half an hour in which to
make mp Your minds
Are you prevaricating, Jim?'' asked
the sergeant in reply, using a term which
he knew the Indian would not understand.
THE biggest kind,'' shouted the captive.
''Divide the plumber of full company Of
soldiers ny ten and you have tie right
figure. Don't be hunbugged into sur
Ier.der.'
-Bdt what will become OF you If We
don't?"
Makes no difference. Be prepared for
a rush and give EN- blazes.''
The soldier spoke so fast the Indian
could lot follow him, but suspecting some
thing wrong, the Indian led him away. We
pitied Brisbane, but could do nothing for
him. We bad NJ thought of surrender. and
We're sure we could beat off any attack.
We lay waiting and ready until close Ipon
noon, when Brisbane suddenly appeared
at the rloUth of the valley, and, running
toward our camp at the top of his speed.
Behind him were the Indians, who had
planned II that way, thinking We would
hesitate to fire, for fear CT killing gu.
comr1de. That was just what happened,
and but foI a strange thing the band would
have been upon us before gun was fired.
Thirty or fort y feet down the valley was
shiky spot in the ground. We had nu-
ticed 1t IN walking over the ground, but
apprehented hC danger As the Indians
charged, they came i'll solid body, and
on reaching the spot the earth suddenly
gave way, and all went out of sight in au
instant, while Brisbane fell forward, hung
TO the edge of the cave-in for Il moment,
and then GisappeaIed- A crust Of earth
about thirty feet square had given way,
and when we rushed out it was to lCok
down into a bold thirty feet deep and see
the Indians at the bottom CT it. Two
were killed by the fall, and two others
were badly hurt; Brisbane's neck was
broken n he landed at the bottom. No
body of Irdtans ever received a greater
surprise, and all their thoughts of fight
ing were gone at once. We saw plainly
enough that the roots of several trees
growing OF. either side CT the valley had
stretched across and interlaced to held
up the eartn over what had once been Il
natural sink.
II must have been years and years before
tie crust was thick enough to hold up a
man, but it had finally become strong
enough for that, though not for the weight
of eleven men rushing upon il. The Iu-
dams locked upon il as ii trap set for their
destruction by the great Manitou, and were
frightened into helplessness for time.
The only way for them to get out was to be
hauled out. We got the ropes, and first
drew up the body Of our comrade. This We
looked carefully ever, and found that the
poor fellow had not been gashed and tor
tured, as We all feared would be the case.
Next, we made them send up their rifles.
and knives. and their own
dead and injured. One retskin had leg
broken and had a bad scalp wound, and
tha other pad u shoulder dislocated and an
arm broken at the wrist. When all Were
out, the living were commanded to pick
up their wounded and be Off, and even the
defiant subchief was SO humbled and awe
stricken that he oheyed without murmur.
The sergeant W armed them that if ever
seen again in the neighborhood they would
be shot IN sight. Not even knife was
restored to them, and they lore off their
wounded and appeared only too glad to
escape. The two dead Indians Were drop
ped back into the pit, while the body OF
Brisbane was taken to the fort that even
ing for a soldier IS burial. 1t was predicted
that Little Hear would demand terrible
revenge fer the defeat and humiliation,
but as a matter of fact, the working par
ties did not catch sight of another Indian
that summer, nor was there ever a claim
made for the arms we took from the band.
1t would have been a wise thing on our
part to have made search of the pit.
We supposed it was a mere sinkhoie, hut
six months after the fight some men who
were prospecting for silver camped near
the hole and determined to explore it,
They found it TO be the doorway of cave
leading into the mountain, and in this large
cave they found the skeletons of scores
of Indians and about fifty pounds Of sil-
yer ornaments. The entire find. which
included 8 lot Of weapons of ancient pat
tern, was old to some Eastern college
for $4,000 in cash.
CHARLES B. LEWIS.
a Lonc-Awaited Effort.