The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1897-09-18

Ieaped 10 tne gate, which opened right
and left on rollers, and, with one big
shove forced them back in the grooves.
So quickly had he done SO that none
OF the others had time to prevent his
suicide, for suicide it was. Crack,
crack, ~crack-right, left, right-his
pistols went among the Indians, and
three men fell, bowling. Their panic,
however, lasted but for an instant, and
in another moment the crowd would
have pressed him down, ridden him
right into the ground.
But there is a madness of the brave,
and this madness, this sudden, uncon-
sldcring fury, suddenly possessed the
veterans within the stockade. Through
the open gates they saw a white man
fighting alone with a crowd of reds,
and simultaneously, as if showed for
ward by Il hand, these four old heroes
threw themselves after him to haul him
back to safety.
Old Schneider, unable to move from
where he had fallen, beloved to them
to come back and close the gates, but
they never heard him. In an instant
they were by the strangers side and
fighting ~furiously and hlindly. In an
other instant they were down! It was
40 to 5, and they were old men.
Teddy had been standing by the gun,
which. loaded with grape and ready to
fire, faced the now open gates. For the
moment the Ogalallas were as much as
tonished as he. They stood facing the
empty fort, which they found at their
mercy.
They had not come to attack. They
had no idea Of fighting with the sol
diers. with whom they were at peace,
but they had tasted blood, and nothing
would have held in the younger men
now. They glared, painting, at the Grip
pied boy, their sole opponent, for
Schneider was helpless. and he looked
into their eyes with sudden, awful fear.
Then there came to his ears, both at
once. as distinctly as on the day they
were uttered the words of the malicious
trumpeter and the words of the cap
tain's farewell:
Teddy could not keep out the prai-
RE dogs!'
Il leave in your charge my wife,
The Indians were within 20 feet Of
him, gathering themselves for a rush.
Teddy never moved his eyes from the
Indians, but with q white face fred the
gun.
Before the roar of the discharge and
the shrieks of the Indians had died
away Teddy hud hobbled t. the gates,
and Schrieber, with a supreme effort,
forced himself to rise and assist. Be
tween them they managed to close the
way before the Ogalallas had recovered
from the shock.
"Mein Gottl Mein Gott!" he mutter-
ed. "A cripple boy and woman to hold
the fort! 1t is taps!'
Which is the soldiers way of saving
that all is lost. But the captains wife
looked into Teddy s eyes and saw
thing there to give her hope.
You won't-you won't let them in,
Teddy" she whispered, and then
stopped and kissed the boy.
The Indians had drawn off, dismayed
at the sudden and terrible repulse they
had met with at the hands of a child,
bnt now they were urged to attack the
fort BY a passion greater than their
mere lust for blood. They hungered for
revenge.
By Schreiber's whispered direction
Teddy took post at a loophole with q
rifle. He was no mean shot for a boy,
and as the hours passed he succeeded in
picking off more than one Indian.
But he could not from one loophole
cover all the ground, and very shortly
the Indians succeeded in creeping close
up to the gate and piling against it
bundles Of brush and dry grass. Teddy
saw, but he was powerless to prevent.
The captains wife came to Teddy at
last and handed him a revolver, asking
him to load it for her. The boy looked
at her inquiringly and saw in her eyes
what she desired in case of the worst.
He took the gun and stuck it in his
belt.
"They are not going to get ill.," he
said quietly.
"Teddy," she said, "you are a brave
boy, but you are only one. The captain
would tell you to do what / want. He
would do it himself. Promise me-if
they get in
Teddy promised. He had loaded the
old cannon again. He had loaded it to
the muzzle with all kinds of iron
scraps Schneider, from the ground.
looked on approvingly.
"Wait till the last moment" the
dying soldier said, land give it them
full in the face, Teddy"
The heap of brush was alight, the
gate had taken fire. Teddy felt within
him a wild tumult of passions arising