The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-12-23

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but do you hold the camp. Their idea
lis to wipe us all out. You night shoot
this brute beside me, but there are
two others behind that bush over there
who would do for me. You won't sur
render. i am tostel Little Bear that
! and let him do his worst
"But how can we save you, Jim?'
shouted the sergeant.
There is no way. Make ready for
row and fight to the last. It serves
me right for not, being on the watch
yesterday. Good-by, boys, and do the
best you can, and tell 'em at the fort
how it was with me-"
He turned and was soon hidden from
view, and we at once began prepare
tons for defense. As I said at the
start, we could be approached only
from the front, and all six of us felt
ourselves a match for double the num-
ber of Indians we might look for. For
half an hour we heard nothing more
from the redskins. Then, from a
point down the valley hidden from our
sight, came walls aud 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 were
| was to draw us into an ambush. When
it was found useless, the cries ceased,
and an hour later Brisbane appeared
on the same spot as before, having the
same Indian with him. At the bidding
Of his guard he shouted:
little Bear has been joined by 20
more warriors, and unless the SER
geant surrenders himself, all will be
killed. You are to have half an hour
in which to make up your minds
Are you prevaricating, Jim?" asked
the sergeant, in reply, using term
which he knew the Indian would not
understand.
The biggest kind!" shouted the
captive. ''Divide the number of full
company of soldiers by ten and you
have the right figure. Don't be hum
plugged into a surrender"
But what will become of you if we
don't?''
"Makes no difference. Be prepared
for rush and give 'em blazes!"
The soldier spoke so fast the Indian
could not follow him, but, suspecting
something wrong, the Indian led him
away. We pitied Brisbane, but could
Go nothing for him. We had no thought
Of surrender, and were sure we could
beat off any attack. We lay waiting
and ready until close upon noon, when
Brisbane suddenly appeared at the
mouth of the valley, and running to-
wards our camp at the top of his
speed. Behind him were the Indians,
who had planned it that way, think
ing we would hesitate to fire for fear
Of killing our comrade. That was just
what happened, and but for strange
thing the band would have been upon
us before gun was fred. Thirty or
40 feet down the valley was shal1y
spot in the ground. We had noticed it
in walking over the spot, but appre-
hendcd no danger. AS the Indians
charged, they came in solid body,
and on reaching the spot the earth
suddenly gave way, and all went out
Of sight in an instant, while Brisbane
fell forward, hung to the edge of the
cavern for 4 moment, and then dis
appeared. A crust of earth about
30 feet square had given way, and
when we rushed out it was to look
down into hole so feet deep and
see the Indians at the bottom OF it.
Two were killed by the fall, and two
others were badly hurt: Brisbane's
neck was broken as he landed at the
bottom. No body of Indians ever re-
! ceiyed /; greater surprise, and all their
thoughts of fighting were gone ut once.
We saw plainly enough that the roots
of several trees growing on either side
Of the valley had stretched across and
interlaced to hold up the earth over
what had once been natural sink. 1t
must have been years and years before
the crust was thick enough to hold up
a man, but it had finally become strong
enough for that, though not for the
weight of II men rushing upon it..
The Indians looked upon it as 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 over, and found that
! the poor fellow had not been gashed
or tortured, as we all feared would be
! the case. Next, we made them send up
| their, rifles, tomahawks and knives,
and their own dead and injured. One
! red-skin had leg broken and bad
! scalp-wound, and the other had a
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 de-
| FAINT sub-chief was SO humbled and
awe-stricken that he obeyed without
a mlrmur. The sergeant warned them
that if ever seen again in the neigh
borhood they would be shot on sight.
Not even a knife was restored to them,
and they bore Off their wounded and
appeared only too glad to escape. The
! two dead Indians were dropped back
into the pit, while the body of Bris-
bane was taken to the fort that even
! ing for soldiers burial. II was pre-
| dicted that Little Bear would demand
terrible revenge for the defeat and
humiliation, but, as matter of fact.
the working parties did not catch sight
of another Indian that summer. Nor
was there ever a claim made for the
| arms we took from the band
It would have been wise thing on
our part to have made search of the
pit. We supposed it was mere sink
hole, but six months after the fight
some men who were DrOsDectinfr for sill