Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1897-05-06

of the car the Indian began to pull
and strain. By the merest chance he
had taken hold of the car door, and
now as it opened he thrust his hideous
head inside. Bankers could have
blown the top of the Sioux's head off
but he knew that to fire would be to
attack dozen redskins, against whom
he could not hope to hold out long.
The women scarcely breathed. The
baby, full of paregoric, slept as though
it had already entered upon its final
rest. The other two Indians had
given up the search among the empty
cars, and gone back to the station,
where the agent, having reloade d all
of his guns, kept the gang hopping
and dancing about the station plat
form. The old Sioux at the car door
cooked his head and listened. He
must have fancied be heard something
breathe, for now he put his hands
upon the sill and leaped into the car.
He had scarcely Strengthened up when
Bankers rife barrel fell across his
feathered head, and he dropped like
beef The school ma am uttered
faint scream, and that was the last
sound that came from her corner FOR
some time. The Sioux never moved a
finger, and Bankers, having removed
the warriors firearms and ammunl-
ton, gave the gun over to his wife and
then covered the dead Sioux with
straw. Already the little frame cot
tage had burned TO the ground and
the rain had nearly quenched the fire.
Every attempt made by the band to
fire the station had ended in failure,
and the Sioux were now preparing to
storm the fort. 1t was hard for Bank
ers to keep quiet in the car while the
agent sold his life so bravely and so
dearly to the Sioux, but there were
his wife and baby and the helpless
schoolma am, who had been persuaded
by the Bankers to come to this wild
region, and he felt it his duty to pro-
tect them as best he could. Presently
Bankers felt the stock car vibrate per-
ceptibly, as though it were being rolled
slowly along the rail. His first
thought was that the Indians were
pushing the empty cars down near the
station and that they would set fire to
the straw, and then there would be no
possible escape. Now there was
roar as of an approaching train, and
an instant later a great dark object
hove in sight and rolled past the car
1t was a locomotive drawing dozen
box cars and running without head
light. The shouts Of the besiegers,
the rattle of rifles, and the wild cry of
the night prevented the Sioux from
feeling the vibration or hearing the
sound of the approaching train.
The agent, who had been severely
wounded, now crawled to the key and
called Ogallala. At the first attack
he had wired for help, and now he
told the operator there he could hold
the place only little time longer
The agent was still at the key when
the engine, rolling up to the station,
shook the building, and he knew the
moment he felt the culver Of it that
help was at hand. Instantly the doors
of the box cars came open and COM
pany of Government scouts, all Paw
nees, except the officers, leaped to the
platform just as the band Of Sioux
were making their last desperate
charge upon the station. Before they
could realize that re-inforcements
were at hand the Sioux were beset by
the scouts, who always fought to kill.
The battle was short and decisive, and
when the Sioux fed they left more
than half tteir number upon the field.
Probably the most anxious man in
the whole party was the conductor of
the special train that had brought the
scouts from Ogallala. He had ridden
all the way on the locomotive, and
the moment the train stopped he had
leaped to the ground and gone through
a shower of bullets to where the cot
tage which had been the home Of the
Bankerses had stood. The sight of
the house in ashes made him sick at
heart, but there was still hope, they
might have taken refuge in the station,
and facing about, the fearless cOnduc-
tor fought his way to the door. By
this time, the Sioux were giving all
their attention to the scouts, and the
conductor forced his body through
the shot-riddled door, The agent lay
upon the floor in a pool of his own
blood, but he was still alive. Where
are they ?" asked the conductor, glanc-
!