The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-05-26
and of his criminal disregard of Texan

warnings.
swell know the truth in an hour,
lieutenant, so there's no use wasting
time with those beggars. You can see
the Paloma from yonder bluffs" was
Dolan's only comment.
Just at one o'clock the foaming, pant
ing horses were refined in, and the girths
loosened, while Lambert, guided by the
veteran Indian-fghter, crawled eau
tiously up the height in front of them.
Half the men dismounted, were sta
iioned with ready rifle or carbine where
they could command every approach.
Who could say whether Indians were
not even then lurking in every ravine'
a young Texan, following the road,
pushed on cautiously to the point, so
as to scout the trail beyond. With
dropping heads and heaving TANKS the
motley herd were huddled in a little
swale to the right of the road, their
holders eagerly watching the young
leader and saying few words. Warily
Dolan reached and peered over the crest.
They could see him pointing-could
see both he and Lambert shading their
eyes with their hands and staring away
into space-could see Dolan suddenly
clutch the officers sleeve, and, crouch
ing lower, point as though to some OBJ
jects far out over the slopes beyond.
Then down they came, eager, elastic,
with cleaning eyes and glowing faces.
Mount, men, mount! There's n fight
not five miles ahead!" sang out Dolan,
and, swinging into saddle, with Lam
bert only length in lead, struck spurs
to his horse, the whole squad gathering
at their heels. Young Texas, peering
around the point, heard them coming.
and threw a long, lean leg over his
scraggy pony. "See anything? he
hailed.
Yes; Indians attacking something
or other bout mile to the north of the
road; looks like a dug-out O. some
kind"
"'Tis a dug-out, by Gawd! / know
the place. WitherelIs herd used to
Craze around their last year, and he
and his boys built that dng-out in ease
they were attacked; and maybe the
stage managed to get back there. Some
ones alive, else the Indians wouldn't be
fighting"
\ cheer went up from the foremost
men. After all, then, there was YES
tige of hope. Lambert, eager and inn
petuous, was squirting off to the open
prairie that lay beyond a sweeping
bend of the stream, but Dolan hailed
him:
Not yet, lieutenant, not yet. There's
some wild arroyos out yonder. Stick to
the road, sir, till we can see the hut.
It's up long. shallow valley beyond
that second divide. / know the place
now"
But they'll see us, sergeant shout
ed Lambert, as he bent over the POM
mel, and drove his rowels wickedly at
the torn tanks of his poor brute. Il
hoped to surprise them and charge"
Lord love you, sir, there's no sur
prising these beggars in broad daylight.
They've been watching for some Of us
ever since sun-up, and they've seen us
now. Lucky they haven't guns, 'cept
old muzzle-loaders. They've mostly
nothing but bows and lances."
The horses were painting furiousIy
now, and some of the squad were string
ing out far in the rear. Dolan, CHANGING
back, saw two or three men vainly LASH
ing their exhausted mounts long mus
ket-shot behind.
at won't do, lieutenant; we'll have To
keep together, or, first thing you know,
Il hull pack o them yeipin' ours ii burst
out of some ravinc, cut those fellows
off--kill and seal p 'em and scurry away
get back TO help. Let 'em catch up, sir,
Wen get there time enough
And so, more slowly now, as advised
by the veteran plainsman, Lambert led
his party, the young Texan ranging
alongside and riding on his right. He,
too. wanted to charge, and again old Do
Ian pointed out the absurdity OF it..
"Their ponies are fresh and nimble.
We'd never catch them, while they
could ride around and split us with their
damned arrows. What we want is a
chance with ourSpencers and rifles, sir;
that's the way to empty their saddles
and stand 'em off. Look yonder, sir"
And then, just as Dolan pointed, three
mounted warriors, their war-bonnets
trailing over their bounding ponies
backs-the first hostile Indians Lam
bert had ever seen-burst from their
covert behind the low divide to the
rightand went scurrying away towards
he northward hills in wide detour to
join their comrades. The road disap-
peared round n gentle rise in the prai-
RE half mile ahead.
"Out with you, Lang and Naughton!"
said the sergeant, briskly. "Go ahead
10 that point" And the two troopers.
well knowing what was required Of
them, darted on without a word Lam
bert and the main body following now
at steady trot. Before the two thus
thrown in advance had come Within
three hundred yards OF the bend, n little
jet of smoke and fire flashed out from
over the ridge, followed instantly by
two Others both riders swerved; one
horse stumbled and went down, his rider
cleverly rolling out from among the
striking, struggling hoofs. That's the
way they'd have picked you off, sir"
shouted Dolan, as the whole party burst
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