The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-25
SARGFANT LFAR'S BOLD RIDE
Story Of Life at a Frontier Military Post.

and thrown aside in a hurry. and the
officers were moving around among
their men in fatigue uniform with eam-
paign hats in place of the plumed he'll
NETS. The women of the post knew
now what had broken up the dance.
They heard boots and saddles" and
they knew that meant action, some
where, somehow.
Lieutenant Brainard, you will report
to Captain Sibley with your troop"
said Colonel Hunt, and the officer who
ten minutes before had been joking
with his colonel about the West Point
dances, raised his gloved hand in salute
and FASTENED away to his troop quar-
tiers. Twenty minutes later two squad
rons of cavalry under command of Ma
jor Thomas MoGregor trotted across
the parade ground and the start was
made. 1t was but an hour from mid
night and Oriba, the viliarge of the
Mcquis, was 24l miles away.
How they made that trip will never
be known, save to those who rode out
of Wingate that night. The snow in
places was UP to the bellies of the
troop horses, but they floundered
bravely through it. They climbed
mountains thousands of feet high and
dived into snow-ined valleys. They
camped al night as best they could and
slept upon the snow.
Among the enlisted men was one
who would be recalled by anyone who
ever saw him-Sergeant Edwin Lear.
Tall, 1.-THE and straight as a ramrod,
q trifie poor in flesh, but with the
flush of health in his cheeks. Sergeant
Lear was every inch a soldier. He
was one Of the finest riders in the
army, and if he is still in the service
he doubtless still holds that honor.
Through the long, cold nights he
cheered the men with his unfailing
good nature, told them tales of his
early life and counted the days until
they would have suppressed the Mo
quis and returned to the post. After
four days they arrived a the lesser of
the three towns of the Moquis, within
few miles of Or;5a. The Indians I'd
returned to have a dance. They mad
slaughtered right and left and Ha-oe-
nah was holding court in the midst OF
the plumber his men had captured. Tee
reds were inhamed with liquor, Mayor
George learned. and were likely TO go
on the warpath again III another di-
rection.
On the morning the squadrons of
the Seventh arrived and went into
camp Lieutenant Hopin sent his or
derby for Sergeant Lear. When the
tall soldier stood before the door of
the officers tent and saluted, Lieuten-
an HoDin said:
Sergeant Lear, you will take a pa
troll of y men, proceed TO Oriba and
capture Eab e-mah, dead or alive.
3 Sergeant Lear did not move mus
Gle Still standing at attention. he
asked:
ANY further instructions, sir?"
mo; you know what to do" said
the lieutenant
The hand of Sergeant Lear came up
stify to the brim of his campaign hat
and dropped; he faced about and
strobe away to his troop. He knew
that death awaited some brave fellows,
perhaps all of the patrol, in the
rambling Indian village yonder. He
knew that He-be-mah, irtrenched with
his 500 braves, would never be- taken
without a fight. But, more than all,
he knew that he had orders to take
him dead or alive. Ten minutes later
he was riding toward Oriba at the head
of his patrol of II men. None knew in
what part of the town the Indian
chief had his tepee. None knew how
the skulking redskins We're disposed
around the place, whether in a body
or scattered in circle which would
draw in around the patrol and wipe 1t
off the earth. But the IS men rode
boldly into the village to capture ~Ha-
bemah, dear or alive.
The Indians had no warning of the
of the troops, but when they
heard the galloping hoofs of the horses
a great shout arose and there was
for weapons among the te-
PEGS. Had Sergeant Lear commanded
d regiment, squadron or even troop
of cavalry he might have swept every
thing before him. But y men against
they did the best they could.
They drew their revolvers and rode
into that band of savage war
ricrs. They spurred their horses right
ard left upon the surprised, half
drunken Indians, who fired volley af-
ter volley after them. They noticed
the Moquis rallying around a certain
lodge and, suspecting that Hebsmah
was there, Sergeant Lear hurled his
men against the throng Of Indians.
The air was filled WITH blue smoke
and the ping Of the bullets was inces-
SAINT BY sheer force she cayalrymen
broke through the mass CT struggling
Indians and Corporal Hamilton rushed
into the lodge, revolver in hand. Ha-
be-mah was there, but ne was I'M
armed. When the soldier appeared the
Indian chief drcped down a mole in
the floor into a cellar. The cororal fired
at him and the bullet Dlowed through
the chiefs shoulder. In an instant
Hamilton sprang into the hole in the
floor after Ha-De-mah, leaving the
outside lighting with rae
bucks. The chief in the cellar had no
firearms, but with a heavy stone
hatchet he struck al the descending
figure of Corporal Hamilton. He hacked
aud cropped The trooper until the latter
dropped into the room and flung him.
SCH GpOn the caIef.
AS Ha-be-riaah went to the floor
beneath the weight of the corporal
sQuaw who had been lurking in Ger
ner struck 6ne trooper on the back of
the head with a club. Struggling 10
arise. Hamilton fired at her and she
dropped dead. Ha-be-nlah made an
other effort so use the stone Ratchet
and the corporal, his head swimming
with the effects OF the squaw's blow,
shot the chief a second time through
the shoulder. Then finging himself
upon the body he bound the arms of
tha chief with lbs caIeridge belt and
drew nimself up through the
opening in the floor TO summon nelp.
1t was a few hours later that Ser
geant Lear stood once more with his
hand at the brim of his old campaign
hat before the quarters of Lieutenant
Hopin.
Sir, l have the honor to export the
return of our party" said he.
What was the result of the expedi-
tion?" asked the lieutenant.
We lost six men and brought back
and Is other prisoners"
said Sergeant Lear.
What was the enemy's loss?' asked
the lieutenant.
7 should think there were about 80