The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1898-04-12

riBu'eously on his defence, brought
his fifty calibre Winchester to his
shoulder. He expected the band to
halt, but they only scattered ont some
what, and the swiftest ponies darted
ahead.
The foremost Indian was now with
in seven hundred yards, as Arson
Judged. Low on the neck of his pony
lay the savage, plying his quirt with
one hand. Behind him swarmed the
crowd, yelling to keep up their own
courage and to unsettle that of the
white man.
Arson spoke soothingly to the rest
less pony, put the reins around one
ankle, raised his gun-sight for four
hundred yards, and dropped on one
knee.
The foremost rider was now so near
that Arson could make out the lower
parts of his calico shirt and distinguish
its color as it tapped and futtered
about his thighs. The white man
drew steady bead Two seconds
later and both Indian and pony rolled
upon the ground.
The express bullet, if Anson's aim
had been altogether true, must have
bored through the beasts neck and
through the body OF its rider. At any
rate, neither of them rose again.
Throwing another cartridge into the
rifle-barrel Arson aimed at the next
Indian, who had ierked his pony to an
abrupt halt, and sat bolt upright,
seemingly unaware of his own danger
in the surprise of the moment An
ounce and-a-quarter ball knocked him
out of his saddle before he had time to
recover himself.
In twlnlSling the others scattered
widely apart, drew rein, dismounted
and began firing from behind their
ponies. Their bullets skipped and
whistled and sung spitefully over An
sons head as they fired hurriedly.
But he now felt that his chances of
getting home he'd improved. He was
almost ont of their range. they were
well within his, and he was not shoot
ing to miss.
He was very cool and careful. A
pony went down under the third heavy
bullet and the rider scurried away to
the shelter of small mound. The
fourth stopped an Indian in the act of
firing under his animals neck.
With certain wild impulse of love
for his good long-range, Arson threw
open the lever for his fifth shot. But
he did not speed the ballet. He wished
to kill no man except in defence of his
own life, and now the Sioux had sprung
to their ponies and were racing out of
range.
The Indian behind the mound, how
ever, held his position and kept on
firing. Arson turned his gun that
way. But then he observed how far
short the Sioux bullet fell. Evidently
the man was armed with nothing bet
ter than a carbine. Arson rose to his
feet without firing and examined his
pony.
Finding Buckskin unframed, tn
marksman mounted and rode on toward
White River at jog-trot, hoping he
had taught the band of Indians lesson
that would keep them at distance
until he could give them the slip.
Thinking of his wife and child de-
voutly, Arson regarded his escape
almost as direct interposition of God
on his behalf. More than hundred
shots must have been fired at him; the
Indians must have been within five
hundred yards of him; and he thought
it wonderful that neither he nor his
pony had been hit, although he knew
how few marksmen can shoot with ac-
curacy at such range.
After Arson had ridden n short dis
lance, the Indians came forward to
the place where they had fought. He
watched them over his shoulder, rs
they dismounted and grouped them
selves around one or another of the
fallen. They seemed to intend to fol-
low him no farther, and he concluded
he might hope to get safely out of
that dangerous region in the darkness
of the coming night.
After time he again looked back
toward the Sioux, and was amazed to
see only the bleak prairie. The In
dams had utterly vanished
How had they gone? And where?
Back, Arson decided, and into some
ravine which his eye had missed, for
he Judged he was now nearly upon the
middle of the divide between the
Cheyenne and the White River.
Arson logged on some distance with
a feeling of extreme uneasiness.
There was something ominous in that
sudden disappearance of the Indians.
His eye royed continually over the
plain on all sides Of him. Had they
dropped into some hidden ravine that
intercepted his route? Perhaps they
were gone to arouse other camps of
Sioux not far distant. At any rate he
should ride faster. As the slow trot
had relieved his pony, which seemed
still in good condition, he spurred for
ward now at canter.
Half an hour passed away and still
no sign of Indiansl He was now
moving down the slope toward White
River, aud had begun to feel less alert.
when his rowing glance struck what
seemed little ridge not two hundred
yards to his right hand. He rode to-
ward it and saw that it was indeed. as
he had suspected, n cash in the plain.
q hidden ravine, stretching, insinuat-
ing and treacherous, beside his line of
retreat.
Now he. knew what had become of
the Indians. This ravine must lead
back close TO the place where he had
fought them; they had taken 20 it's
cover; they were hOtlv after him and