Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-02-12
schrieber staggered through The

Schrieber staggered through the
wicket, which was instantly closed.
and fell forward within. He was
practically disabled.
The stranger then stepped forwsrd.
The captains wife was attending to
the sergeant's wounds, and the fugi-
tive bowed to her most politely.
at seems,n he said, with a most
courlly air and a cynical smile, "that
have erred. ! thought / was seek
ing safety in well garrisoned fort,
but / find ! have placed lady and
a few old men in danger. Permit
me to rectify my mistake. As it is
only me these gentlemen want they
shall meet me.
Two revolvers we're at his belt,
and he had rife slung at his back.
He leaped to'the cato, which opened
right and lett on rollers, and, with
one big shove forced them back in
the grooves.
So quickly had be done SO that
none OF the others had time to pre-
vent his suicide, for suicide il was.
Crack, crack, crack-right, left,
right--his pistols went among the
Indians, and three men fell, bowling.
Their panic, however, lasted but
for an instant, and in another mo-
ment the crowd would have pressed
him down, ridden him into the
ground.
But there is madness of the
brave, and this madness, this sud-
den, unconsidering fury, suddenly
possessed the veterans.
Through the open gates they saw
a white man fighting alone with a
crowd of reds and simultaneously,
as if showed forward by one hand,
these four old heroes threw them
selves after him to haul him back TO
safety.
Old Schneider, unable to move
from where he had fallen, beloved
to them to come back and close the
gates, but they did not hear him.
In an instant they were by the
strangers side and fighting furious
ly and blindly. In another instant
they were dowr. 1t was forty to
five-and they were old men.
Teddy had been standing by the
| gun, which, loaded with grape and
ready to fire, faced the now open
gates.
For the momen. the OgaIallas
were as much astonished as he.
They stood facing the empty fort,
which they found at their mercy.
They had not come TO attack.
Tbey had no idea Of fighting with
the soldiers with whom they were al
peace, but they had tasted blood
and nothing would have held in the
younger men now.
They glared, painting, at the Grip.
pied boy, their sole opponent, for
Schrieber was helpless, and he look.
ed into their eyes with sudden awful
fear.
Then there came to his ears, both
at once as distinctly as on the day
they were uttered the words Of the
malicious trumpeter and the words
of the captains farewell:
"Teddy could not keep out the
prairie dogs |"
81 leave in your charge my wife y
The Indians were within twenty
feet of him gathering themselves for
q rush.
Teddy never moved his eyes from
the Indians, but with white face
fred the gun.
Before the roar of the discharge
and the shrieks of the Indians had
died away Teddy had hobbled to the
gates, and Schrieber, with supreme
effort, forced himself to rise and as
sist. Between them they managed
to close the way before the Ogalal-
las had recovered from the shock.
"Mein Colt Mein Gottl" he
muttered' "a cripple boy and a
woman to hold the fort! 1t is the
taps"
Which is the soldiers way of say
ing that all is lost. But the cap
tain's wife looked into Teddy's eyes
and saw something there TO give her
hope.
"You won't-you won't let them
in, Teddy 7" she whispered, and
then stopped and kissed the boy.
The Indians had drawn of, dis
mayed at the sudden and terrible
repulse they had met with at the
hands ola child, but now they were
urged to attack the fort by passion
greater than their mere lust for
blood. They hungered for revenge.
BY Schreiber's whispered direc-
ton Teddy took post at loop hole
with rife.
He was no mean shot for boy,
and as the hours passed be succeed
ed in picking off more than one In
dian.
But be could not from one loop
hole cover all the ground, and very
shortly the indians succeeded 10
creeping close up to the gate and
piling agsinstitb bundles of brush and
| dry grass. Teddy saw but he wea