Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-02-12
peace with the Indians, who are all

peace with the Indians, who are all
out on the hunt"
ssThere are six, sergeant," said
Teddy, quickly, but timidiy. and
then flushed when the sergeant's lip
trembled with smile.
But Schrieber was a coed old
chap. and the smile instantly died
away. He had not counted Teddy,
but now he answered gravely:
sTbat's right, Teddy ; six it is. l
forgot to count myself
The day dragged itself away more
drearily and lengthily than days us
ually did in the CHEEKY little stock
ade.
One afternoon as Teddy peered
along the horizon line with the big,
old-fashioned telescope which, was
kept there for the purpose, he gave
a cry of delight and called down to
the yard, where Sergeant Schneider
was cleaning the one brass howitzer
the post possessed.
"Here they come u he screamed.
The captain 3 wife and Schneider
and four veterans came up to the
lookout to see for themselves. the
captains wife with a tripping run,
schreeching, "Oh, where Teddy 2"
but the sergeant with dignity, and
the four old boys with wheezes and
erunts in four inharmonious keys.
"There they are," cried Teddy,
pointing to dusty cloud on the out
ermost rim of the plain.
"Vas? VasY Vas? So! Too
much dust, Tedchen Der captain
he will not galloping home come !"
Very quickly the matter was ex-
planned.
It was not the hunters at all, but
something even more exciting. As
the cloud came nearer the garrison
could distinguish one solitary horse
man approaching at speed which
was more than a gallop.
Behind him at some distance, but
close in on the fugitive, was band
of Indians, not in war costume, but
in the semi-naked dress of the hunt.
Schneider ran quickly down, opened
the gate and closed it with the heavy
bars as soon as the breathless fugi-
tive was inside. The man dropped
from bis saddle exhausted.
| "Mein frent," said the sergeant,
looking at him severely through
frowning eyebrows, "what hat you
pin doing p
| Before the stranger could answer
| the pursuers were at the gate, shout
ing aloud for their prey to come
out. Schneider listened to their
cries attentatively.
II will myself nit dem spheak, p
said Schreiber.
| He went to the wicket beside the
big gate and let himselfquickly out.
Then the babel outside ceased, and
for time there was evidently a
| grave palaver outside the fort.
| In ten minutes the sergeant reap
peared, and found the captains wife
and Teddy and the four veterans
awaiting him anxiously. Schneider
paid no attention to them, but step
ped sternly to the stranger.
"Did you steal Little Mans war
pony ?"
"Well," said the man. with a calm
grin, "it's not polite way of put
ting it, but / guess it's so."
"Did you kill Little Man ven he
accused you so?'
II guess it's So"
"Because it vas that you vas white
you t'ink you kin do these things,
eh ? You bring does mad Injuns to
fight nit US to save your dirty skin,
you horse thiefl Suppose / turn
you to them over 7 Serve you right,
eh? 2"
The man rose calmly to his feet
and took a leisurely step to the bar
red wicket.
eff you say So" he said.
mo, said the sergeant, savagely,
81 will not gift you to be massacred,
but you vas a pris'ner recollect, and
shall be hanged after the rules and
regulashuns haf been attended to in
a proper and soldierly manner"
With cool deliberation he proceed
ed to make his little garrison as eff
fective as possible, place his men at
the loop holes, had the howitzer
drawn to the gate and told Teddy
to run In and stay with the women
in the captains house.
But Teddy would not do any such
thing.
II can't ride and I can't rum" be
said, shut / can shoot through a
loop hole.'
Then Schneider trusting to his
knowledge of the Indians language
and to the respect they had for his
uniform, vent out again among the
band and argued with them.
The shrewd chief had already
guessed by the sergeant's solitary
appearance that the captain was abb
sent He began to put on great
airs. He dismissed the sergeant
contemptuously as an underling and
ordered him to give uD the horse