Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-25


"But we will turn them back, sir wo
will fight thcmP'
"And if they arc too many for you?"
az know the history of the troop, sir"
snd the boy in trembling tones. 1T has
lost almost 40 men by dcscrtion, suicide
and skirmsh 1t has not lost II man in n
real fight They shall say of it in the next
three days that it has won fight or been
wiped out. l would rather be lying dead
thcre on the sands than to continue to
serve in q troop which has not q single
victory on its banncrsp'
"You may CO." said the colonel. "If 1t
is mistake, then God help mel Turn
those Indians back, and will recommend
you for promotion. If they are too many
for you"-
"Thcn you will know it by the buzzards
lowering over the battlcfed!'
Half an hour later tho 80 men of b troop
rode out of Fort Brown and headed across
the desert to the south. They were one of
the arms of a v. Tho apex was Panther
gap. As they moved along one arm the
Indians would move along the other. The
Indians had nearly n days start, but their
route was roughcr and their pace would
be slower.
"Thcre goes the last Of B troop" whis-
pcrcd every soldier left behind as the troop
crs rode away, and as they said it they in
stinctivcly looked up at the flag as If ex-
pccting to see it at half mast.
The troopers had received that order
without enthusiasm. They knew they
were to make hard ride and that fight
| was probable, but they were neither OK
ultant nor respondent. Like the Arabs,
| they shrugged their shoulders and whs-
! pcrcd "Kismct." They were in the hands
of fate, and fate was likely to be against
thcm. With scarcely farewell and with
never 10 look over their shoulders they
rode away. two by two, and it was not uns
| til long after dark that the boy officer ut
! the head drew rein and ordered the camp
| for the night. Before they slept he said TO
| thcm
I'VE shall be up and away at the first
signs of daylight. Men, listen to me- We
are riding to reach Panther gap ahead Of
u war party Of 100 Indians. We shall get
there first and beat them back or die fight
! ing. ! have promised the colonel this.
| You have had one disaster after another UNI
! til your fellow soldiers sneer and pity and
wonder If cowardicc is not at the bottom
| of it, do not believe it is believe cv-
cry man of you to be game, and we will
win victory which shall place the old
troop at the 'front.'
\ cheer burst from every man, the first
cheering heard in Troop l} for years. Each
man drew himself up moro proudly, each
man muttCrCd 10 himself that If need DO
he would die in his tracks. Their mind
| worked even as they slept and when day
light came the officer looked from face to
face and wondered at the change. There
was an chgcrncss to make him glad per
sonnet to make him proud. Breaking
camp ms soon MS it was light enough to SEQ
the troop rode at n aallop until midfore-
noon and reached the gap ahead of the
hostilcs. Only short hour, though. Their
horses had not yet ceased blowing when
the advance of the Indians was made out
| Panther gap was narrow road through
| Panther mountain, and its southern end
dcbouchcd into Browns valley, five miles
away. Tho boy officer knew nothing of
war, but common sense and his veteran
| sergeant suggested u brcastwork across the
entrance to the gap. One was constructed
of rocks and logs and stones, and il was
hardly finished before the skirmishcrs of
the war party were firing upon it.
No man will over read what is called
cunningham Defense" without his
pulse quckcning. One hundred and TWEEN
ty-thrcc Indians pressed forward against n
force Of 81 troopers, commanded by II boy.
Three different times once ON horseback,
the Indians charged right up TO th1 breast
work, but each time were driven back
with slaughter. The defenders did not
escape death, however. When the last
charge was beaten back, eight OF them
were stretched out ON the rock soil, and
there were but "a to fall back for u mile
and build another brcastwork. This move
was necessitatcd by the Indians working
up the sides of the mountain and securing
a flank fire. Tho second brcastwork was
evacuated next morning for the Same rea
son. and mile in the rear OF 1t another