The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-16

which way to go, but to our unframed eyes
he was simply striking out at random into
General Custer suddenly called Bloody
Knife 10 him and asked:
Where is that water?"
Bloody Knife's face expressed pity and
contempt. If he had spoken he might have
said: You miserable white man, can't you
have a little faith. for you know you are
in my power?' But, looking the general
steadily in the eye. he pointed toward the
There"
SOLDIERS SUCKED BULLETS.
We looked anxiously in the direction Of
his finger, but could see nothing we had not
seen over and over again since daylight
that morning. and it looked as if there could
he nothing different until We reached the
place where the earth and sky met. Bloody
Knife returned slowly to his position-2o0
or 800 yards ahead of the line-and the
march was resumed with many misgivings
and much anxiety. Most of the soldiers cut
bullets from cartridges and held them on
their tongues, for contact with the lead
excites the saliva and keeps the mouth
moist.
After a time it becomes a matter of in
difference with many whether they ever
reach water or not. A certain amount OF
suffering paralyzes the nerves., deadens the
sense OF distress and produces a stupor SINH
lar to that left by one freezing to death. A
large proportion of the had
reached that awful state of mental and
physical depression, when their vitality was
suddenly aroused by seeing Bloody Knife
stop his pony and turn his head about until
he faced us. We had been watching him
carefully all day, and this was the first
time he had made such a motion. There
% omm no gesiiore ,b SeTee was wss no 10 sign oe of Ella {.
ton or triumph-nothing but inscrutaole
silence and composure. He might have been
painted as an ideal of Indian dignity and
Feeling that. something had happened,
Custer stabbed his spurs into Dandy and
ffnadiearn he saw Bloody Knifesss long finger
pointing forward, and as Clusters eyes fol-
lowed it he gave a shrek of delight, which
was echoed Instantly by the men, although
the discipline of the soldiers kept them IN
their places in columns of fours. We who
followers were not restrained, however.
BY such considerations, so we dashed after
the general. and saw. nesting in the monot-
onous prairie, a sunken well, surrounded by
low bushes, which could not have been de-
tected 500 feet away.
Calhoun, the adjutant, Clusters brother,in,
law. at a word from the general, dashed
toward the and gave the order to
halt and dismount, so that the animals
might not get close enough TO scent the
| Occasions like this show the effect and
Importance of discipline. Every man in that
every one of the animals-and there were
| perhaps 2,0O0-was dying for a drink, and
the human portion, at least, was aware That
| water was within their reach. But each
waited In his place for orders, and a sys-
tenn was followed. that there might be no
c coI1d go ia ah the no en Genay as S Soon ~a and ~ as often
as we liked, although the surgeon stood
by, with a watchful eye on everybody, and
now. Don't drink any more for awhile"
THIRST OF ALL SATISFIED.
Every fourth man in every company was
| ordered out with his own canteen and those
OF his comrades, and the detail marched in
p~latoons to the spring and filled them care
fully. so as not to disturb the water. Then,
when every human being had drunk as
much as was good for him. the barrels in
the wagon were taken out and filled. Next
the animals. first the horses and afterward
the mules, were embarrassed and unsaddled
and led to a long ditch or trough In the
ground which had been rapidly dug, under
orders from Captain Smith. our quarter
master. They were allowed but a few swal-
lows at first, but were watered again an
hour or two later. A camp was laid out,
| rapidly, as usual, and We remained at that
hidden spring for three days, resting and
recuperating, and wondering how in the
world Bloody Knife found it.
/ never saw Bloody Knife excited but
once, and that was when he discovered that
some of his braves had been arrested and
We're lying handcuffed in the guardhouse.
He did not object to the arrest. The bucks
were drunk and dangerous. but he did object
to the guardhouse. They should have been
taken to their tepees in the Indian camp
and turned over to him, for he was respon-
sible for their good behavior and might be
trusted to administer proper discipline. But
handcufS-ugh! no warrior should be so de-
graded. The soldiers might have bound
them with withes or straps, if you please.
but nippers of iron such as they clapped on
horse thieves or ordinary malefactOrs
should not be used to restrain a warrior.
1t was to avenge an insult like this that
Rain-in-the-Face swore that some time he
would ont TnYa C1Icfor'c heart ont Poin-tn-
the-Face was arrested for burning a cabin
end numbering two unoffending frontiers
men. Tom Custer. the generals brother, a
captain In the Seventh cavalry, was sent
over from Fort Rice to the Standing Rock
Agency to arrest the suspects. Rain-in-the-
in the traders store, and for obvious rea-
sons they put him in irons.
Bloody Knife was away from camp when
his braves were arrested and imprisoned,
but when he learned Of their humiliation his
dignity was swallowed up in his indignation,
and, jumping upon the nearest pony, sad
dleless and bridleless, he galloped to head
quarters. shouting with ali the English at
his
Custer! Custer! Guardhouse! Hand
cuffsi'
The general, who was sitting In his libra
~, stepped through the long window to the
porch. where Bloody Knife was engaged in
a pantomimic performance, which consisted
of a succession Of rapid motions in direc-
ton OF the guardhouSe, the holding up of
two fingers signifying the number of braves
In prison, and crossing his wrists to show
that they were in bonds of iron. General
custer was quite as adept in the sign Ian
guage as his chief of scouts, and by a few
gestures explained the reasons for the i'm
~prisonment, which he said was only tenn
porary, until Bloody Knife had returned to
camp to take care of his men. He then
stepped to his desk and wrote an order to
the officer of the day to release the prisoners
and place them in charge of Bloody Knife,
who would be responsible for their safety
and their punishment. Thrusting the paper
into his bosom Bloody Knife started for the
guardhouse at full gallop, received his pris-
oners. and justified the confidence that had
been placed in him.
Sailors Like Cycling.
Washington Star.