The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1900-07-26

" O1u DuI u 1OunQ ~
coming back We, hadn't been out two
days when they sighted us; luckily,
it happened just about shutdown. They
took a few shots at US, then went into
camp just w a hill from where we
were camped. We could hear them
holding powwows and singing while
making preparations to dangle our
scalps in their belts the next day.
II remember / sat looking into the
campfire that night, wishing was back
home and wondering what in thunder
to do, when the old sergeant came over
to me and asked:
Lieutenant, you don't think we can
lick tibet hull outfit, do your"
"sNo, sergeant; Idon't What do you
think we'd better do?
swell, I think we he'd better build
up a big fire, so they kin see it, then
drift out of this
sand we did. We struck a trail and
followed it all that night. About day.
light we found ourselves on a hill top
and right in the center of an old, de-
serted Indian village. 1t was that
nights trip that first gave me my high
appreciation of the much maligned old
government mule. Every mule in that
pack train seemed to understand the
situation and there wasn't a whimpe1
or a bray from any one of the lot until
we had put a good nights travel be.
tween us and that gang of redskins.
I'VE didn't have any more trouble in
getting back to the fort, though we
crossed a number of warm trails OF
bands. I met the chief when he came
into the fort a long time after to make
peace, and he told me how many times
he had shot at me on that trip and
couldn't understand how it was that
he never got me.
"The wound that I got at Los Quay.
mas, in Cuba, was another lucky one.
too. You remember, Sellers, how A and
B troops of the regiment were lined up
that day az the foot Of the hill, and
we were getting a perfect hell of fire
from the Spanish entrenched up on
top of the hill? Well, I was walking
up and down before my battalion, and
had orders to hold them fast to pro.
tect u right flank from the enilade
fire on the right. I had just turned
around and waved my glove at them to
hold fast, and dropped my hand to my
side again, when a Mauser struck me
in the arm. If I hadn't dropped my
arm just as I did, the ball would have
cut ne straight through the center.
1t turned me around and knocked me
down, but in a short time I gathered
myself up, went to the rear to see how
badly I was hit, and found that the
bone was badly shattered. 1t was
three days before I had the wound at.
tended to-. There was a lump on the
inside of my arm, and when the Jul
geon examined it he said it was a piece
of bone sticking out, and that he would
have to cut it out. He made a cut across
the lump and out popped the bullet
wrong end first. If it had come straight
as most of them do, it would never
have stopped in the arm, but went OF
straight through me.
"The following day I wandered
around back Of the firing line trying tc
help the poor fellows that were worse
off than I was, and I remember seeing
n of the A troop boys-Buck O'Niell's
company, coming down the road with
tears running down his cheeks and
thought he must be wounded badly
He saw me and yelled:
"'Hello, major, where is the firing
Incl I told him it was away on aheai
in the other direction, but the fghr
was over.
"Then he seemed to feel worse thar
ever, and broke out with as choice {
lot of ornamental cuss words as I eve
heard a mule driver get rid of. ant
wound up by saying:
"'It's a shame that a Teller come:
all the way here from Arizona to fgh'
and then gets knocked out by the eli
mate within a few yards of the firing
line
"That forced march was the hardes,
I ever saw. Packed down with about
so pounds of blankets, rations and 9th
er stuff in that hot country, we double
quicked right by the regulars, tina
were coming up at a good,stif gait, too
right straight into trouble. Fellows
would drop out of the ranks along tn.
line of march like they were shot. som,
of 'em wouldn't come to for a day OF
two after and some never were RICH
afterwards.
"Teddy Roosevelt came over to my
tent at four o'clock in the morning
after the fight and woke me up to tel
me that the Arizona boys made hi!
regiment. He said he knew that I knew
it, but wanted to tell me that he knew
it and wanted to tell it first.
"There's a fellow, that Teddy; full
of life, yigor and energy, that enjoys
living and fighting. I was in New
York after he was elected governor and
went over to Albany to call on hin
at the capitol. I hardly expected tt
see him, as he was busy, but though
I'd just send in my card to let hin
know I was in town. I met the secre
take in my card to the governor. h
told me there was no use, the governo:
was busy on some important case o:
other, and there were several delega
lions of lawyers arguing something be
fore him. I insisted that he take il
the card, anyway, and handed it t.
him. he took a look at it and went in
In a minute he came back with a smil
on his face and said that the governo
wanted me to come right in. ~
"When I went in he squinted sacros
the room to see who it was, held up hi
hands at the fellows talking, an,
rushed acros the room to me witt
both hands stuck out-the same oil,
Teddy I knew in Cuba. After b
talked a few minutes he turned, waved
his hand at the waiting lawyers will
a look on his face as much as to say