Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-09
WARRIOR GAP.
Continued from page 81

dragged from unQer LIS Struggling
horse and butchered by his leaders
side; saw the bloody knives at work
tearing away the hot red scalps, then
ripping off the blood-soaked clothing,
and, to the music of savage shouts of
glee and triumph, hacking, hewing,
mutilating the poor remains, reckless
of the bullets that came buzzing along
the turf from the score of Springfields
turned loose at the instant among the
loopholes of the stockade. 1t was 500
yards away in the dazzling light of the
rising sun. Old Springfelds did not
carry as do the modern arms. Soldiers
of those days were not taught accurate
shooting as they are now. 1t was too
far for anything but chance, and all
within a minute or two the direful
tragedy was over, and the red warriors
had darted back behind the ridge from
which they came.
"My God! sir" gasped the officer
who stood at the side of the awe
stricken post commander, 81 believe
it's Red Clouds entire band, and
they've got our poor boys surrounded!
Can't we send help?'
Send help! Merciful heaven, man,
who's to help us? Who's to protect
these poor women and children if we
go? have but two companies left.
It's what those fiends are hoping
have been planning-that I'll send out
my last man to the aid of those al
ready gone, and then they'll dart in
on the fort and what will become of
these?"
Great drops of sweat were pouring
down the colonel's face as he turned
and pointed to the huts where now,
clinging to one another in terror,
many poor wives and children were
gathered, and the air was filed with
the sobbing of the little ones. Up
from the stockade came two young
officers, their faces set and rigid,
their eyes blazing. SIN Gods name,
colonel" cried the foremost, '1et me
take my men and clear that ridge so
that our people can get back. One
charge will do it, SIR
But solemnly the commander up
lifted his hand. Listen" said he, ''the
battle is receding. They are driving
our poor fellows southwark, away from
us. They are massed between them
and us. 1t would only be playing into
their hands, my boy. It's too late to
help. Our duty now is here"
But good God, sir! I can't stay
without raising hand to help. I
beg-I impIore!"
go back to your post at once, sir.
You may be needed any minute. Look
there! Now!"
And as he spoke the colonel pointed
to the southeast. Over the scene be-
You'd the divide to the south hung the
bank of pale-blue smoke. Out on the
slope lay the CHASTITY remains of the
young adjutant and his faithful COM
rade, who, not ten minutes before, had
galloped forth in obedience to their
orders and met their soldier fate. Out
to the southeast the ridge fell grad
ually away into the general level of the
rolling prairie, and there, full thou
sand yards distant, there suddenly
darted into view three horsemen,
troopers evidently, squirting madly
for home.
"They've cut their way through!
Thank God!" almost screamed the
spectators at the parapet. But their
exultation died an instant later. Over
the ridge in swift pursuit camea dozen
painted, feathered braves, their po-
MES racing at lightning speed, their
arrows and bullets >Whizzing along
the line of flight. The horse of the
foremost trooper was staggering, and
suddenly went plunging headlong,
sending his rider sprawling far out
on the turf. He was up in second,
dire peril nerving him to desperate
cry for help and glanced back over
their shoulders. One, unnerved at
sight of the dashing foemen In pur-
suit, clapped spurs again, and bending
low, rode madly on. The other, gal
liant fellow: refined about in wide,
sweeping circle, and turned back to
meet his running comrades They saw
him bend to lend a helping hand, saw
him bend still lower as three of the
Indians leaped from their ponies, and,
kneeling, loosed their rifles all at
once; saw him topple out of saddle,
and his stricken horse, with tapping
rein, trot aimlessly about moment,
before he, too, went laundering in
his tracks; saw the other soldier turn
to face his fate by his dying comrades
side, fighting to the last, overwhelmed
and borne down by the rush of red
warriors. Strong men turned aside
in agony, unable to look on and see
the rest-the brutal, pitiless clubbing
and stabbing, the fearful hacking of
lance and knife-but others still, in
the fascination of horror, gazed help
lessly through the smoke drifting up
ward from the blazing loopholes, and
once a feeble cheer broke forth as one
shot took effect and yelling Indian
stretched out dead upon the sward.
Then for a brief moment all eyes CEN
tered on the sole survivor who came
sweeping down the slope, straight for
the stockade. Almost it seemed as
though he might yet escape, despite
the fact that bic horca tao Irro1,