Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1900-06-14

/, CO.," An Episode Of Invasion !
= BY Franklin w caikins :.
30 80 .

fistsmsn had mounted the high divide
which separate the sources 81 the
Eunrtng Water from those - the they
eune For five weeks the men had
,hotelsd drifi-. buhetsd billiards ard
apt a constant vigil among ths IN
tsrmiuabl, sand hills. Hy msans. too,
81 stable canvas. shovels. Nss iron
picket pins and a moiicum 81 dry feed.
they had kept in good condition the
splendid eight mule team which drew
their big fr"ighter.
Ia fact "G%oriou'- OUTFIT was1 motel
un, iu every rssT@ct, and probably no
similar bod, 80 men ever faced our
snaw bound. ~tracklcss plains. better
equipped for the adventure md now
The mufied marchers chser.d a. -taf
Gordon halted them. and pointed TO a
blurred and inkt uphcassl upon The
far rim ~ q lm,tlcss waste Of white.
Ia. famous Eiack Hills. a veritable
wonderland. unseen hitherto los auy
party 81 whites ave the men 81 Gus
t,rs expedition. las before them.
Two more day and the gold seekers
would gain The shelter 20 those pine
covered hills. where their merry Ne
would eat chip. until shelter. com
fort and safety from attack were 80
cured. out - the bitter cold. after
weeks ~ toll and danger. into warmth
aud safeiy M wonder they were glad,
A. yet they had seen no sign Of the
hostile SIOUX. but their frosty cheers,
thin aud piping. had hardly been borne
away by the cutting wind when a
moving black sp-ck appeared on the
western horizon.
The sp~ck drew nearer aud resolved
itself into a solitary hors-man. Could
it b. that a single iouN would approach
e party - their strength They
watched the rider without anxiety
They were 80 near the goal now that
mo- war party 81 sufficient strength TO
become a menace was likely to 10 gath
erred They were equipped with an
arsenal ~ modern guns With 5000
rounds - ammuuition. aud had boast-d
thry were good 20 stand OF 1qn sioux.
Nearer aud nearer trew the horse
man. his pony coming on in rabbit like
jumps TO clear the drifts Speculation
ceased. II Was an Inshsn-Prohabiy a
hunter straysd far FROM his village.
half-starsci and coming "a big for
foud We'll. the poor stretch should
hax frozen bread and meat. a much
a. h. could thsy sould not stop
t. Ess, him better fare
l. IN a H- p
bundled driver upon the gr~at wagon
slapped his single line. and y~iisd At the
~piaddiug nuie= E~vvu buffalo coated.
fur ~sncasci msn with feet clad IN snow
pack marched az The tail - the
freiehter. In such weather their cold
On. nor did they deem If necessary now
to eet them ont.
They were prepared for a Rigging
Indian. hut the sPparition which 6uai.
IS rode IN up-1u the monotony 81 their
long march seemed TO them a nEur. -
f~srrieal az savage. n the Sioux horse.
man confronted them he lowered hi,
blanket. uugossriur his solemn. bar
tssrisn facv. and. stretching out one
Icing arm. pointed them hack upon
their trait
Eco, he said. ard he repeated tn.
command With hsrc- insistsnce.
The beg freight wagon rattlsd on
i,ut the fvotmen halted Tor a moment
to laugh.
The Ind an stretched his lean arm
and shouted. "Go. still more savage
Is. II was immensely funny. G%arion'
mcn jeeud the solitary sutoeraf. ans
laughed until their ieicl-d bard
pulled. They bad~ him get into a drift
and cool OF. asked him u his mothel
Knew he Wss out, and whether hi
feet were sore. and Il It hurt him mucl
To talk, ms IL he hadn't a brother VII,
could chin-ehin washtadof
His sole answer TO their jeeriug. a h.
rode alongside. was ~6o. ~, GO, ~
peated With savage emphasis and
flourish Of his arm to S%outhWard.
The footmen were Flooding a dozel
rods in the ear Of their freigh
wagon. and still laughing f~rostily a
this queer specimen OF ~Injun. whel
the savage spurred his pony forward
\ few quick leaps carried him up &
the toiling eight-mule team. His blank.
dropped around his hips. and a r.
Pcaiing caroline rose To his face. Bot
wheelers dropped at the first sho,
killed By a single ounce slug.
rapid fusiilade of shots was distrit
uted among the struggling mule,
and then the Sioux was of. shakin
his u and yelling defiance. his pom
going in zigzag leaps and like tn
wind.
Men ran tumbling over each other
get into the wagon and at their gum
The teamstsr and two or three 9th
ers who, despite the cold. carried r,
%volVers under their ~grcatcoats. ierke
their mittens and fumbled with stit
fingers for their weapons. They Ia
not been ne-ved up with excitement
like the Sioux. and before they coul
bring their guns TO bear. the ssvag
Was we'll out upon the prairie.
And when these men tried. wit
rife or revolver, TO shot at the swift
y moving cratic mark presented b
the cunning Sioux and his rabbit-Ii
pony. the cutting wind numbed ,hei
fingers and hlled their eyes with va
ter. the %glistening snow obscure
their front sights. and they p~lted
white waste harmiessly with bul
lets
The anger which ragged in th.r
when they-knew the Sioux had 2.
capped seot-free was something frirh,
full Six mules Of the splendid eigh
lay w%elting in blood: another was al.
abied. and ouly one had come OF
without hurt. Half the counties q
northwestern Iowa had been secure
to get together -tiordon's Pride a
this fine freight team had been name
before the party left Sioux City.
The blight Of their hopeful exped
'ion. the frightful peril Of their SIT
uaiion. were lost sight Of in the al
soroing desire for revenge waie
' hurasd in every man Of them as the