Evening star., 1900-12-22

THE EVENING STAR,
protection he might have held their entire
force of for a number of days.
''Conjecturing. however. that he had
escaped from his beleaguered position in the
bluffs. that their young were still clinglng
stealthiy to his rear the Sioux with no inten-
ton Of making an immediate attack. but with
the aim to get into the most favorable
position, sent hundreds Of their warriors
down the river, under cover. to cross un-
perceived three miles below and fill the
ridges and high places of the line OF bluffs
full Of a watchful, cruel and revengeful
fighting force. Also, unperceived. a number
of braves made their way across the river
a short way down and secreted themselves
under the precipitous bank on Custer
side.
Custer Makes a Fatal Change.
1.-The Indians, under cover and watching
the little column like thousand hawks,
could see the white leader showing signs
of impatience and disquiet. He scanned the
country beyond the clump Of timber through
his glasses again and again. They couid
not know that he was watching and hoping
for some sign of the approach Of Reno, so
no indication would show he had taken up
his position on the other side.
This delay gave the Indians plenty OF
time for their forces to deploy and scatter
over the most advantageous positions In
the high ground round about.
Finally, well along in the afternoon, tne
white leader did a thing for which the
Indians could hardly credit the evidence Oh
their eyes Either tired Of waiting for Keno
or being sure that he must already nave
taken his position unobserved, on the HANKS
of the Indians, Custer moved out OF the pro-
tected hollow and naturally fortlneo ia-
vine into open OF the exposed nlilslue
and marched down the river, the slope OF
Ii. ,trI,%
a distance of but few hundred yards the
precipitous bank of the river with Wr1th-
Ing pack of reds beneath. and just peyono
the water the camp Of more than oooo
Indians in their war paint. Clusters 8 rate
was sealed with that command to advance,
and there was not an Indian who ola not
know it and who did not exult at thougnt
of the grand killing in store for him ana MS
comrades.
There was no immediate attack. Custer
was marching right into the trap and the
Indians lay low and let him come on ous
from the time the little force moved out OF
the hollow until the time when the last
man fell, riddled with bullets, there was
not moment when the troopers were not
covered by the sights of thousand rlnes'
and thousand itching fingers were play
ing with the triggers.
VolIey at the Tepees.
apparently puzzled by the actions OF
the Indians and for the purpose of draw
ing them out. Custer halted. after march
ing a considerable distance down the river,
and fired volley across into the strag-
Cling lines of tepees. Instantly the volley
was answered with a deadly fire from the
under side of the river bank, taking the
soldiers so by surprise that they fell back
toward the peak of the ridge, the Indians
continuing their fire. Still without any
intimation of the danger behind them, the
troopers mounted their horses. leaving
a number of dead on the field. With
the Indians still under a perfect cover, the
soldiers had no chance to reply with effect
They reached the crest of the hills and
were headed toward the Protection Of the
ridges and gulies at gallop, when the
concealed Indians opened a murderous fire
from directly in front. Nearly a whole
and the column fell back. as the Indians
had planned, once more into the jaws Of
the trap.
Now, right here is where one Of the most
startling parts of this Indian version comes
In. You recollect the big bay thoroughbred
the Indians called Gourard and raced all
through the northwest for years after the
massacre? Well one Of Clusters young
lieutenantS was mounted on that horse that
day. When the column fell back under the
fire the big bay took the bit between bis
teeth and laundering down right into the
midst of the redskins burst savagely
through their line, his head down, squeal
Ing with rage, a diabolical incarnation of
equine fury.
A Matter of Honor.
"A number of Indians Immediately de-
tached themselves from the rest and gave
chase. They were hopelessly distanced
from the first. Nothing an Indian ever rode
could beat that horse. Finally, as he
streaked it out across the plateau nearly
a mile in the lead, the Indians gave 1t up,
and sitting back on their ponies, watched
the flying horse in fury Of disappoint-
.
thing. something which they. with no con-
ception of the code Of honor which actuates
officers in the United States army could
not understand. They saw the young lieu
tenant look back and finding himself hope
lessly out of the fight, deliberately draw
his revolver and shoot himself through
the head. The horse stopped at once and
the Indians. continuing the chase, captured
him, leaving the body of the officer lying
alone on the sands. In the first report Of
the fight he was reported missing, but
stone was since erected to his memory on
the field.
front and on the river side by the same
deadly fire, were compelled again to re-
treat. this time down the second side Of
the fatal triangle. as you can see So they
were driven again to lower ground, fighting
desperately all the while. The troopers
having dismounted from their horses, were
now proceeding at a walk. using their
mounts as much as possible for cover
AT the spot where Custer met his death
there was a rally and last stand, for the
Indians, bursting out Of cover from the
front. swept down on the little band like
lot of yelling fiends. The combat, waxing
into an incredible fury, was waged almost
hand to hand. The rifle ammunition
was exhausted, revolvers were emptied, and
the troopers, drawing their sabers, died
fighting to the last breath
Standing untouched through all the me-
lee Custer must have begun to guess that
the Indians were making an effort to cap
ture him alive. Expecting nothing but the
cruelest and most inhuman tortures from
their hands, he fought until they had closed
in about him on every side, until all the
men Immediately about him were down, and
then turned his revolver against himself.
The End Soon Came.
After that the end was not long in COM
ing. The scattered survivors were driven
back along the third side OF the triangle,
so that when the last man fell he died
within a hundred yards of the place where
the first was killed"
To one familiar with the sanguinary his
tory of the plains from 1872 until the upris-
ing at Pine Ridge, eliminating In the death
of Sitting Bull In 1891, Gourard stands as
one of the most unique and Interesting char
acters surviving. Captain Arrasmith, who
was known to him for years, declares that