Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-11-11

on n peg. One OF the bysta nders said
to the sergeant in command: Lock out
for Hans If you happen to get into
scrimmace. The first thing you know
he'll forget himself. and he'll try to
blow retreat on his carbine. You may
lose one man If Hans puts his mouth TO
the wrong end of the barrel"
Then they said a few other things to
Hans He was told To be sure not TO
get his canteen mixed up with his car
fridge belt and to make sure that he
took note of the landmarks on the way
out so he could get back TO camp in Il
hurry IL he happened to hear an InGitn
shoot off his gun. Hans took all this
well enough. because the thought of
actually going out on scout was suf-
ficient to knock all other things out of
his head. resentment along with them.
They had left the camp far behind
them. Sergeant Nelson. who was an
old and tried campaigner, turned TO his
men and said, We are getting near
the place where we may expect to see
something" Then he spoke seriously
to Hans. "Mueller," he said. you're
not half as bad perhaps as the troop
makes out. but | tell you honestly that
I'm kind Of afraid of You when il
comes to pinch. DO the best you can
and don't run. AS a matter of fact.
think that Jim Crosby was pipe drea M
ing when ne brought the rumor of reds
I'm this vicinity into camp. but you may
have chance TO see trouble and If you
do please stick"
That was a pretty tough thing to
have to say to soldier with Uncle
Sans uniform on his back. Stick
Mueller's face went almost white I'M
der realization that the true signif-
cance>of that admonition was that the
sergeant had a pretty strong fear in
his heart that this trumpet tcoter was
a coward Stick, He would show them
IL he was only given chance.
Sergeant Peter Nelson was an ole
nnd tried campaigner, indeed, but that
day ne made mistake. He led his
three MEN straight into an ambush.
There We're a score of painted Nez
Perces straight across their track. The
Indians had very little cover, but they
used it SO artfully that the old soldier
sergeant had actually thought that the
bit of embankment and the few scat
tered powders did not offer cover
enough to conceal jack rabbit.
The first intimation of the Indians
presence was volley. Sergeant Mel
son went to the ground with a wound
in his side. One OF the privates, shot
through the shoulder and leg. fell with
him. The two men crawled behind
couple of rocks and secured temporary
shelter. At the savage volley Hans
Mueller's heart went TO his throat
With the other private, who, like
Hans was unhit. he fell back about
forty yards and went behind an ade-
qGate cover. There for five minutes
they exchanged shots with the reds.
who. in accordance with Indian Gus
tom. would not charge across the open,
but depended rather upon being able TO
pick off the soldiers and then TO go for
ward without danger and take the
scalps. Hans Mueller found that he
could use his carbine. His heart went
down out of his throat. He looked
around him and saw that there was
some chance of holding the savages off
for hours. Out beyond he saw his two
stricken comrades. They We're not
dead. He knew that because he saw
them move and occasionally weakly
direction of the red foe.
Hans said TO himself, Those men
must be bry ught back here" Then he
handed his carbine to his comrade and
with 1t his belt and ammunition. "You
may need these" he said, IF those fell
lows hit me-" Then he jumped over
the rock in front of him. and with his
long, stumbling. ungainly stride he
made for the side of Sergeant Nelson
The Indians pumped at him. The balls
whizZed by his head. cut his clothes in
three places and spat spitefully into
the dust at his feet. Telling Nelson to
grab his carbine. Mueller raised the
sergeant in his arms and made back
for cover, his track all the way marked
out for him by the shots of the saw
ages. He dropped the sergeant under
the shadow of the rock and then stood
on his feet.
Where you going. Mueller? said
Sergeant Nelson feebly
I'm going after Dodds.' said Muel-
Ter. and he cleared the little rock to the
front once more.
God bless you. Mueller was what
he heard above the cracking of the ri
fies TO his front. He reached the side
of the wounded Dodds. raised him and
started back with him across the strip
of hell. Twice he staggered as volleys
rang out. but he reached the side of his
comrades and placed Dodds between
Nelson and the uawounded trooper
Then Hans Mueller fell dead
Relief came to the three surviving
cayalrymen- The two wounded lived
In the little cemetery at n most in tho
far northwest there is headstone