Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-03-27

I'm doing the best / cam" said his
wife, TRYING TO hush the little one, who
was sobhing and moaaing in her lap. In
the haby's milk wagon bitter fight was
going on between paregoric and pain, and
the latter was dying hard. The wind
drove the rain against the side of the car
and made It rock to and fro. "Emma,"
said Mrs. Bankers to her friend, "take
that bottle ard bold II between you and
crack in the ear. and when it lightens
drop ten drops into the spoon. / suppose
we must not strike light"
You bet you don't strike any light
here unless you are ready to give up your
ehignon," said Bankers, without taking
his eyes from the crack through which he
was peeping. Emma took the bottle, and
at each fash of lightning dropped dropof
hush medicine into the spoon, and when
she had put in ten drops they gave il to
the baby. That made 20 drops 1t was
dangerous. but it was sure death to all of
them il the baby cried aloud.
The rain came in great sheets and with
such force that ii seemed that the car
could hardly hold the rail. 1t was not a
Pullman car; just common red stock
car standing on siding. with few arm
fuls of straw upon the floor. Occasional
" Bankers turned to glance at the two
women who were crouching in one end of
the car, and when the lightning lit up
their faces they were fearful to behold.
Now the rain, cold as sleet, came through
the cracks in the car and stung the faces
of those within Mrs. Bankers had seen
three winters at Wood River, but her
friend, the young woman who had come
ont to western Nebraska to teach school,
was in every sense teuderfoot. and the
experience of this wild night had almost
driven her mad.
"There they are" whispered Bankers.
Now the women put their eyes to n crack,
and when n flash came they could see
reef of feashered heads that formed
half circle around the house, like feath-
err boa about woman's neck. Half the
band dismounted and made rush for
the cottage The door was broken. and
the red devils swarmed in. One of them
took a newspaper and lighted it at the
omen fireplace to make q TORCH and by
the light of it the little party in the stock
car could see the Sioux running. half
crouching. from room to room in search
of the occupants. Finding the place de
serted and smarting under their disap-
| pointment, the Indians now set lire to
| the house and by the light of it started
to loot the railroad station. less than
hundred yards away.
The station agent had been warned.
| as the others had been. by a Pawnee
scout. but had bravely refused to leave
| his post. He had made no light. but sat
| in one end of the dark little room which
| served as ticket Office telegraph office
| aud sleeping room and as the Indians APP
! preached opened fire. At the very first
b~f h.. Of tho unnr1prOnz hand
! leaped high into the air. came down on
his feet. leaped up again and again and
finally fell in heap, to rise no more,
| With a deafening yell the angry band
made a rush for the door and began to
beat against it with tomahawks, clubs
and guns.
| Having emptied his rife, the agent now
took up a pair of As caliber revolvers,
| and the lead fairly ratified against the
door, and no fewer than a half dozen
/ savages sank to the platform. causing
| the besiegers to fall back a space. From
| a distance they began TO pour the lead
| into the building. but the agent. crouch
| ing behind the little iron safe, was still
| unhurt. An Indian brought torch from
| the burning cottage and attempted to tre
| the station. bur the rain and wind put
! out the fire. Two or three Sioux, noticing
! a string of ears upon the siding. began to
/ search for stock or eatable freight. From
| car to car they ran. thruSting their rifles
! into the straw "Uhw said an old buck
| as his rifle found something soft in one
OF the cars. and Bankers felt hurt in
! his short ribs. Laying hold of the side of
| the car. the Indian began to pull and
strain. BY the merest chance he had
| taken hold of the car door, and now, as
/ II opened, he thrust his hideous head in
| side. Bankers could have blown the top
| of the Sioux's head of. but he knew that
| TO fire would be to attract a dozen red
skins. against whom he could not hope
| TO hold out long The women scarcely
hreathed. The baby. full of paregoric
| slept as though it had already entered
upon its final rest.
| The other two Indians had given up the
search among the empty cars and gone
back to the station where the agent, hav-
| ing reloaded all his guns, kept the gang
hopping and dancing about the station
| platform. The old Sioux at the car door
cooked his head and listened. He must
have fancied he heard something breathe,
for now he put his hands upon the sill
and leaped into the car. He bad scarce
4 iy straightened up when Bankers rifle
barrel fell across his feathered head, and
he dropped like a leaf The schoolma'am
uttered faint scream, and that was the
last sound that came from her corner for
some time. The Sioux never moved 8
finger, and Bankers, having removed the
warriors firearms and ammunition, gave
the CUR to his wife and then covered the
| deal Sioux with straw. Already the lit
tie frame cottage had burned to the
ground, and the rain had nearly punched
the fire. Every attempt made by the
band to fire the station had ended in
failure, and the Sioux were now prepar-
| ing to storm the fort. 1t was hard for
Bankers TO keep quiet in the car while
the agent sold his life bravely and so
dearly TO the Sioux, but there were his
wife and baby and the helpless school
rna'am, who had been persuaded by the
Bankerses to come to this wild region,
and he felt il his duty to protect them as
best he could. Presently Bankers fell
the stock car vibrate perceptibly, as
- - II. Id oil yfx~ al