The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-04-11
IL, 1901.
A VOLTS WARNING

At 10 o'clock in the forenoon the val
ley suddenly narrowed until we hau
no choice but to take the path leading
hetween two fir crowned ridges We
had sighted Indians the day before but
the night had passed without an alarm
and the morning had slipped along
without sight of warrior.
Had the savages figured II out that
the 80 of us guarding the ten wagons
Of clothing and provisions were too
strong for them and that our keeping
so well closed up and on the alert made
the capture of stragglers impossible!
"Haltr came the word from the
head of the column. and two men were
sent ahead to spy out the lay of the
land.
They found the path only wide
enough for the wagons, leading down
ward and away until it crossed a creek
and was lost in the gloom beyond.
Not a single bird sang from the
branches, not a rabbit scurried away In
alarm.
There was the silence of death along
the path.
Foot by foot. with ears bent forward
and noStrils dilatlng, the horses Of the
scouts moved on. and their riders had
the vigilance of men whose lives might
be snuffed out at any moment.
No danger along the path-no danger
lurking at the crossing Of the creek.
So the scouts reported as they returned
to the column. and the captain had
Just opened his lips to give the order
To march when wolf came running up
the path and dashed through the col
umn. There was fire in his eyes, but
yet his tail was down.
"Skeered." whispered an old veter-
an. land by lnjuns at that! That wolf
has bin turned out of his lair 10y the
reds
AN ambush down thar to wipe us
out" whispered a second.
The captain shaded his eyes with
his utiilu anu llttitu WV ~ NV pun 80
moment. Then he quietly said:
Turn the wagons about and keep to
the east till we strike another path,
Don't hurry-don't shout! Corporal
French. strike up Dixie Land and
you boys ali Join in the chorus"
In five minutes we were out of the
mouth Of the gorge and marching away
10 the east ON the level plain again.
and as we marched every trooper sang
the chorus of the lively song ut the
top of his voice.
what was It? What did the cap
tain see down there?" was asked from
man to man.
The captain saw nothing. He was
Obeving an inStinct-one of those pre-
monitions which sometimes stop
man in time to prevent a terrible trag-
edy.
The men TESTED and sang. but now
and then one looked back over his
shoulder and gave the lie to the jest
ON his lips.
No one had seen anything, no one
had heard anything. Miles away they
found safer if longer road. and the
fort was reached at last without sight
Of an Indian.
Around the mess table they joked the
CAPTAIN for backing out of the gorge
and adding miles to his Journey
"All ON account Of a scared wolf"
laughed one.
And scared at his own shadow at
that" added a second.
The captain had no reply, but to him
self he wondered if he had not been
oyercautious. 1t was months later
when a captive squaw told him tale.
All night long. as the wagon guard
lay sleeping. the hostile Indians were
coming in by dozens and scores, going
into ambush along the creek.
They had dug rifle pits, they had
piled up logs and stones, they were
hidden under the cedars, until over 900
of them lay waiting with bated breath
for the train to enter the trap.
When the last wagon and the last
trooper should have passed a certain
spot, the signal was to be given TO open
fire. Three hundred jets Of flame-3OO
bullets seeking targets! There would
not have been 20 troopers left alive
after that first volley. At the end of
five minutes every man would have
been dead and the red demons scream
ing with glee as they twisted off their
scaips.
A frightened wolf betrayed the am
bush. Tie train took another route
and was saved. For an hour or more
the Indians watched and waited. none
daring to move for fear Of betraylng
his presence.
At last all realized that their game
had escaped from the trap. and sullen-
ly and noiselessly the 800 moved down
the path. up the rise, into the cedars,
where their ponies were herded, and,
without shout or curse or sound to be
heard ten yards away, they mounted
and rode away, and the ridges hid
them from view.