The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1901-05-24
Warrior Gap s.,. s Charlie. a.,
lcopyHght rennyson Nelyl
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lCOpyright, 1877, BY F. Tennyson Neely.l

rumble and thunder OF at least 2VO |
hoofs, the charging yell Of an Indian |
band, the sputter and bang of rifles |
close at hand, and then rush of feet, !
as, with faces agonized with fear,
three of the men came darting within.
Its all up! There's a million In
diansl" they cried. Two of the de-
moralized fellows plunged into the
passage that led to the cellar One
burst into childish wailing and chung
to Folsom's knees.
let go, you coward" yelled the
old man in fury, as he kicked himself
loose, and then went bounding out
upon the porch. God, what sight
Sweeping up the gentle slope, bran
dishihg rifles and lances and war
clubs, racing for their hapless prey,
came 80 0gallallas, Burning Star
among the leaders. Bullets could not
stop them now. The two men who
had stood to their posts knelt grim
and desperate, and LANNON'S last
shot took effect. Within so yards of
the walls Burning Stars rushing pony
went down on his nose, and in the
fury of his pace, turned sudden and
complete somersault crushing his red
rider under him. and stretching him
senseIess on the turf. An inspiration,
almost God-given, seemed TO fash upon
the old trader at the instant. Bare
headed, In his shirt sleeves, throwing
upward and forward his empty hands,
he sprang out as though to meet and
rebuke his assailants. "Holdl" he
cried, in the tongue he knew so well
"Are my brothers crazed? Lookl
am no enemy. 1t is your friend! It
is old John!" And even in the rage
Of their charge, many Indians at
sight Of him veered to right and left;
many refined up short within ten
PAGES Of the unarmed man; two
sprang from their ponies and threw
| themselves between him and their
brethren, shouting to be heard, And
then in the midst OF furious discus
sion, some Indians crying out for the
| blood of all at the ranch in revenge
for Chaska, some demanding instant
surrender of every woman there In
expiration for Lizette, some urging that
old John be given respectful hearing,
but held prisoner, there came flashing
into their midst young brave, cry
ing aloud and pointing down the now
well-lighted valley where, darting
about mile away, few Indians were
evidently striving to head off the COM
ing Of some hostile force. Leaving
two or three Of their number trying
| -. ..a.4a,, ooosolousnass N tha afriak-
en- chief, and dozen, Folsom's advo-
Gates among them, to hold possession
of the rancn, away scurried most OF
the warriors at top speed to the aid
of their outlying scouts.
Meantime under cover of the fierce
argument, Jake and Lannion had
managed to crawl back within the
building Folsom himself, in such
calm as he could command, stood 81
lent while his captors wrangled. The
warriors who pleaded for him were
Standing Elk, subchief Of note,
whose long attachment to Folsom was
based on kindnesses shown him when
Young man, the other was Young
Shows-the-R Road, son of chief who
had guided more than one party OF
whites through the lands of the Sioux
before the bitterness of war arose be-
tween the races. They had loved Fol-
som for years and would not desert
him now in the face of popular clam
or. Yet even their influence would
have failed but for the sound that
told of hotter conflict still among the
foothills along the opposite side OF
the valley. With straining ears, Fol-
som listened, hope and fear alternat-
ing in his breast. The mingling yells
and volleying told that the issue was
in doubt. Man after man OF his cap
tors galloped away until not half a
dozen were left. Now, Jake and Ian
MON could have shot them down and
borne him within, but to what good?
Escape from the ranch itself was inn
possiblel Such action would only In
!. tensify the Indian hate and make
more horrible the Indian vengeance
For 20 minutes the clamor continued,
then seemed to die gradually away,
', and, with fury In their faces, back at
full gallop came dozen of the braves
One glance was enough. They had
, penned In their foe among the rocks
,, but not without the loss Of several
.. at least of their band, for the fore
most rode with brandished war club
straight at Folsom, and despite the
leap of his two champions to save
felled the old trader with one stun
ming blow, then gave the savage or
der to burn the ranch.
BY this time the sun was just peer
ing into the valley. The smoke and
fame from the corral were dying
or drifting away Eagerly half
|. dozen young braves rushed for fag