The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-01-25

"Keep that kid quiet" said Bankers
in hoarse whisper.
'Tm doing the best | can" said his
wife, trying to hush the little one, who
was sobbng and moaning in her lap. In
the bahy's milk wagon Il 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 and hold it between you and
crack in the car, and when it lightcns
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
chignon, said Bankers, without taking
his eyes from the crack through which he
was peeping. Emma took the bottle. and
mt each flash of lightning dropped Il 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 if the baby cried aloud.
The rain came in great sheets and with
such force that it seemed that the car
could hardly hold the rail 1t was not a
Pullman car; just a common red stock
car standing on Il siding, with a few arm
fuls of straw upon the floor. OCCASIONAL
ly 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 seet, 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
out to western Nebraska to teach school
was in every sense tenderfoot, and the
experience of this wild night had almost
driven her mad.
"There they are" whispered Bankers.
Now the women put their eyes to a crack,
and when a flash came they could see a
reef of feathered heads that formed a
half circle around the house, like feath
3 er boa about a womans neck. Half The
II band dismounted and made a rush for
3 the cottage. The door was broken. and
the red devils swarmed in. One of them
al took a newspaper and lighted it at the
"a open fireplace to make a torch, and by
81 the light of it the little party in the stock
car could see the Sioux running. half
81 Crouching. from room to room in search
f* VI tllc OCCuDdlllS. TlHulllS llp place tt
serted and smarting under their disap-
|# #pointment, the Indians now set fire to
A the house and by the light of it started
TO loot the railroad station, less than a
g hundred y ,rds away.
The station agent had been warned,
las the others had been. by a Pawnee
Scout, but had bravely refused to leave
bis post. He had made no light, but sat
nuI Of ba Ior liftla u-hi oh
Served as ticket Office telegraph office
hDd sleeping room and as the Indians ap-
preached opened fire. AT the very first
shot the leader of the murderous band
Raped high into the air. came down on
his feet eaped up again and again and
nnally fell in heap, to rise no more.
With deafening yell the angry band
made rush for the door and began to
peat against it with tomahawks. clubs
3 and guns
|AI Having emptied his rife, the agent now
fook up pair of As caliber revolvers.
and the lead fairly ratified against the
roor and no fewer than half dozen
savages sank to the platform. causing
1he besiegers to fall back a space. From
distance they began to pour the lead
y lhto the building, but the agent. crouch
1ng behind the little iron safe. was still
pnhurt. An Indian brought torch from
the burning cottage and attempted to fire
he station, but the rain and wind put
put the fire. Two or three Sioux, noticing
3 string of cars upon the siding. began to
search for stock or eatable freight From
gar to car they ran, thrusting their rifles
INTO the straw. "Uhn' said an old buck
as his rifle found something soft in one
of the cars, and Bankers felt a hurt in
nls short ribs. Laying hold of the side of
the car. the Indian began to pull and
Strain. BY the merest chance he had
1aken hold of the car door, and now, as
+ y opened, he thrust his hideous head in
side Bankers could have blown the top
\ of the Sioux's head off. but he knew that
70 nre would be to attract q dozen red
SKINS, against whom he could not hone
20 mold out long. The women scarcely
preathed. The baby, full of paregoric.
slept as though it had already entered
npon its final rest.
The other two Indians had given up the
eearch among the empty cars and gone
pack to the station, where the agent hav.
lg reloaded all his guns, kept the gang
hopping and dancing about the station
Y platform. The old Sioux at the car door
focked his head and listened. He must
ave fancied he heard something breathe
y xpr now he put his hands upon the sill
snd leaped into the car He had scatce-
n Strengthened up when Bankers rifle
4prrel fell across his feathered bend. ana
dropped like leaf The schoolna'am
tered faint scream. and that was the
n solind that came from her corner for
me time. The Sioux never moved
ger, and Bankers. having removed the