Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-12-02

broad, open westward prairie. Except
a few famished, homeless dogs bowling
mournfully about the scene not a iv-
ing thing remained at the station, and
only the ghastly relics of one human
creature had been found in the brief,
hurried, two minute search. Already
it was known far as the Atlantic that
the first stories of massacre were
grievously exaggerated, many families
reported murdered having made their
way in panic but safely to Castle
Butte and others escaping to the south.
But not word from any source had
come as to the special, the last news
by wire being that the Ogallalas We're
dancing and bowling about their agen-
cy at Pine Ridge and firing on the
scouts sent out from Robinson. The
Brules could only be somewhere be-
tween Rosebud and Wounded Knee
( Wherever that luckless train could be
found there would be the Indians in
direful force and fury. Grave, set
faces We're those in the cab and about
the engine and tender. The road ran
straight for miles. The landscape was
open and treeless and lay like lazily
rolling ocean turned suddenly to earth
and stone. Langdon and the conduct
or. clingiDg fast each to stanchion,
We're under the headlight above the pi-
lot. A sergeant and three men, best
shots of the rifles, hampered the cab
and tender, but the engineer felt safer
/ in hnvin0 fhnJ,, fhopo hn
] pluck and spirits of the whole train
load had gone up at a bound in the
consciousness that that cool headed,
gritty eX-regular was at the front to
take command. Hunt had brought his
| fieldglass, and despite the jar and jolt
as the huge engine clanked along over
the elastic roadbed Langdon searched
the prairie ceaselessly while the con-
ductor kept track of the mileposts.
1--WE twist and turn every which way
five miles farther on" shouted the lat
ter into Langdon's ear. "That bluff
ahead there marks the end of this tan
gent. Then we follow the creek piece
and then make streak cross country
at the big bend"
"Any deep cuts there?' shouted
Langdon in reply, hanging to the iron
bar with hooked arm and still peer
ing through the binocular.
-Four or five. Why?"
THAT'S where We'll find 'em. They'll
run the train into a cut for protection,
line the banks on both sides and stand
off the Sioux till help comes If they
can. Signal full speed to the engineer,
will you? He can slow down again at
the bend"
A moment more and the huge ma
chi4e> seemed rushing through space,
and the two men at the pilot bent dou-
BILE and hung on for dear life. Five
minutes brought them once more along
the banks of the stream and close to
the frowning bluffs. Watch themw
signaled Langdon. pointing to the
crests and leaning far out from the
side of the engine, now reducing speed.
The sergeant, clamping his campaign
hat to his head, nodded, II UNDER
stand" s;'
The bluffs were but the shoulder of
high ridge through which long centu-
ries before the stream had torn its
way. 1t hid like curtain the spread
ing landscape beyond. 1t might be
hiding hundreds of lurking warriors,
but Langdon believed that though a
few wary scouts would be thrown out
to give warning Of coming troops the
main body of savages were clustered
close about the beleaguered train. He
had never before been brought into
contact with mounted Indians, but had
had long talks with comrades well
schooled in border warfare and felt
sure of his ground. From what he
could gather he believed that several
old Indian fighters from the westward
stations must be on that train and rea-
soned that they would make their de-
fensive stand where the cars could be
sheltered and they themselves, the de-
tenders, be partially covered by the
sides of the cut He was reasonably
certain that they could there hold out
for his coming.
(To Be Continued.)
-Nf %