The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-01-15
hv yss nine-drea ming when he brought


camp, but you may have q chance to
see trouble, and if you do, please
stick"
That was a pretty tough thing to
have to say to q soldier with Uncle
Sans uniform on his back. Stick!
Meuller's face went almost white un-
der realization that the true signiti-
canoe of that admonition was that the
Sergeant had a pretty strong rear ID
his heart that his trumpet tooter was
a coward. Stick! He would show
them if he was only given chance.
Sergeant Peter Nelson was an old
and tried campaigner, indeed. but that
day he made a mistake. He led his
three men straight into an ambush.
There was a score Of painted Nez
Perces straight across their track. Inc
Indians had very little cover, but they
used it so artfully that the old soldier
Sergeant had actually thought that the
bit of embankment and the few scat
tered powders did not offer cover
enough to conceal a jack rabbit.
The first intimation Of the Indians
presence was a volley. Sergeant Mel
son went to the ground with q wound
in his side. One of the priyates, shot
through the shoulder and leg, fell with
him., The two men crawled behind
couple Of rocks and secured temporary
sbelter. At the savage volley Hans
Meuller's heart went to his throat.
With the other private, who, like Hans
was unhit, he fell back about forty
yards and behind an adequate cover.
There for five minutes they exchanged
shots with the reds, who. in accord
ance with Indian custom, would not
charge across the open, but depended
rather upon being able to pick on the
soldiers and then go forward without
danger and take the scalps. Hans
Meuller found that he could use MS
carbine. His heart went down out OF
his throat. He looked around MIN ana
saw that there was some chance OF
holding the savages off for hours. Out
beyond he saw his two stricken COM
rades. They were not dead. He knew
that because he saw them move and
occasionally weakly raise themselves
and send q shot in the direction or the
red foes. Hans said to himself: "Those
men must be brought back here. linen
he handed his carbine to his comrade
and with it his belt and ammunition.
"You may need these" he said. III
those fellows hit me-" Then he Jumped
over the rock in front Of him, and
with his long, shambling, ungalniy
stride he made for the side of Sergeant
Nelson. The Indians pumped at him.
The balls whizzed by his head, cut
his clothes in three places and spat
spitefully into the dust at his feet.
Telling Nelson to grab his carbine'
Meuller raised the Sergeant IN his arms
and made back for cover. his track
all the way. marked out for MIN oy
the shots of the savages. He dropped
the Sergeant under the shadow OF the
rock and then stood on his feet.
"Where are you going, Meuller" sald
Nelson, feebly.
s.Im going after Dodds," said Meul'
ler, and he cleared the little rock to
the front once more.
"God bless you, Meuller." was what
he heard above the cracking OF tne
rifles to his front. He reached the side
of the wounded Doods, raised him and
started back with him across the strip
of hell. Twice he staggered, as volleys
rang out, but he reached the sides OF
his comrades, and placed Dodds be-
tween Nelson and the unwounded trap
per.
Then Hans Meuller fell dead.
Relief came to the three surviving
cavalrymen. The two wounded lived.
In the little cemetery at post IN the
far Northwest there is q headstone
which is inscribed thus:
. . . -
HANS MEULLER, {;
TRUMPETER AND SOLDIER. :
HIS COURAGE WAS BULLET {:
PROOF.
Edward B. Clark, in the Chicago
Pecord- n erald