Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-20

lands. tipping the war bonnet and lance Of
many brave with dancing fire. Whatever
their purport, the signals seemed ignored
by the Sioux for presently two riders came
sweeping down the long slope, straight for
the point where sat Red Fox, as, for want
of other name, we must for the present call
hir-who. for his part, shading his eyes
with his hand sat gazing toward the west
ward side of his warrior circle, evidently
awaiting some demonstration there before
giving the signal for action elsewhere ODE
dent to his first Instructions the main body
had spread out In long, irregular SkirmiSh
rank their mettlesome ponies capering and
dancing in their eagernesS. Chanting In
chorus some shrill, weird song. the line was
now slowly, steadily advancing, still too far
away to warrant the wasting of shot, yet
Enthusiastically seeking to close as much as
possible before bursting In with the final
charge.
And still the red leader sat at gaze, obliv
ious for the moment of everything around
him. ignoring the coming of orders posi-
bly, from Lame Wolf himself. Suddenly the
silver armlets once more cleaned on high.
Then, clapping the palm of his right hand
to his mouth, Red Fox gave voice to a
ringing warhoop, fierce. savage and ex-
ultant, and, almost at the instant, like the
boom and rumble that follows some vivid
lightning flash, the prairie woke and trem-
bled to the thunder of near a thousand
| hoofs. From every point of the compass
from every side. yelling like fiends of some
orthodox hell down they came-the wild
WARRIORS Oh tue lTOItleT III IuSh
upon the silent and almost peaceful covert
Of this little band of brothers In the dusty
garb of blue. One, two three hundred
yards they came cantering on the leafy
clump of cottonwoods riding at tearing
gallop. erect defiant, daring at the start
and giving full voice to their wild war cry.
Then bending forward, then crouching low,
then fiattening out like hunted squirrel, for
as the foremost in the dash came thunder
ing on within good carbine range, all on a
sudden the watch dogs Of the little plains
fort began to bark.
Tiny Jets of flame and smoke shot from
the level of the prairie, from over dingy
mounds Of sand, from behind the trunks Of
stunted trees, from low parapet Of log or
leather. Then the entire grove seemed
yelling itself in a drifting film Of blue, the
whole charging circle to crown itself with a
dun cloud of dust that swept eastward over
the prairie, driven by the stiff, unhampered
breeze. The welkin rang with savage yell.
with answering cheer, with the sputter and
crackle Of rife and revolver. the loud bel
low Of Springfield. and then, still yelping
the feathered riders veered and circled. ever
at magnificent speed, each man for himself
apparently. yet all guided and controlled by
some unseen yet acknowledged power, and
in five minutes, save where some hapless
pony lay quivering and kicking on the turf
the low ground close at hand was swept
clean Of horse or man. The wild attack had
been made In vain. The Sioux were scam
pering back, convinced, but not discounted
Some few of their number. borne away
stunned and bleeding. by comrade hands,
from underneath their stricken chargers
some three or four. perhaps, who had dared