The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1902-06-13

The night the ComancheS was c1rcl1n'
round the hill an putin in good,
steady fire. 1t looked almighty rough
for us, for there was no chance to
send out a runner with word to Phil.
So when it was near mornin' Daddy
spoke up.
"'Boys,' says he, we're trapped
says he. There's no way to get help
sent to us. So,' says he, 'as them dev-
lis are all about us an we're short Of
chuck an water an ammunition he
says-not just like that, but them was
his meanin's-he says: I'm goin' to cut
my way out. Is it rightY he says.
Right it was. 1t was our only
chance for we was completely sur
rounded, an what he said about the
ammunition was correct. We had Fred
Colville with us, the bugler. You've
heard of him. He'd played taps over
Buck Bill when we buried him. There
was no use in layin' low. We didn't
care how much row we made. Fred
up an gives roarin' call, full blast
an to hades with the rest. Boots an
saddles! Yup! l never got MY fingers
twitchin' at u call as did that time.
Up we went into the saddles, revolvers
at the carry, carbines loose in the
boots, an faced the reds. I never
thought I'd live through it, but all
was mad about was to empty them six
chambers into the Comanches that was
thick about us. They saw what we
was up to. Trust them. They're cute.
The beggars got together on the only
road we could take to find the COM
mand an waited. Give me Comanche
for square fight. They formed up in
the gray of the mornin' to meet us,
an says to myself, says I, it's
massacre, so it is, for they was about
five to our one. Boys says Daddy,
cool as ice chests, you see,' he says,
I'm goin' to charge in column Of
fours,' he says, AN cut through. Look
out for yourselves, an luck to us all.
Trumpeter,' he says, sound the boots
an saddles again. It's dandy he
says. It's good defi,' he says.
can at that Fred Tipped the bugle,
an it went to rouse the land. You'd
have thought they'd have heard it at
Washington. Whoopeei
"'Againv yells Daddy, for he seen 1t
put blood into us an seemed to scare
the reds.
Erred let her go again, an was
lookin' at the other side of the creek
where we'd buried Buck Bill, between
where the Injuns was an the water.
guess cried out, for Daddy howled at
me:
"'What's the matter with you? Are
you craZy?'
"'Twas enough to make a man era
zy. The little mound of gravel over
Buck Bill was heavin'. Bill was COM
in out of his grave. l yelled out, but
the old man was givin' his commands.
"Trot! says he. 'Gallopv says he.
Charge! says he, an at the word
'Chargep Fred let's out a yell from that
old bugle that would scare Madrid.
The Injuns was excited an lookin' for
us an ready for us, an we didn't have
much chance, but that call walked
Buck Bill for fair. Right between US
his grave was, an the mound heaved,
an the earth parted, an out come Bill
from the dead. He staggered bit,
facin' the Injuns, an we was comm
down across the creek, pistols cooked,
full charge. He never looked at us.
He faced the reds. Man, they was
scared. 'Chargey yells Bill an goes
for them just as he was, in the shirt
an drawers we had buried him in.
Charge! he yells, an we howled, an,
begob, was like the Injuns-I thought
it was a ghost! They cleared out;
they scattered; they thought he was
spirit We cut after Bill, but he whip
ped them Comanches himself. / guess
it took the blood out of them to see
dead men risin' out Of their graves
to fight them.
II forgot to tell you, you see. but
maybe you've guessed it. Buck Bill
wasn't dead at all. He was scalped
an senseIess all right, but only stun
ned like. an it was lucky we hadn't
time to bury him Deep"
The corporal paused.
81 guess" he said, rising, "the
nurse'll be kickin' us out if we don't
go ourselves. Say, you're like Buck
Bill. You've got the bump of vitality
strong. You've lived through this with
out u bugle call to rouse you either.
But l bet you'd die. By rights you
ought to have died."