Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1902-04-17
A SERGEANT'S SACRIFICE
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that the Indians have broken loose,
numbering and pillaging. My wife and
children are at StoughtOn's ranch.
want you to take four men and bring
them in"
'I'll get them in, sir"
Sergeant Kimball saluted and left
the room. The major controlled him
self till the man was gone, then paced
the floor in agony.
Kimball was one of those men occa-
sionally to be found in the ranks or
the army who are understood to be
gentlemen, but about whom nothing Is
known prior to their enlistment. He
had shown himself careless Of danger;
hence the majors selection Of him for
the task.
That afternoon the sergeant and his
four men rode into StOughton's ranch,
and Kimball told Mrs. Swayne that
her husband desired her to return to
the fort, though his object in sending
for her was concealed. A wagon and
horses were taken from the barn and
the family placed in it, and, attended
by the escort, the journey was begun.
side the wagon and one directly be-
hind A mile in the rear rode Sergeant
kimball
Half of the Journey had been &C.
complished when the sergeant, stand
ing at the summit of a pass between
two hills and looking backward, saw
Indians emerging from wood and
making for the road There were
more than a hundred of them, and he
could see by their gaudy trappings
that they were on the warpath. He
watched them till they struck the road,
and when they turned in his direction
he knew that they would soon over
take the wagon. The color died out Of
his face, but a desperate resolve set
tied there instead. Casting about for
loose timber, he made a pretense for
barricade across the road. Then, ly-
ing on his stomach, with his Winches-
ter pointed across a log, he waited the
coming Of the Indians.
This man who was about to die that
others might live was in strange con-
dition of mind. He remembered one
who, born of the same mother, had
fallen under temptation, one whose
punishment he had taken upon himself.
He recalled having been dropped by
his friends, the contemptuous, averted
look of the girl he loved. These were
in his thoughts confused with sounds
of the tramp of ponies, the cultural
mutterings of Indians coming up the
road and the creak of the wagon lum-
nd hoo oh on
the wind.
They'll hear the firing he said to
himself, "and move on at full speed.
Better give the signal now and save
time"
Selecting one of the Indians, he fred,
emptying a saddle. The savages halt
ed, ceased their jargon and looked up
the road whence the shot had come.
Kimball fired three more shots in rap
id succession, dropping man each
time. Then the Indians took to cover.
Again the wind brought back the
sound of the creaking wagon, this
time noisier and accompanied by the
gallop of horses. Kimball knew that
every moment he could delay the in
evitable advance Of the Indians over
his body would add to the chances for
the lives of the women and children.
The Indians below were quiet. The
sergeant was familiar with their tao
tics and hey were stealing upon
him and a, d him. Presently there
was a she ON his left. A bullet
sang by his ars; then all was still
again. But what stiffness! Insects
were humming; birds were on the
wing, occasionally pouring forth har-
monious notes, then a far, faint creak-
ing of the wagon, now doubtless near
ing the fort. AS sure as the sun shOne
mildly on that autumn afternoon, as
sure as the leaves rustled in the breeze,
death was creeping up on the man who
was waiting for it.
Kimball knew the Indians were puz-
zled. They could not get into position
where they could see behind his little
fortificatiOn, for he was screened by
trees on both TANKS. He saw an In
dian creeping out on the limb Of tree
close to his right. His rifle cracked,
and the man pitched headlong to the
ground.
coming from the rear, the galiop of
horses. Kimball knew that he had
saved his charge and that in time sue
cor would come, but he also knew that
when it arrived all would be over with
him. Since hills lay between the In
dams and the coming horsemen the
former did not hear for a time, and the
soldiers were enabled to come within
short distance before they were dis
covered Then the redskins, knowing
that relief was at hand, poured fire
from q hundred rifles into Kimbalrs
little fortress and, mounting their
horses, galloped away.
Major Swayne, followed by his men,
coming like the wind. spurred his horse
to yhe crest of the hill where the SER
geant had made his defense. There lay
Kimball, still alive, but bleeding from
MANY wounds. The major dismounted