Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1903-07-17

the rear, mounted on barebacked
horse he had gobbled from the corral,
Over his shoulder was slung his old
bugle and in his belt a revolver, and
he meant to follow wherever we led.
He'd have been ordered back fast
enough had the lieutenant known OF
his presence. but no one gave him
away. We put our horses to the gal
lop at once and held them 10 II for
hours. At midnight there was wait
for twenty minutes, and then 1t was
on again. When daylight appeared
we had covered fifty miles and were
entering the valley The Kid had
stuck to us like burr, but kept out Of
sight of the officer.
We were drawing long breath for
the last gallop when scattering rife
fire was opened on our front and two
or three men toppled from their sad
dies. 1t was left into line" and
rush for ridge hundred rods away
and we reached 1t to find ourselves
surrounded by Indians. We had head
ed Red Cloud Off but he had got us
into box. There Were enough loose
boulders on the ridge to make a stout
breastwork. but every one of our
horses and two more men were down
before we had completed it and were
standing the redskins off. Red Cloud
didn't move on the valley with part OF
his force, as he might have done, but
held every one of his 800 bucks close
+ Ia, la t,. ayt n "a
tion. He'd sooner raise the scalp of
one soldier than slaughter half dozen
citizens, and he had old grudges to pay
off The entire band circled us and
opened steady fire, and every man
realized from the start that our posi-
ton was almost hopeless.
1t was half an hour after we reach
ed the hill before any one missed the
Kid Then it was believed that he had
! fallen when we first struck the lndi-
ans, or being in the rear, had been cut
off There We're plenty of others to
mourn for. Lying as snugly as We
could behind the boulders, and firing
only when the redskins seemed in
clined to rush, twelve of our thirty
We're killed between sun and sun,
There wasn't the slightest show Of re-
| lief from the fort or from the valley,
and If Red Cloud rushed our breast
works after night had set in the affair
would have been over, In ten minutes,
At sundown the firing began TO die
away. and half an hour later there
was silence except for the songs of the
crickets and the yelp of the coyotes.
The Indians had been called off to
cook. eat and rest, but there was no
way of escape open TO us. AT the first
move TO leave the little fort the whole
| pack would have been upon us. We
had scant ratlons and less water, and
we We're too worn out even TO talk.
Some of the men even slept and NUT
tered IN their sleep as night attack
was waited for. The hours went by
and none came. Red Cloud figured that
another day of long-range fire would
wipe us out, and why sacrifice score
of his warriors in a night rush.
/ At II O'Clock. with the silence of the
grave around us. there suddenly came
'
We're clear and bold and defiant, and
! came from the direction of the fort.
In an instant every man of us was on
/ his feet and cheering. In an instant
the 800 red devils around us were call
/ ing to each other in alarm
/ Column close upr' came the bugle
call. by fours. right wheel IN line,
Take open order"
We cheered and cheered again. and
we fired by yolley to let our friends
know that we still held out Wilder
grew the alarm of the Indians and we
heard the hoof-beats of their ponies
dashing about.
Now the bugle blew Officers CALL"
| and we We're bewildered, but the con-
fusion among the Indians came when
the calls to "Trot!' "Gallop. and
Charge" filed the air, aud away
went Bed Cloud and his 300 bucks In q