The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-12-02
Copyright, 1909, by The Hobart Company.
CHAPTER Mi.

What action had been resolved
upon, and prompt action, was now
! apparent. stabber, fighting chief
though he had been in the past, had
had his reason for opposing the plans
of this new and vehement leader;
. but public sentiment, stirred by We
hement oratory, had overruled him,
land he had bolted the field convention
in a fury. Lame Wolf, younger
chief than Stabber, had yet more
power among the Ogallalas, being Red
Clouds favorite nephew, and among
the Indians, at least, his acknowl-
edged representative. Whenever
called to account, however, for that
nephew's deeds, the wary old states
man promptly disavowed them. 1t
was in search of Lame Wolf, reasoned
Ray, that Stabber had sped away,
possibly hoping to induce him to call
off his followers. 1t was probably
the deeper strategy of Stabber to OPP
pose no obstacle to Rays advance I'M
It'll the little troop was beyond the
Elk Tooth ridge, where, on utterly
fshelterless ground, the Indian would
shave every advantage. He knew Ray
'tof old: knew we'll that, left to him
self, the captain would push on in
effort to rescue the stage people,
land he and his command might prac.
,atically be at the mercy of the Sioux,
If only the Sioux would listen and be
patient. Stabber knew that to attack
the troopers now entrenching at the
-cottonwoods meant desperate fight
IN which the Indians, even if ultimate
Ay triumphant, must lose many
valued brave, and that is not the
thoroughbred Indians view of good
sgeneralship. Stabber was old, willy
and wise. The new chief, whoever
he might be, seemed possessed of
mad lust for instant battle, coupled
with possible fear that, unless the
golden moment were seized, Ray
might be reinforced, and could then
defy them all. Indeed there were vet
eran campaigners among the troop
-ers who noted how often the tall red
chief pointed in sweeping gesture
back to Moccasin Ridge-troopers
who, even at the distance caught and
interpreted few of his words.
as..That's it, SIR said Winsor, conf
identity to Ray. "He says more
Soldiers coming and-I believe he
Knows
At all events he had SO convinced
Ibis fellows, and, even before Stabber
reached the middle tooth-where sat
"a little knot of mounted Indians, sig
mailing, apparently, to others still
some distance to the north-with a
chorus of exultant yells, the long,
sgaudy, glittering line of braves sud
denly scattered and, flashing away to
right and left, dozens of them darted
at top speed to join those already
disposed about that big circle, while
Others still, the main body, probably
70 strong, after some barbaric show
of circus evolutions about their lead
er, once more refined up for final in
functions from his lips. Then, with a
magnificent gesture of the hand, he
waved them on, and accompanied
by only two young riders, rode swift
ay away to little swell of the prairie
just out of range of the carbines,
and there took his station to super
wise the attack.
Ddlllu IT'LL. SioWlCu olu N1usoI.
F'He's no charger like Crazy Horse.
He's Sitting Bull breed of general
like some we had in Virginia." he
added, between his set teeth, but
Ray heard and grinned in silent APP.
preciation. "Set your sights and give
EN- their first volley as they reach
that scorched line" he called to the
men along the northward front, and
pointed to stretch of prairie where
the dry grass had lately been burned
away. give hundred yards will do it.
Then aim low when they rush closer
an
"Look at the middle tooth, cap
fain," came the sudden hail from his
left. "Mirror flashes! See!" 1t was
Field who spoke, and life and vim
had returned to his voice and color
to his face. He was pointing eagerly
toward the highest of the knobs,
where, all on sudden, dazzling little
beams of light shot forth toward the
Indians in the lowlands, tipping the
war bonnet and lance of many a
brave with dancing fire. Whatever
their purport, the signals seemed ig-
1ored by the Sioux, for presently two
.ame sweeping down the long slope,
fraight for the point where sat Red