The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-11-25
Copyright. 1902. by The Hobart Company.
CHAPTER XII.

The MONDAY sun was staring hotly
down, an hour later, on a stirring
picture of frontier warfare, with that
.clump of cottonwoods as the central
feature. Well for Rays half hun
rdred, that brilliant autumn morning,
that their leader had had so many a
year of Indian campaigning! He
now seemed to know by instinct
every scheme of his savage foe and
to act accordingly. Ever since the
command had come in sight of the
Elk Tooth the conviction had been
growing on Ray that Stabber must
have received many accessions and
was counting on the speedy coming
of others. The signal smokes across
the wide valley; the frequent essays
to tempt his advance guard to charge
and chase; the boldness with which
the Indians showed on front and
flank; the daring pertinacity with
which they chung to the stream bed
for the sake of a few shots at the
foremost troopers, relying, evidently,
on the array of their comrades be-
You'd the ridge to overwhelm any
force that gave close pursuit; the
fact that other Indians opened on
the advance guard and the left flank
ers, and that dozen, at least, tore
away out of the sandy arroyo the
moment they saw the line start at
the gallop-all these had tended to
convince the captain that now, at
last, when he was miles from home
M cto
abundant force to give him desper-
sate battle.
To dart on in chase of the three
warriors would simply result in the
scattering of his own people and their
being individually cut off and strick-
Zen down by circling swarms of their
red foes. To gather his men and at
tempt to force the passage of the
Elk Tooth ridge meant certain de-
>struction of the whole command
The Sioux would be only too glad to
sscurry away from their front and
let them through, and then in big
circle whirl all about him, pouring
in a concentric fire that would be
sure to hir some, at least, exposed as
they would be on the open prairie,
while their return shots, radiatng
wildly at the swift-darting warriors,
would be almost as sure to miss. He
would soon be weighted down with
wounded, refusing to leave them to
he butchered; unable, therefore, to
move in any direction, and SO COM
PEELED to keep up a shelterless, hope
less fight until, one by one, he and
his gallant fellows fell, pierced by
Indian lead, and sacrificed to the
escalping knife as We're Clusters 800
"a decade before.
No, Ray knew too much of from
tier strategy to be so caught. There
stood the little grove of dingy green,
N prairie fortress, if one knew how
to use it. There in the sand of the
stream bed, by digging, We're they
sure to find water for the wounded,
If wounded there had to be- There
by the aid of a few hastily thrown
Entertainments he could have little
plains fort and be ready to repel even
an attack in force. Horses could be
herded in the depths of the sandy
shadows. Men could be distributed
IN Dig circle through the trees and
along the bank; and, with abundant
cations in their haversacks and water
to be had for the digging, they could
hold out like heroes until relief
should come from the south.
Obviously, therefore, the cotton
wood grove was the place, and
thither at laundering charge Field
led the foremost line, while Ray
waved on the second, all hands cheer
ing with glee at sight of the Sioux
tlarting wildly away up the north
ward slope. Ten men in line, far ex-
tended, were sent right forward half
way across the flats, ordered to drive
the Indians from the bottom and
cripple as many as possible; but, if