Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-08-20

CHAPTER NI.

The MONDAY sur 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
dred, that brilliant autumn morning,
that their leader had had so many
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 Stabbcr 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 Cluug to the stream bed
for the sake of . few shots at the
foremost troopers, relying, evidently
on the array of their comrades be-
yond the ridge to oyerwhelm any
force that gave close pursuit; the
fact that other Indians opened on
the advance guard and the left flank
ers, and that a 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
and succOr, the Sioux stood ready in
abundant force to give him desper-
ate 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-
en- down by circling swarms of their
red foes. 70 gather bis 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
scurry away from their front and
let them through, and then in big
circle whirl all about him, pouring
in concentric fire that would be
sure to Hit some, at least. exposed as
they would be on the open prairie,
while their return shots. radating
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
be butchered; unable. therefore, TO
move in any direction. and 50 com
PEELED TO keep up a shclterlcss, hope
less fight until, one by one, he and
his gallant fellows fell, pierced by
indian lead, and sacrificed TO the
Gcalping knife as were Clusters 300
a decade before.
No Ray knew too much Of from
tier strategy to be SO caught There
stood the little grove of dingy green,
prairie fortress, If one knew how
10 Use il. There i'm the sand of the
stream bed, by digging, were they
sure To find water for the wounded,
If wounded there had 10 bee. There
hy the aid of few hastily thrown
mtrcnchWruts hr could have little
plains fort and bc ready to rrpcl even
AN attack iu force. Horses could be
hcrdcd boo the depths uI the sandy
Swallows. Men could hc distributed
ia hig circle through the trees and
along the hauk5 and, with abundant
rutiouH Boo their huFyT#agE# and water
90 he had llr tHr digging they could
hu.d ont IEs heroes untII relief
should come .r.m fHe south.
OUluUHIn therefore. I.r euttuu-
wood rru.. Ha. rH. place. uuI
t.n'Hrr 2. laundering charge IInIH