The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-01-23
Copyright. 1sO2.)
CHAPTER XxIv.
"Dunder and Blixen."


It was after midnight before the
troops arrived. It was also this hour
before the Indians had quieted down
to sleep. The afternoons war dance
over their captive victims, the wild
excitement of the torture and the ar
rival of the Follett party with the
two captives had aroused the blood
Of the sayages and many tales of
former-acts Of bravery, and deeds of
daring were told beneath the willows
and the tepees in HelI's Trap, that
night.
Hammersley had decided to go on
his mission of rescue alone. It was
decided first to station the troops at
every point at which the Indians
could possibly escape and then for the
trapper to attempt the rescue.
Should he fail or fall in the attempt
1t was the purpose to force the best
terms possible with the. savagess
but should he succeed, 1t was
the determination to wreak that mer
ciless revenge upon the Indians that
the occasion seemed to justify.
The men had all been informed of
the torture and death of the four
white men and Of the arrival OF the
two new captiyes, and this stirred the
soldiers to a revengeful spirit that
caused them to forget their tired and
hungry condition and loss of sleep.
They now felt that they had at last
encompassed the enemy and they
were eager to strike the blow.
Ten well armed and equipped sol
diers accompanied by FIVE cowboys
were placed in each gap In the rim
rocks and 100 men, including COW
boys and soldiers under General
Crook, guarded the neck Of the pen
insula.
It was half way between midnight
and dawn when the trapper started on
his perilous mission. Armed suitably
for the occasion he entered the chan
mel of the stream and hugged the
banks with the silence of beaver,
always keeping in the shadows of the
willows and never risking his weight
upon his feet until he knew they
were firmly placed.
While his task did not prove a diff
ficult one, it was tedious one. His
bearings had been so well taken that
he recognized the very clump of
bushes in which Bertha's tepee was
pitched without trouble. Farther
away from the stream he saw the dis
NAL thicket to which Oscar Metzger,
the other captive, had been taken, and
from which the four cowboys on the
previous evening had been taken for
their last walk.
Like a snake he crawled up the
embankment through the dense un-
dergrowth, moving inch by inch un-
til he reached the rear OK Bertha's
tepee, and while the guards dozed
near the front he ripped a hole in the
rear wall of the tent and soon gave
Bertha an assuring touch that told
her friend was with her.
In few moments time they had
retraced the trapper's steps to the
bed of the stream, in the same man.
ner as he had approached, and Ber-
tha hiding in dark nook under the
willows Which hung over the en-
bankment, Hammersley went to at
tempt the release of the other
prisoner
He found Metzger so securely tied
that even the Indians did not fear his
escape. Bound hand and foot and
stretched full length between two
sapplings, his body barely touching
the ground, he was enduring a tor.
ture that would have killed an ordi.
nary man. But his was one Of those
fqox, oonotffrrffono ~ ha daearf
The trapper was a welcome visitor
and his knife furnished immediate re.
lief. When released from his cramped
position the cowboy stood erect and
exercising his limbs noiselessly for
a moment he indicated that he was
ready to go. The trapper handed him
revolver and a knife and the two
walked silently away ready to defend
themselves, even unto death.
When they reached the place where
Bertha was concealed the trapper was
struck with awe. He saw twigs oi
willows and tops of sage brush and
chunks of wood floating down the
stream. These increasing at every
moment Seizing the woman he drew
her after him and Metzger followed
at rapid pace.
1t was two hundred yards to shall
low place In the stream and when this
was reached the river was already ris
ing at rapid rate. The trappei
seized Bertha in his arms as If she
were a mere child and plunged int
the foaming rapids. followed by the
cowboy. Against the heavy current
which almost swept their feet from
under them, they made the farther
shore, and as they ascended the bank
the trapper exclaimed:
Great luck! A head risel" Ham
mersley and his companions raj
across the open meadow for the near
est opening in the rimrocks. The
light of breaking morn made then
recognizable to their friends on guart
In the rimrocks who could scarcely
restrain applause. But the drilling o.
a soldiers life prevented this out
break.
The water came with a rush dowr
the mountain stream. The sound
changed from a murmur over the peb
bles to a ripple over the rocks; and
then to a roar over the boulders and
against the angular banks. So LOUD
followed the growing roar that the
savages we're wakened. Dan Follett
rushed to the tepee of his fair cap
tive and finding that she was gone ht
kicked the drowsy guards In theil
sides and gave the alarm.
The whole camp was astir instantly
Discovering the fleeing fugitives, Fol
lett plunged into the stream, follow
ed by some of the most daring war
riors, and gave pursuit. But wheI
within 50 yards of the opening in the
rimrocks where the fugitives haC
passed safely through. a cloud o
smoke rose, report of dozen rifie'
rang upon the morning air and [
half dozen Indians sank down in th'
meadow. Another volley and th'
ranks were thinned to q remnant.
Toilette remained untouched. HI
turned and tried to rally the men whs
had been following in the rear ant
were now panie-strieken. At leas
one-fourth OF the entire war party haC
rushed across the stream un-armed II
pursuit of the fugitiyes. When the,
returned they found the river II
these few minutes a seething foam
made black by the earth gathered b!