Rosebud County news. [volume] (Forsyth, Mont.) 1901-1906, 1903-11-05

in silence. That hurt them more than
the old cries of contempt. but they
bowed their heads and said nothing.
They marched away as they came,
their feet dragging and their eyes cast
down. They were to form part of the
force sent to hold gap in the noun
tains. and men laughed and said it
would give the 'B'' men another chance
to bolt.
A thousand men. most of them
called in off detail and therefore lax in
discipline had been sent to hold pass
through which 5000 of the enemy might
pour at any hour. They were all that
could be spared. Companies were sand
wiched together to make regiment.
and under the orders of a colonel who
meant fight they threw up breast
work and waited for what was to come.
There was riffraff there in plenty. but
none in such contempt as the eighty
men Of Company b. Little or nothing
was expected Of them. and they were
given the left flank
At the end of two days. as divisions
and brigades formed in the valleys and
artillery galloped here and there to
crown the knobs and hills. the enemy
came marching down the pass. hoping
to find it unguarded. In this they We're
disappointed: but, being five to one,
they swept forward with yells and
cheers to brush the thousand defenders
aside. The fighting colonel watched
the Onfall with heart in his mouth. A
thousand steady old veterans would
have given him confidence. but he was
looking at the backs of thousand
bummers. He cursed and prayed alter
nately as he heard the confident cheers
of the enemy, but after the first crap
pie he smiled. The bummers had held
their own and were cheering in def
ance
"The next attack will be farther to
the left unused the colonel as he saw
the enemy gathering again, land if
Company p fails me our whole line
will be swept away. 1t was a shame
TO send me such men"
There was another hot fight and an
other fierce grapple, and when the lull
came the colonel threw up his hat and
cheered. The b. men had not only
stood firm. but had shifted along with
out orders to take more of the brunt
Of the battle. The orders to the 5000
men were to break through at all costs.
The orders to the 1000 were to hold
the mouth of that pass to the last man.
The fight began when the sun had only
half an hour more of life. and it ragged
at intervals for three hours Then
those in the pass and those behind the
DreastWork slept or made ready for
daylight The birds had hardly taken
wing before the musketry began to
vOlley again. Re-enforcements had
been sent for. but they could not be up
for hours. Meanwhile the thousand
must hold the pass.
1t is on record in history how the
thousand fought. From sunset to dark
ness, from daylight to high noon. they
crouched behind that wretched little
breaStWOrli of logs and stones and gave
up their places only when they fell
back dead The pass was held
When tie re-enforcements marched
up at last they found scarce 300 men
crouching there. but they We're fight
ing yet-tighting and dying. And when
the enemy had made Il last charge and
been driven back to try no more the
colonel rode down the line to cheer this
and that company and to finally ask:
"Wherc is Il company? Every man
OF them has covered himself with glo-
~ in this fight. | want to shake hands
with each and all of them"
"Sir." replied a dying man who was
prOpncd up with his back to the breast
work and who sought in vain to raise
his hand in salute-"sir. | beg to re-
port that-that l am the last of Com
pany = and that | am-am''-
Dead" finished the colonel as the
man fell back and Drawer men will
never die after him.