Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1903-06-19


| stuck to us like burr, but kept out of
sight of the officer
We were drawing long breath for
the last gallop when scattering rife
fire was opened on our front and two
or three men toppled from their sad
dies. 1t was cleft into line" and Il
rush for ridge a hundred rods away
and we reached 1t to find ourselves
surrounded by Indians We had head
ed Red Cloud off, but he had got us
into box. There We're enough loose
boulders on the ridge to make stout
breastwork, but every one Of our
| horses and two more men We're down
| before we had completed it and We're
standing the redskins off. Red Cloud
didn't move On the valley with part Of
his force, as he might have done, but
held every one of his 800 bucks close
in hand to accomplish our extermina-
ton. He'd sooner raise the scalp OF
one soldier than slaughter half dozen
citizens, and he had old grudges to pay
off. The entire band circled us and
opened a steady fire, and every man
realized from the start that our posi-
ton was almost hopeless.
1t was half an hour after we reach
ed the hill before any one missed the
Kid. Then it was believed that he had
fallen when we first struck the lndi-
ans, or being in the rear, had been cut
off. There were plenty Of others to
mourn for. Lying as snugly as we
could behind the boulders, and firing
only when the redskins seemed in
clined to rush, twelve Of our thirty
were killed between sun and sun.
There wasn't the slightest show of re
lief from the fort or from the valley,
and If Red Cloud rushed our breast
works after night had set in the affair
would have been over in ten minutes.
At shutdown the firing began to die
away, and half an hour later there
was silence except for the songs OF the
crickets and the yelp of the coyotes.
The Indians had been called off to
cook. eat and rest, but there was no
way of escape open to us. AT the hrst
move to leave the little fort the whole
mack would have been upon us. We
had scant rations and less water, ana
we were too worn out even to talk.
Some Of the men even slept and mutt
tered in their sleep as night attack
was waited for. The hours went by
and none came Red Cloud figured that
another day of long-range fire would
vine us out, and why sacrifice a score
of his warriors in a night rush.
At II o'clock, with the silence of the
grave around us, there suddenly came
to our ears the notes of bugle. They
were clear and bold and defiant, and
came from the direction of the fort.
In an instant every man of us was on
his feet and cheering. In an instant
the 800 red devils around us were call
ing to each other in alarm.
Column close up" came the buglG
call "By tours, right wheel in line!
Take open order
We cheered and eheered again, and
we fired by yol1ey to let our friends
know that we still held out. Wilder
grew the alarm of the Indians, and we
heard the hoof-beats of their ponies
dashing about.
Now the bugle blew Officers call,
and we were bewildered, but the con
fusion among the Indians came when
the calls to "Trotr' "Gallop" and
..Charger' filled the air, and away
went Red Cloud and his 800 bucks In
wild flight, and over the rough ground
came chasing up TO the very bonldefs-
the Kid. As he sat on his horse ana
neered over the bouldeTs at us he
raised the bugle to his lips and SOUND
cd +ha call of: II can't get 'em up IL
the morning.
God. boy, but what does TINS
mean?" demanded the lieutenant IN
quavering voice.
ut was my chance, sir" calmly re
piled the Kid.
But how-how-T
"Oh, l was left behind when you mis-
the reds and got boxed up, and lay
around in the woods back there all Gay
and fixed up this scare for EN-
And there's no one with you-no
soldiers, no relief?'
Nav. Me and my old bugle did the
whole business, and the reds wont
stop running for ten miles. '-Detrol'
Free Press.
OF course it was an Irish philosopher