Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-11-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
A BROKEN TRIBE.

| artillery to open 4 military road, the
| Comanche Indians We're at the zenith
| of their power as a tribe. Their chief
! was Eagle Feather, and he boosted
| that he could defeat any force sent
| against him.
| Five days after the soldiers set out
on their march the COmanches to the
number of 500 met them on the Chico
| river, and the soldiers took possession
| of plateau and prepared for battle
| Eagle Feather, assisted by a white rene
| gade soldier, planned for grand
| charge of his lancers that should in
| sure victory at once.
At Il given signal his whole body of
| warriors charged. 1t began when his
| first line had approached within half
| a mile Of the soldiers making ready.
and the ground was clear of all Oh
structiOn ana as level rs a floor. The
ComanchCs knew nothing of the pres
| ence Of the artillery until il opened
| fire. After Il single round of grape the
guns We're silent and gave place to the
muSketS. The charge was checked and
the slaughter something terrible FIT
ty-three warriors and seventy ponies
were left behind when the force drew
off and returned TO the spot where the
big chief had posted himself to watch
and direct. He was screaming with
rage aud chagrin when his broken
ranks rctrcated upon him.
When the lines We're formed again
every warrior was il them, and the
chief placed himself ut their head.
Such warriors as had been dismounted
a1y -. g l,D
| wounded We're tied on their horses.
Again the soldiers waited until the
| yelling horde had come To close guar
| ters. and again artillery and musketry
| belchcd forth murderous fire. 1t
was a lesson no tribe of Indians ever
forgot. In five minutes; every warrior
| who could get away had rctreatcd.
leaving the ground heaped with dead
and dying.
Colonel Saunders watched the
| movements of the red men closely and
anxiously, and he soon discovered 4
new plan Of attack.
1t would he made on foot, and the
lances would be abandoned for rifles.
There was a ravine about q mile to the
east of the soldiers position. and Il
tain to advance under cover of that.
| while others would advance from the
west and south The fcldpicces were
planted 10 cover points where Il rush
might be expected. and the lines were
aligned anew. Three kegs of powder
were taken down the ravine and de
posted among the rocks as torpedoeS.
and everything was ready 10y noon.
1t was half an hour later when the
COmanches divided into three com
mands and moved to the attack. The
renegade had taught them how TO
march on foot. and they came on al
most with the step Of infantry. In
five minutes the fight was raging hotly
on all sides and as the Indians began
to work up the ravine their fire began
to do considerable damage They con
centrated it on the artillery. and Saun-
ders soon had five or six men killed or
wounded.
There was no rush on the part of
the redskins. Their plan was rather
to make n long fight of il. There was
constant fighting for over three hours,
both sides having more or less shelter.
The white men proved to be the best
shots, even though armed only with
muskets, and by and by the Indians
got tired OF their waiting game.
1t was finally seen that 4 large body
of them was gathering IN the ravine
and it was easy TO see that the object
was IA rush One OF the guns was
turned upon them, and when the shell
with which ii was charged exploded
It exploded two of the kegs of pow
der. How many were killed and
wounded none could say, because the
explosion hurled down the high banks
and filed the ravine for a hundred
feet.
The calamity in the ravine ended the
attack on the part of the Indians, and
Saunders at once assumed the aggres-
sive. He opened on the herd of ponies
left just out of rife shot and with two
discharges Of the guns scattered it
When the redskins attempted to bunch
in any considerable number he opened
on them with shell. and such ponies as
galloped within musket range We're
brought down by the soldiers.
Eagle Feather had more than enough
before the sun went down. Once he
rallied his warriors as If for last des-
perate charge, but they were so thor
OuGhly whipped that they refused TO
charge. As darkness fell he began his
retreat over the prairie, and he made
no halt until reaching his village, a
hundred miles away.
None Of the Indian dead was re-
moved. and only a few of the wounded
We're taken away. Two years later,
when peace came. Eagle Feather &C
knowledged his losses. and he had the
figures down close. OF his ponies he
lost all but a hundred. OF his warriors
he reached home with less than 200.
They were the flower OF his fighting
men left behind. and had his loss taken
in only the war ponies IT would have
been a severe blow. Enough lances
and rifles were picked up to load a
wagon, and they were the best weap-
ons of their kind.