Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-01-19
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Ruse to Save the Fort.
[OriginaLl

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there.
Fort y. was j blOckhOuse, i store and
few dwellings. The Apaches came
down SO suddenly that we had no time
10 prepare. We divided between the
blockhouse and the store. There were
several thousand dollars worth of
goods. including provisions. in the store,
besides ammunition. which il wasn't
adViSa BILE 10 let the Indians have. The
building stood about 200 yards from
the blockhOuse, and path had been
worn between the two. | was in the
blockhouse with the eight men and the
women and children. There We're seven
men ia the store. This comprised all
the people i'll the place. Tie division
OF force was all right. but the division
of ammunition was all wrong. That in
the fort had been suffered to run low.
There was plenty i'll the store, but no
time TO move il. You see, Il man came
galloping i'll to give warning, and ten
minutes later down came the Indians.
Ii was about noon when the attack
began. and by + o'clock there wasn't IL
pound of powder left TO us in the block
house. We had kept up our spirits till
we learned of the deficiency. several of
the women doing good service at the
loophOles and altogether making ii 50
hot for the red devils that they didn't
dare make Il rush across the open. But
when the ammunition gave out we
were seized with Il sudden fright. III
admit that my mind got on the butch
cry of the women and children that
was sure to come, and | couldn't get IL
off There was but one thing 10 do
some one must make a run for the
store and a run back with ammunition.
OF course there wasn't one chance i'll ten
Of his getting through either way. but
he might make the out trip even if he
had To drag himself i'll with bullet holes
in him and tell them what we needed
Signal? Great Scott, Don't you sup
pose the Indians would understand Il
signal? And when they did that would
be the end of us.
Well. we had two brothers in the
place. the GordOns. They kept the
store. Jim Gordon was with us in the
blockhOuSe with the Gordon women
and children. and John was ut the
store John was the husband and ia
Their. Jim was Il bachelor. John in
trusted Jim with his family while he
looked OTTER the property. Jim Gordon
was perfect deer at running and
had practiced Il ZigZag motion on pur-
pose 10 dodge Indians and their fire.
He volunteered to try a run for the
store He started just at dark, when Il
mist was rising from the ground. There
was a rainfall of lead poured at him
but he had made half the distance be-
fore he fell. The darkness came on,
and we knew for certain the Indians
would steal up and get poor Jim.
During the night we We're at the
mercy of the redskins if they had only
known it. | made up my mind to try
a skulk through To the store. for we
felt sure the attack would be renew
ed at daylight. Soon after midnight
crawled out and got over some twenty
yards when | saw the dark forms OF
Indians keeping watch between the
two wings of our little army l crept
to the left to circumvent them and had
made Il considerable distance wheE
down in a depression in the ground a
party of them suddenly lighted fire,
and near by. bound TO a tree, / saw
poor Jim Gordon. He wasn't dead. but
was as white as corpse. The Indians
blocked the way | was going. so | turn
ed. bat found them everywhere, and
finally. coming To Il clump of thick
bushes. l lay concealed. There wasn't
much chance of my getting through,
and | confess the sight of Jim Gordon
rather took the starch out of me.
l lay hidden till daylight, and the In
dianS then began To make preparations
for Il rush. 1t was plain they were 60
ing to attack the blockhouse. possibly |
because they had OWNED from Jim
GOrdOn's attempt that the garrison was
in need of something. Just as they
were about To start figure came from |
the store and walked very slowly to- !
ward the Indians, who We're mostly |
located near the tree to which Jim |
Gordon was secured. one or two shots |
were fired at the figure without APP
parent effect. The chief then stopped !
any more shooting. Perhaps he thought |
a messenger was coming to bring sur
render. | was wondering at the slow. |
ghoStlike movement of the advancing |
figure when | noticed Il commotion |
among the Indians. Several of them |
ran and looked at Jim Gordon. then |
ran back TO stare at the figure. which |
l could now see was white as ashes in /
the face. Then one after another the |
Indians started back. apparently ter |
ror stricken. and by the time the spec |
tral figure had come near enough for /
me Ia distinguish who il was nearly all /
of them had fed.
Nou may be sure | wondered what ii 4
was that made them get away so fast. /
An Indian isn't such fool as to be /
duped simply by man playing ghost. /
When | saw that the figure was John .
Gordon ii was all explained. ! told /
You that john and Jim Gordon We're 4
twins. didn't l: No: Only brothers? 4
Well. they were twins. sure enough. 4
and could scarcely he told apart. The /
Indians concluded that John was the 4
ghost or double of Jim. and as they 1
Il