Churchill standard. (Fallon, Nev) 1903-1908, 1904-04-09

We were almost ready for boots and
saddles when a score of warriors came
riding out Of the pass to defy and
taunt us. A troop was sent against
them, and they retreated in haste, but
as soon as the bugle blew recall the
warriors were hooking rs again. 1t
was a scheme TO get the entire COM
mand on the move and after them
without having taken due precautions.
It was " interpreted by the general.
and he ordered a scout to climb up a
spur of the mountain and see what
could be seen. When the man had
reached a height Of 1900 feet he sig
nailed for a fiagman to come up to him.
Looking away to the south. he had
caught sight OF iags wigwagging in
the clear atmosphere of the morning.
The person waving them was stationed
on another and higher spur, and for
some time 1t was looked upon as a
mysterious proceeding. The signal man
had scarcely climbed up beside the
scout when the mystery was soly ID.
- WIS oui "AkHaS usih6 W opti' q
'.talk" with his iags. When his signals
were answered he went at 1t and
spelled out the words:
Il got up here In the night. Don't en-
Ter the pass. There are a thousand In
dams In ambush there. The whole
force is about 1900 strong"
Have you escapedY' asked our sig
mailman.
mo. not yet" came the reply. THE
Indians are below me, and | can climb
no higher"
Cant you get away to US before we
mover"
mo. but ! shall hide here until the
Indians leave"
What sort Of an ambush have they
~preparedY"
Indians In the bushes on both sides
of the pass. II you ride in not a man
will get out alive"
rs there any other way to attack
them?'' was asked.
II think | III make out a pass two
or three miles to the left. II 1t Is one II
will bring you In behind the reds"
1t took an hour or more to get this
information. and then we acted on II
and flanked the Indians out Of the pass
and smote them hip and thigh as they
streamed out ON the plain. When the
ight was over we went up the pass to
look for Wigwag. but our search was
In vain. We found. however. that his
flags had prevented a slaughter. Ev-
cry rock and bush for two miles had
SHELTERED an Indian. and once into the
trap we could not have retrented.
Though we had TO ride away without
news of the lad. we hourly hoped to be
Joined by him. but ne did not come. 1t
was a year later before we knew his
fate. What we got came from n of
the Indians who were there. The only
good news was that they hud not tor
tured the boy. being too busy with 9th
er affairs. In the night he had man
aged to cast of his bonds. work his
way past scores Of sleeping warriors
with his flags under his arm. and.
knowing that he could not pass out Of
the gorge. he had climbed up the noun
tain with the hope OF opening commu-
nication with us when daylight came.
This he successfully accomplished. and
he had tagged the information record
ed above before the excited Indians be-
low had caught sight of him. When
they saw what he was up to q warrior
was told off to bring the boy down with
a bullet. They feared to discharge
more than one ride at a time. as we
might suspect some ruse. The warrior
had a fair mark. though far above him,
and he had coolly fred a score of times
before his bullet found its billet. II
seemed as II Providence was shielding
the lad until he could tell all he had to
say.
TELL the general that the reds he
had tagged. And then the white wait
went down to rise no more. He had
lost his own life. but he had saved 600
men from slaughter.