The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-09-29
DoNoHUE-s HORSE
The Faithful Brute Would Not Leave
His Body When He Fell.

Donohue was sergeant of the lef: Of
the line OF Company A OF the Third
infantry. reguiars-infantry cas- OF be
Missouri and cavalry west OF the Mis-
souri, in Indian days. Fourteen years
Donohue had been in the service. and
with the end OF his third enlistment he
meant to quit He had selected . piece
of land in the Rosebud country, TO
which he intended TO retire with his
horse. The name of the horse was Ben
Butler.
Donohue was born in Niles, Mich.
and went into the service when he
was 10. He rode with Crook when the
Sioux made that officer look like a Tea
Their chased by the wind In the ret, eat
that ended in wildwood Canon.
Donohue, finding life a nos serious
problem. having 5000 at Standing Rcck
well cashed. and no kith nor kin on
earth to care for. turned TO Ben Butler
for his companionship, the touch with
something that might keep his eour-
age true. Donohue might have dealt
with men, but on his level OF life, as
On other levels. he met the envions
man, this snake" man. as the Crowds
put it. the little man and the it'll,
big man" which was the description
the Mandans gave of Colonel Bell pc
fore he fell into the upper Missouri
from the deck of the Pawnee and did
lot return.
Ben Butler was yellow in hide, blue
gray of eye, sure of foot, and hard On
the bit. He was loyal in his affections
and took to Donohue as the latter ook
to him. The cay Ben Butler was shot
in the scrimmage in Eagle creek, a
bullet cutting his right flank, Demo
hue worked all night over him to stop
the flow of blood Ben Butler, TO show
his true sense of appreciation. carly
the mex morning kicked Donohue into
the middle of the cooking mess.
He didn't mean it," said Donohue.
as he picked himself out of a scatter
of live Goals and ashes. "He vas
only thinking OF yesterdays troubles"
The troop didn't think so, but Dono-
hue held to his faith in Ben Butler and
Den in his " way gave pack the
trust. When Captain Stouch sent them
through the Flathead country for a
125-mile scout they were two days
without water, but Ben Butler held I
the trail and Donohue, clinging to the
horn of the saddle, knew when waite:
was reached that the horse had saved
him.
The morning some men of the Sixth.
the Seventh, the Eighth and the Third
were grouped about the Valley of the
Grand river, where Sitting Bull and
his braves were fighting with the In
dian police. Donohue, on the left, rode
next to an enlisted cub from the
east. The cub" was not even enlist
ed under his true name, but he was
doing his duty and letting his family
forget that he was on earth
Bitter winds swept the crest OF the
bluffs and the order to change was
toe good a mood, for the cold was hit
ing him and the only bottle in the
whole command was hidden in the
box of the Hotchkiss gun. To reach it
in the face of the commanding Office"
meant dishonor.
Ben Butler was as gay as Donohue
was somber. He was doing @fgure
Fights every time the bit vas not on
his jaw. Once he bucked but as Don
ohue came squarely back into the sal.
die. he subsidized.
A bugle call sent both down a sheer
incline to the bottoms, where Sitting
Bull sat under a slump of willows,
working his Winchester. while his
squaws chanted about him and re-
loaded the guns. The "cub" rode along
side Donohue ana they swept through
the Indian village, shooting and cnt-
ting down bucks, old squhws and chill
dren-all for the mad honor Of the
flag.
They went beyond the village-oOO
troopers-over to the frozen cover OF
the Grand river, and then the bugles
sounded the recall. AS the horses
righted about, Donohue leaned over
the cub" still riding beside him, and
howled for a "chaw" of tobacco. n
cub went to his belt and pulled ont
the long plug. Donohue grabbed 1t
and bit deeply.
An, instant later he swayed out OF
the saddle and fell to b snow cover
ed ground, a bullet through his heart
His horse went on, riderless, for
fifty yards, running with the troops.
Then he missed something. His rein
hung too loose; he carried no weight.
Of his own impulse he whirled about
and galloped back-galloped until he
came to where Donohue lay, his face
up to the wintry morning sun, his
hands clinched, his lips silent forever.
The horse shifted of the rigid form
and then cried out-cried so shrilly
the animal scream rose above the noise
of the guns and the bugle calls.
When the fight was over the troopers
came back to pick up Donhue.
Standing guard above him was ms
horse, still calling for the life that had
gone TO it's end.-Chicago Evening"
Post.
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