The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1905-04-28
CAPTURING A
STRONGHOLD


Alla wb0 are = certain circumstances
letter. fitted . command than himself
Lieutenant Lyon Han after being
graduated 81 West Point sent most Of
- tine while q seeg86 Lieutenant On
sslle duty requiring lila - LYe Ia .
ely and On being promoted Eas order
e = Fort K. . frontier post. where.
LIS captain being absent. be found
himself n command q lis troop. He
Lad scarcely arrived when news came
tat tie Indians lad risen. captured
ra8eh some forty miles away and were
making themselves a home On tie
premises. Hall Uzs ordered 10 20 and
capture y dlsDezse them.
IHe lieutenant vas a good officer. but
le kaew 10 more about Indian Sighting
tian q seaOolboy. The colonel eau
tsnal Linn = take points from lis first
eereea1t. stableT. and Hal. Il be had
leaa more used % such campaigning.
would not have szrupled u d -. II
Fas lie Consciousness d Is lneIpe-1-
eaee that deferred him from zckuOwI-
e1giar il stabler vas 81 Old soldier.
thoroughly trained n obeying orders
without asking questions and not Ike
j. - gre points unless asked Tor I
fhera.
Wien the command reached q point /
uot far from the ranch the Lieutenant i
called 3 halt ard went forward alone +
~ q point where he could see the /
ranch Il vas too far % see indiyidu- +
els. buf pear enough u discern earth +
wgrEs thrown up around the house.
Hal was puzzled Somehow i didn't /
seem Ike the Indians he had read .
about 10 f0rfify themselves even in the /
most primitive style. The responsible /
ties aftacbed % this new kind Of work, 1
T. gse aB expressive word. ratified him, +
and be was Incapable Of exercising
good lard common sense. He resolved
- attack the place even under the dis
advantage Of II being fortified. IL was
fast growing dark. and he would watt
tu night came and then order charge
oyer the low dirt breastworks.
Tie command were ordered to dis
mount. picket their horses and get
their snppers. Hail noticed the first
sergeant go 10 the front and take
look at the enemy. When he returned
the Lieutenant spoke to him with
view to eliclting anything that might
have occurred TO him.
Sergeant" he said could you make
out how many OF them there areT
There's about 100 in all, SIR"
Just about our numberY
ayes, sir"
See that the mems arms and am
munition are In good condition. We
may have n longer fight Of 1t than
anticipate
The sergeant looked up, with sin /
gular surprise on his face. but said
nothing.
About 10 o'clock I propose to draw
the command up in line Of battle and
charge over their works"
Still the sergeant said nothing, and
as his commander seemed to have
nothing further to communicate he
salutcd respectfully and Joined the
men, who were comfortably eating
their supper. Hail noticed him going
among them and speaking to them.
He presumed he was transmitting the
order, but was surprised that he did 80
IN low tone. The men listened to the
sergeant attentiyely and when he was
through went on eating their suppers
Hail admired the sang froid with which
they received notice Of fight wherein
some Of them were liable to bite the
dust
About O'Clock the moon rose, and /
Il was light as day. This did not trou-
bic the lieutenant since the attack was |
10 be made over a short distance In the |
open and the enemy would have no |
time to gather for defense. He or
dered the sergeant to form the men
under cover Of the timber without US
Ing the bugle and as silently as posi- 1
BILE. When they were In line Hail gave
his orders. They were to charge at n
gallop and when within a hundred |
yards Of the earthworks to open fire. |
Then. turning his horse about and |
drawing his saber, in a low tone he
gave the order, Forward and spur
RED toward the ranch. leading the at
tack"
1t was fine sight to see a line OF
horscmen, the moonlight glittering on
their arms and accoutefments, gallop-
ing toward the ranch where the In
dams must have been asleep, with no
pickets out, for not light was to be
seen When Hail came near the earth.
works he looked back and was surprIs-
ed to see his men moving by fours to
the left. Astonished that they should
be making such a detour without or
ders when they were to attack the
works, he refined in TO discover what 1t
meant. Sergeant Stabler led them
around to where there was an opening
In the works, and they all rode inside
without firing a shot
Thunderstorm, Hail spurred his
horse over the works and rode down
on the other side into the Enclosure.
There were his men digmounting, while
scattered about in hlyouac were