Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-12-10

with New York regiment of volunteers.
Sharpe Grover was guide. Their infor-
nation made them positive that they
would not have to tight more than 800
Indians They had a settled conviction
that they would surprise and attack the
Indians. 1t never occurred to them that
the Indians would be the. aggressors.
I'VE should get to them in the morn
ing" said Grover.
He imagined the Indians to be still re-
treating. He never dreamed even of an
ambush of thousand warriors. That
was Growers mistake 1t turned a punt
tive expedition into a heroic fight for life.
Forsyth stood with Beecher and estimated
his position.
"A little valley two miles long and
wide" he called It afterwards. with a
small island, lying in the center OF the
dry rivers bed, some sixty feet from
either bank" He thought It pretty with
the shallow silver river ripping past and
the blue landscape climbing up against
the setting SUM-. They were all very
weary. The evening air was cool and
sweet IN the morning they would go to
the Indians and teach them some law
But the Indians came to them with the
FIRST gray light of dawn.
Forsyth was standing near a sentry,
watching black segment of hill that cut
across the sky line. He was listening to
the drumming Of the shoeless hoofs. Grover
and Beeeher we're waking the men, each
of whom held the lariat of his own horse
The drumming grew louder and then over
the crest OF the hill swept 200 mounted
warriors. head dress hDunting in the wind.
Fifty rines cracked out at that and the
riders checked and swept away in echelon.
The yelis Of red-blood hunger split the air.
A Renegade White With the Indians.
I And then" says Forsyth. "a remarkable
thing happened. We heard, clear above
the yelling of the Indians. the silvery notes
OF an artillery bugie Some renegade white
was with them" There was an angry pause
for better sighting and the rifles cracked
again. The sun came up and lit the valley.
Good God. general, look at the In
dlansi"
Grover stood with one hand on For
syths shoulder and pointed. Along the
sandy riverbed. flanking the opposite bank
GROWING the hills where the warriors
were massing for another charge. the red
men stood in hundreds. thousand,
Grover estimated them to be. The India ms
later admitted that this was right Ard
Forsyth had forty-nine men.
Listen to that damned blackguard' :
| bugling." said Grover.
] They heard his voice. too. curslng IN
English later, when the island was reached
| They walked to II in close order. leading
their horses But the provision mules
were left behind and stampeded. The
horses were tethered TO the bushes In 9
circle and thirty men dug holes in the sand
with butcher knives and tin plates. zipp
zipp. zipp. came the Indian rife bullets
and horse after horse fell where he stood
But hghting from the cover OF dead
horse is better than nying on living one
The nifty lay and held their fire
The horsemen swept down 10 the river
bank and urged the Indian rines to SHOOT
faster. a yell ran up and down their lines
like the tapping OF nag in the wind. anC
the Indian rines spat savagely. The poor
dumb horses knelt and rolled over. Thu
clear silver note OF the bugie spoke again
| and
That's the last horse down" came
voice in English from the bank. "NoV
we've got them. But he wasn't the irs
renegade who lied. They had to 80 an'
take them first. Their rifles kept on bark
tnS
wen be shot like dogs here. Let's IT!
for the opposite hank. Who'll Gomez
Il will"
Forsyth did not know who spoke. but h