The daily Alaskan., 1906-01-08
TI,a Dignity of O'ROnrke
Icopvrtshl. lg0s. by 2. II. suteILfio.l

[Copyright, 1gO5, by c. H. sutcllhe.l
 IL was one o3 a hundred Instances. When the civil war came to an end at asst ueuteaauss and captains who de s.ced 10 take up arms as a profession were willing to take positions as ser geants in thc standing army. That was how Captain O'Rourke, late of the Sey- euty-frst volunteers, came to be order l. sergeant of Company F, Eleventh United States infantry.
 As a captain of volunteers O'RourEe was noted for two things In particular he was a fighter, and he was man of dignity. Within a week of his join- ing his regiment he was nicknamed Dignity" and the appellation stuck to htm to the day of his death. The nine other orderly sergeants In the Eleventh were a bit familiar with their lLeuten- ants and captain, and now and then they condescended to take drink or sit in a game of poker with the pri- yates, but Sergeant O'Rourke never let himself down. He was always the same to every one, and It came to be whispered about that If he should ever smile or crack q joke the United States would at once proceed to dissolve in thln air.
 One day at Fort Reno word was re- celved that the Indians had again talk cn to the warpath and that there was likelihood of a wandering band trying to cut off a train of wagons coming up with Quartermaster supplies. There was one point of danger. Once safely passed that and the long string of wag- ons would be safe. Sergeant O'Rourke was sitting in hIs quarters studying the book of tactics when the COlOnels or derly gave him q message. Three min utes later he stood before his command ing officer, and he had twice the dignity of the man who looked up at him and said:
 Sergeant, I have got word that Crazy Horse has broken loose again.
 Yes, sir" replied the subordinate, as he gave the military salute with the greatest precision.
 Some of his men may attack the wagon train coming up. If they do it will be at Stsny brook. Do you think you could take ten men and hold the crossing against perhaps forty or fifty Indians until the wagons have passed?'
 Not a doubt of it, sir"
 There was a doubt of it in the colo ners mind, a very big doubt, but just then he had a larger sick list than usual and q number of his officers were away on leave. The outbreak was so sudden that he was In box. He ought to send thirty men under command of a lieutenant to the point specified, but he had figured it over and over, and the best he could do was to send ten under command of the orderly sergeant.
 Yes. sir; very well, sir" replied O'Rourke as be received his orders, and half an hour later his squad was marching down the rocky road.
 It was eight miles to the crossing of Stony brook. The men had left the fort at 1 o'clock in the afternoon of summers day. They saw no signs en route. If the Indians had broken loose again they were not skulking in the vicinity of the fort. The men stepped out on the rough military road with marching stride, and in a little over two hours they had reached the crossing. All was as peaceful as if a hostile Indian had never lived. Ser gcant O'Rourke saw smiles of derisiOn on the faces of some of the men and suddenly called out:
 Attention, squad! Right face! Left face! Front! Listen! Some of you men think the colonel was mistaken, but you'll know better within ten min utes. How many Indians there are in hiding among the powders over there l can't say, but this Is no time for smi- ing. When I give the word make rush for the rocks at your right. We are too late to save the train"
 The ten men whlrled to the right and covered forty feet of ground and got the shelter of the rocks. Sergeant O'Rourke followed them at lelsurely step, although the seventy Indians in ambush within pistol shot gave him a voIley. He ought to have been rlddled like a sieve, but he was untouched There were no orders to give. The ten had no show. They were safe In front but the Indians would work past their Hanks and take them In the rear with in a quarter of an hour. To attempt a retreat was to lose their cover and court instant death.
 What are we going to do, sargeT asked one of the squad after sending a bullet into the head of an Indian who exposed himself in his anxiety to sc cure a good aim.
 Private Johnson" said O'Rourke as he drew himself up stlfiy, T would thank you to give my title ln full sergeant What we are going to do, sir, Is to die, sir. We have already lost three men.S
 Two minutes later one of the eight survivors came rushing up to say:
 ''The devils are working along on our right flank, and this place will soon be too hot to hold usg'