The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1906-07-06
CAPTU5 ING A
STRONGHOLD

young officer Is often between two
/ fires. Is commander he must keep the
/ lead, and yet there may be men under
him who are in certain circumstances
/ better fitted - command than himself.
Lieutenan, L. .3n sail after being
graduated At N,est tont spent most OF
/ his time .ae :. .iecoad Lieutenant on
| some duty iet-.ai.= him 10 live in a
eity and Oh hc.a- promoted vas order
ed to Fort X frontier post, where,
his captain being absent, he found
| himself in command Of his troop He
had scarcely arrived when news came
| that the Indians had risen, captured a
ranch some forty miles away and We're
making themselves at home on the
premises. Hail was ordered to go and
capture or disperse them.
The lieutenant was a good officer but
| he knew no more about Indian fighting
than schooboy. The colonel eau
toned him II take points from his first
sergeant. Stabler, and Han, If he had
been more used 20 such campaigning.
would not have scrupled TO do SO. II
was the consciousness of his inexperi-
ence that deferred him from acknowi
edginc II. Stabler was an old soldier.
thoroughly trained in obeyng orders
without asking questions and not like
ly to give points unless asked for
them.
When the command reached a point
not far from the ranch the lieutenant
called halt and went forward alone
to point where he could see the
ranch. 1t wns too far to see individu-
ais. but near enough to discern earth
works thrown up around the house.
Hail was puzzled. Somehow 1t didn't
seem Ike Ae lnjaa ne had read
about 10 fortify themselves even IN the
most primitive style The responsible
ties attached 10 tins lew kind Of work,
to use an 9rcs So word. rattlel Inn.
and he waf ias lie a exercising
good hard eaMa ~ sea5e. lie resolved
to attac.s q ll.ee C ei raagr the dis.
advantage II II hens lI EEL II was
fast grow 4 -. i be weed wait
till night CANE ,G4. ;3nu - e. charge
over the low dirt ie" fW la.
The command Acge or tered to lis
mount, picket tleir h..ses anl a.
their supperS. iiail n1,te IL arH
sergeant - II tip f.1Hi all Ike a
look at the anctY 2aea be returned
the Lieutenant .-s.e 10 lzu with
view to rl'ctu sne that might
have oceurfe o. l. u.
Sergeant .eoall you make
out hoW lit SD rere are?"
"There's - ~ u. sir"
"Just FL. o.s up-s0,fE
"Yes. sir
'See t., 20 l2pu's ar.as and am
munition are m s1ll ctadiuon. We
may have q lon-er fight Of II than I
anticipate"
Tie sergeant looked up. with a sin
gular surprise on his face. but said
nothing.
About 10 O'Clock propose to draw
the command up IN line of battle and
charge over their works"
Still the sergeant said nothing, and
as his eolman er seemed to have
nothing fgrlhcr 10 communicate he
saluted respectfully and Joined the
men. wh3 were comfortably eating
their supper Hal noticed him going
among them aud speaking TO them.
He presumed be sFas transmitting the
order. but was surprised that he did so
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 wee liable to bite the
dust.
About o'clock the moon rose, and
1t was light as day This did not trou-
BILE the lieutenant since the attack was
to be made over 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 MS
Ing the bugle and as silently as possl-
| bic. When they were in line Hail gave
his orders. They were to charge at a
gnlop and when within n hundred
yards of the earthworks to open fire
Then, turnin9 his horse about and
drawing his saber, in low tone he
gave tire order. Forward" and spur
red toward the ranch. leading the at
tack"
II was fine sight to see line OF
horsemen. the moonlight glittering on
their arms and aeeouterments, gallop
ing toward the ranch where the In
dians must have been asleep, with no
pickets ort for not n light was to be
seen. W." .tail came near the earth
worlis be 4.ai back aud was surpris-
ed q i'ca moving by fours to
the left led that they should
be nakl detour without or
ders NJ We're to attack the
works. IN TO discover what II
meant Stabler led them
arc ud tlere was an opening
In the gd they all rode inside
without lot.
/ TIt1fF, uon a,,,,V,o.1 btu