Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1906-10-03

foubtless. as destitute and wretched as
the rest, but he WIS patient quiet and
resolute Hunger Brought with it a dis
contented and mutinous spirit. The
men complained bitterly of all they had
been made to endure and clamored
loudly for general discharge. But
Captain Lincoln kept the even tenor
of his way. and. when his regiment
was ,disbnnded Immediately enlisted
as private soldier in another COM
pany.
From the battlefield Whiteside re-
turned to his old camp at Dixon, but
determined before doing so to make
one more attempt to retrieve his Ill for
tune Back Hawks pirogues were
supposed to be lying few miles dis
tant In bend of the Rock river, and
the capture of these would serve as
some relief to the dreary series of er-
rors and miscarriages which had hith-
erto marked the campaign. But Black
Hawk had just been teaching him
strategy In the most effective mode,
and the present movement was under
taken with an excess of caution almost
as ludicrous as Stllman's bravado.
To provide as well as might be against
danger one man was started at time
in the direction of the point. When he
would get q certain distance, keeping
in sight, a second would start, and SO
on. until a string of men extending
five miles from the main army was
made, each to look out for Indians and
give the sign to right, left or front by
hanging d hat on a bayonet-erect for
the front and right or left, as the case
might be- To raise men to go ahead
was with difficulty done, and some
tried hard to drop back. but we gos
through safe and found the place de-
serted, leaving plenty of Indian signs
dead dog and several scalps taken in
Stillman's defeat, as we supposed them
to have been taken. After this, the last
Of General Whiteside's futile attempts,
he returned to the battlefield and
thence to Dixon, where he was Joined
by Atkinson. with the regulars and the
long coveted and much needed sup
plies.
Prior to this. however. an old Indian
hungry and helpless. He professed to
be friend of the whites and ventured
to throw himself upon the mercy of
the soldiers. But the men first muir
INJURED and then broke out into fierce
cries for his blood. I'VE have come out
to fight the Indians" said they. "and
we intend to do 1t" The poor Old
Indian now. in the extremity OF his
distress and peril did what he ought To
have done before; he threw down be-
fore his assailants a soiled and crum-
pied paper, which he implored them to
read before his life was taken. 1t was
letter of character and safe conduct
from General Cass, pronouncing him
faithful man who had done good sery-
ice in the cause for which this army
was enlisted. But it was too late. The
men refused to read 1t or thought it a
forgery and were rushing with furg
upon the defenseless old savage when
Captain Lincoln bounded between
them and their appointed victim
Men" said he. and his voice for u
moment stiled the agitation around
him, this must not be done. He must
not be shot and killed by u.s." But"
said some of them, 1.-The Indian Is r.
cussed spy" Lincoln knew that his
own life was now in only less danger
than that of the poor creature that
crouched behind him. During the
whole of this scene Captain Lincoln
seemed to rise to an unusual height
Of stature. The towering form, the pas
sion and resolution in his face, the
physical power and terrible will eXhib.
tied in every motion of his body, every
gesture of his arm, produced an effect
upon the furious mob as unexpected
perhaps to him as to any one else.
They paused, listened. foil back ana
then sullenly obeyed what seemed ~
be the voice Of reason, as we'll as au'
thority. But there were still some muir
murs Of disappointed rage and half
suppressed exclamations which locked
toward vengeance of some kind. Az
length one of the men a little boldep
than the rest, but evidently feeling thse
he spoke for the whole, cried out,
This Is cowardly on your part, Lin
colnw Whereupon the tall captains
figure stretched a few inches higher
again He looked down upon these
varlets who would have murdered
defenseless old Indian and now quaih
ed before his single hand with lofty
contempt. The oldest of his acquaint-
ances, even Bill Green, who saw him
grapple Jack Armstrong and defy the
bulies at his back, never saw him SO
much aroused before. IF any man
thinks | am coward, let him test It,"
said he. "Lincoln," responded new
voice, 'you are larger and heavier than
we are" "This you can guard against;
choose your weapons" returned the
rigid captain. Whatever may be said
Of Mr.. Lincoln's choice of means for
the preservation of military discipline,
I'LL. AI.t.