The Irish standard., 1907-11-09
horse and galloped swiftly forward
CHAPTER xxxIl.
The Fight in the Valley,

depression bordering the left bank of
the Little Big Horn, the stalwart
troopers under Reno's command gazed
up the steep bluff to wave farewell to
their comrades disappearing to the
right. Last of all, Custer halted his
horse an instant, silhouetted against
the blue sky, and swung his hat be-
fore squirting out cf sight.
The plan of battle was most simple
and direct. 1t involved a nearly sim
ultaneous attack upon the vast Indian
village from below and above, success
depending altogether upon the prompt
cooperation of the separate detach-
ments. Scarcely had Clusters slender
column of horsemen vanished across
the summit before Reno's command
advanced, trotting down the valley,
the Arikara scouts in the lead. They
had been chosen to strike the first
blow, to force their way into the lower
village, and thus to draw the defend
ing warriors to their front, while Gus
ter's men were to charge upon the
rear.
A half-mile, a mile, Renos troops
rode, with no sound breaking the ST.
lence but the pounding of hoofs, the
tinkle of accoutrements. Then, round
ing a sharp projection of earth and
rock, the scattered lodges of the In
dian village already partially revealed
to those in advance, the riders were
brought to sudden halt by fierce
cracking of rifles from rock and ra-
vine. Men fell cursing, and the fright
ened horses swerved, their riders
struggling madly with their mounts,
the column thrown into momentary
confusion. But the surprised cavalry
men, quailing beneath the hot fire
poured into them, rallied to the shouts
of their officers, and swung into
slender battle front, stretching out
their thin line from the bank of the
river to the sharp uplift of the west
ern bluffs. Scarcely $50 white troop
ers waited to stem as best they might
that fierce onrush of 1000 battle
crazed braves. 49,
For an almost breathless space those
mingled hordes of Sioux and Chey-
enHes hesitated to drive straight home
their death-blow. They knew those
silent men in the blue shirts, knew
they died hard. Upon that slight
pause pivoted the fate of the day;
upon it hung the lives of those other
men riding boldly and trustfully across
the sunlit ridges above. "Audacity,
always audacity," that is the accepted
motto for a cavalryman. And be the
cause what it may, it was here that
Maj. Reno failed. In that supreme in
stant he was guilty of hesitancy,
doubt, delay. He chose defense in
preference to attack, dallied where he
should have acted. The observing
savages, gathering courage from his
apparent weakness, burst forth in re.
sistless torrent against the slender,
unsupported line, turned his flank by
one. fierce charge, and hurled the
struggling troopers back with rush
into the narrow strip of timber border
ing the river.
The whole narrow valley seemed to
swarm with braves; they poured forth
from sheltering coulees and shadowed
ravines; they dashed down in coun.-
less numbers from the distant village
Custer, now far away behind the
bluffs, and almost beyond sound Vt
the firing, was utterly ignored. Every
savage chief knew exactly where that
column was. but it could wait its turn.
In leaderless effort to break away
from that swift-gathering Gordon, be.
fore the red, remorseless folds should
close tighter and crush them to dea tn,
the troopers. half of them already c:is-
mounted, burst from cover in an en-.
deavor to attain the shelter of the
bluffs. The deadly Indian rifles
famed in their faces, and they were
hurled back, mere fleeing mob,
searching for nothing in that moment
of terror but a possible passagew ay
across the stream. Through some
rare providence of God, they CHANGED
to strike the banks at spot where
the river proved fordable. They
J plunged headlong in. officers and men
commingled, the Indian bullets churn.
/, ing up the water on every side. The
] loss in that wild retreat (Which Reno
later called a "charge'D was heavy,
the effect demoralizing; but those who
escaped found spot we'll suited for
| defense. Even as they swung down
from of their wounded, painting horses
and flung themselves fiat upon their
faces to sweep with hastily leveled
carbines the river banks below, Ben
teen came trotting gallantly down the
valley to their aid. his troopers fresh
and eager to be thrown forward on
the f1ring-line. The worst waf over
ald like maddened lions, the rallied
soldiers Of the Seventh, cursing their
folly, turned to strike and slay.
A line of skirmishers was hastily
thrown forward along the edge Of the
bluff. while volunteers, urged by the
agonized cries of the wounded, en-
deavored vainly to procure supply
Of water from the river Again and
again they made the effort, only to be
driven back by the deadly Indian rife
IRE. BY three o'clock, although the
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