Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1907-11-22
~ THE RED 3
. , @ U S A Y < a ! n A n D
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conqueror they would be mercilessly shot,
they allowed themselves to be killed with
an Indian stoicism, and did not yield an
inch Of ground.
The general was in q terrible rage /:
without a hat, his face blackened with
g~unpowder and his uniform torn in sew
eral places, he leapt his horse over the
corpses, and dashed blindly into the thick
of the government troops, followed by
a small band Of friends. who bravely let
themselves be killed at his side.
The fight was positively degenerating
into a massacre, the two parties, as I'M
happily always happens in civil wars,
fought with the greater fury and OBJ
s~tinacy because brothers were co%ntending
against brothers, and many Of them, for
whom politics were only a pretext, took
advantage of the medley to satiate per-
sonal hatred and avenge old insults.
However, this could not go on for long
thus, and it was necessary to get out Of
the situation at all risks. General Guer-
rero, nawar of the occupation of his
house, resolved to fight his way thither,
barricade himself, and obtain an honor
able capitulation for himself and his com
rades.
No sooner was the plan conceived than
the execution was attempted. Don Sebas-
tan collected round him all the fighting
men left, and formed them into a small
band--for the canister and bullets had
made frightful ravages in the ranks of
the ~insurgents-and placed himself at
their head.
Forward, forward!' he shouted, as
he rushed at the enemy.
His men followed him with yells Of
fury. The collision was terrible, the fight
fearful for four or five minutes a fune-
real silence brooded over this confused
mass of ~combatants, who attacked each
other so savagely.
At length the Presidents troops fell
back slightly, the insurgents took adj
vantage of it to redouble their efforts,
which were already superhuman, and
reached the generals house. The doors
were broken open in an instant, and all
rushed pell-mell into the court yard. They
We're saved, since they had at last reached
the shelter where they hoped to defend
themselves.
At this moment a frightful thing hap
pened the gallery commanding the court
yard and the stairs were entirely occu-
pied by soldiers, and so soon as the in
surgents appeared the muskets were
pointed down at them, a tornado of fire
passed over them like the blast Of death.
and In a second a mass of corpses covered
the ground.
The insurgents, terrified by this sudden
attack, which they were so far from anti
cipating, hurriedly fell back, instinctively
seeking an outlet by which to escape.
The tumult then became terrible, and the
massacre assumed the proportions of an
organized butchery. Driven back into
the court yard by the troops who pur-
sued them. and met there by those who
had attacked them and now charged at
the bayonet point, these wretched men,
rendered senseless by terror, did not
dream any longer of employing their
weapons, but falling on their knees before
their executioners. and clasping their
trembling hands, they implored the mercy
of the troops, who, intoxicated by the
smell of blood, and affected by the horri-
Bile murder fever which seizes upon even
the coolest mar On the battle field, killed
them like oxen in the shambles, and
plunged their sabres n bayonets into
their bodies with grins of delight and
laughter, and felt a horrible
in seeing their victims writhe
with heartbreaking cries in the last con-
v~ulsions of death.
General Don SEBASTIAN, though wound
and who seemed to have been pro-
tected by a charm throughout this scene
of carnage, defended himself like a lion
several soldiers, who tried in vain
to transix him with their bayonets. Lean
ing against a column, he whirled his
round his head, evidently seeking
death, but wishful to sell his life as dear
" as possible.
Suddenly Valentine cleft his way
the c~ombatants, followed by Bel
nnnear, Black Elk and Curumilia, who
were engaged in warding of the blows the
necessarily made at him, and
the general.
"Ah! I" the latter said, on perceiving
him, "here you are at last, then?"
And he dealt him a terrible blow, but
parted it, and Valentine con-
to advance.
Withdraw" he said to the soldiers
who surrounded the general, this man
to me-"
The soldiers, though they did not know
he hunter, intimidated by the accent with
he uttered these words, and recog-
lizing in him one Of those rare men who
always impose on common natures,
respectfully fell back without making the
objection.
The hunter threw his purse to them.
You dare to defy the lion at bay"
he general shouted, crashing his teeth :
although attacked by dogs, he can still
,venge his DEATH"
You will not die" the hunter said,
oddly throw away the sabre, which is
low useless"
"4Ah, ali I" Don Sebastian said, with a
yrin of rage; II am not ito die? And
Why not, pray?"
Because" he answered. in a cutting
,cice, death would be a mercy to you,
ind you must be punished"
.Oh!w he shrieked, and, blinded by
age, he rushed madly at the hunter.
The latter, without falling back a step, |
.ontented himself with giving a signal.
At the same moment a slip-knot fell on
he generals shoulders, and he rolled
IN the ground with a yell of rage. Curu- |
nilla had lassoed him.
In vain did Don Sebastian attempt fur
her resistance; after useless efforts he
vas reduced to utter impotence, and
'orced not only to confess he had been
but to yield himself to the
mercy of his ~conquerors.
The massacre was ended, the insur-
had been drowned in blood. The
ew rebels who survived the carnage were /
prisoners; the victors, in the first
Eonient of enthusiasm, had shot several, |
ind il required the most energetic inter
on the part of the officers to