The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-08-24
CHAPTER XXI.
The lFlaht In the Valley.


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 Of sight.
The plan Of battle was most simple
and direct, 1t involved nearly sim
infamous attack upon the vast Indian
yjllage 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
adya1ced, trottlng 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
ters men were to charge upon the
rear.
A halEmile, a mile, Reno's troops
rode with no sound breaking the ST.
lence but the pounding of hoofs, the
tinlSle Of accoutrements. Then, round
Ing sharp projection Of earth and
rock the scattered lodges of the In
dian village already partially revealed
to those IN advance, the riders we're
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 monetary
confusion. But the surprised cavalry
men, quailing beneath the hot fire
poured into them, rallied to the shouts
OF their oficers, and swung into a
slender battle front, stretching out
their thin line from the bank Of the
river to the sharp uplift of the west
ern bluiIs. Scarcely $50 white troop
ers waited to stem as best they might
that fierce onrush of 1900 battle
crazed braves,
For an almost breathless space those
mingled hordes Of Sioux and Chey-
ennes hesitated to drive straight home
theIf death-blow. They knew those
silent men in the blue shirts, knew
they died hard. Upon that slight
pa ,se piyoted the fate of the day;
upon 1t 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 cayalryman. And be the
cause what 1t may, It was here that
Mai Reno failed. In that supreme In
slant he was guilty Of hesitancy,
doubt, delay. He chose defense in
preference to attack. dallled where he
should have acted The observing
sayages, gathering courage from his
apparent weakness, burst forth in re-
sistIess torrent against the slender,
unsupported line, turned his flank by
one fierce charge, and hurled the
struggling troopers back with a rush
inte the narrow strip of timber border
ing the river.
The whole narrow valley seemed to
swarm with braves; they poured forth
from shelterlng conlees and shadowed
rayines; they dashed down in COUNT
less numbers from the distant village.
Custer, now far away behind the
bluffs; and almost beyond sound Of
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 swlitgathering Gordon, be-
fore the red, renorseless folds should
close tighter and crush them to death,
the troopers, half Of them already dis
mounted, burst from cover in an en-
deavor to attain the shelter Of the
blutfs. 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 passageway
across the stream. Through some
rare providence Of God, they Glanced
to strike the banks at a spot where
the river proved fordable, They
plunged teadlong 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 "charge") was heavy,
the effect demoralizing; but those who
escaped found a spot well 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
carbipes the river banks below, Ben
teen came trottlng CALAMITY down the
valley to their aid. his troopers fresh
and eager to be thrown forward on
the fringllne The worst was over.
ana like maddsned lions, the rallied
soldiers Of the Seventh, cursing their
folly turned to strike and STAY
Al line Of sEirmishers was hastily
thrown forward along the edge Of the
bluh, while volunteers, urged by the
agenized cries Of the wounded en-
deasored yainly to procure a supply
Of water from the river. Again and
again they made the effort only to be
driven back BY the deadly Indian rttle