The Irish standard., 1907-11-16
TIE IRISH STANDARD. SATURDAY. NOVEMBER IS, 1907

eyes watching from distant rldgeS,
peering at them from concealed ra-
vines; none marked the rapidly mass
ing ,hordes. hideous in war-palnt.
crowded into nearby coulees and be-
hind protecting hills.
It burst upon them with wild yells.
The gloomy ridges blazed into their
startled faces, the dark ravines hurled
at them skurrying horsemen. while.
wherever their eyes turned, they be-
held savage forms leaping forth from
hill and coulee, gulch and rock shad-
ow. Horses fell. or ran about neigh.
ing; men flung up their hands and
died in that first awful minute Of con.
sternation, and the little column
seemed to shrivel away as if consum-
ed by the fame which struck it, front
and flank and rear. 1t was as If those
men had ridden into the mouth Of
hell.
Yet 1t was scarcely for more than q
minute. Men trained, strong, clear Of
brain, were In those stricken lines
men who had seen Indian battle be.
= FORE The recoil came, swift as had
been the surprise. Voice after voice
rang out old familiar orders. steady.
ing instantly the startled nerves; dis
cipline conquered disorder, and the
shattered column rolled out, as If by
magic, into the semblance of battle
! line.
It was magnificently done. Custer
and his troop commanders brought
their sorely smitten men into posi-
ton Of defense, even hurled them
cheering forward in short. swift
charges, so as to clear the front and
gain room in which to deploy. Out Of
confusion emerged discipline, conf
dence, esprit de corps.
Safe beyond the range of the troop
ers' light carbines, the Indians. with
their heavier rifles. kept hurling a
constant storm of lead, hugging the
gullies, and spreading out until there
was no rear toward which the harass-
ed cavalrymen could turn for safety.
One by one, continually under heavy
fire, the scattered troops were form
ed into something more nearly re-
sembling battle line-Calhoun on
the left. then Keogh. Smith and
Yates, with Tom Custer holding the
extreme right. Thus they waited grim
ly for the next assault.
Nor was it long delayed. Scarcely
had the troopers recovered. refilled
their depleted cartridge belts from
those of their dead comrades. when
the onslaught came. The soldiers
waited their coming. The short,
brown-barrelled carbines cleaned at
the level in the sunlight, and then
belched forth their message Of flame
into the very faces of those reckless
horsemen. 1t was not in flesh and
blood to bear such a blow. With
screams of rage, the red braves
swerved to left and right, leaving
many dark, war-bedecked figure ly
ing dead behind them, and many a
riderless pony, skurrying over the
prairie. Exultant over their seeming
ly successful repulse, the men flung
themselves again upon the earth
their cheers ringing out above the
thud of retreating hoofs.
I'VE can hold them here, boys, until
Reno comes,' they shouted to each
other.
The skulking red rifemen crept
ever closer behind the ridges. driving
their deadly missiles into those ranks
exposed in the open. To the command
of the bugle they discharged two
roaring volleys from their carbines
hopeful that the combined sound
might reach the ears Of the tagging
Reno. They were hopeful yet, al
though one troop had only sergeant
left in command, and the dead bodies
of their comrades strewed the plain
1t was four o'clock. For two long
hours they had been engaged in cease
less struggle, and now barely hun
dred men, smoke begrimed, thirsty
bleeding, half their carbines empty
they still formed an impenetrable rims
around their chief. The struggle was
over, and they realized the fact
When that wave of savage horsemer
swept forth again 1t would be to ride
them down, to crush them under theil
horses pounding hoofs.
LING d WulIlWluu CllOSC leu uOu1OuS
came-howling wolves, now certain ot
their prey. On both fanks of the
short, slender line struck Gall and
Crazy Horse. while like thunderbolt
Crow-King and Rain-in-the-Face at
tackled the center. These three storms
converged at the foot OF the hill
crushing the little band Of troopers
With ammunition gone, the helpless
victims could meet that mighty on
rushing torrent only with clubbet
guns, for ono instant of desperate
struggle. Shoulder to, shoulder, ir
ever.contracting circle, officers ant
men stood shielding their commander
to the last. Twenty or 80 made de
spairing dash, in vain endeavor tt
burst through the red envelopint
lines, only to be tomahawked or shot
but the most remained. thin strug
Cling ring, with Custer in its center
Then came the inevitable end. Tht
red waves surged completely across