The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-09-10

| TOR neIpI- the younger man eslcu. uu
I pulsively. his voice full OF sgony. For
| Gods sake, Weir. what are you fel.
lows waiting here forT-
The other uttered a groan. his hand
flung in contempt back toward the
blum summit. The cowardly fool
won't move; he's whipped to death
now"
Reno, you meant Whipped? You
| haven't lost 80 men Is this the Sew
enth ?-skulking here under cover
while Custer begs help? Doesn't the
man know? Doesn't he understand?
BY heaven, I'll face him myself I'll
mako him act, even II have to damn
! him to his face"
He swung his horse with a jerk to
the left, but even as the spurs touched.
Weir grasped TIE taut rein firmly.
IT'S no use. llrant. It's been done:
we've all been at him. He's simply
lost his head Know? OF course he
knows. Martini struck us just below
here. as we wore coming In. with q
! message from Custer. II would have
|
oh. Godi it's terrible"
"A message? What was it,"
Cook wrote II. and addressed It "a
Benteen. II read: Come on. Big vii
lage, BE quick Bring packs And
then, p. S.-Bring packs That means
they want ammunition badlyl they're
| fighting 20 the death out yonder, ans
they need powder. Oh. the coward"
Brants eyes ran down the waitiEs
line of his own men, sitting their SAD.
dies beside the halted pack animals.
de leaned over and dropped one hand
heavily on Weir's shoulder. The
rest Of you can do as you please. but
n troop is going 10 take those ammu-
milton packs TO Custer IL there's any
possible way to get through. orders or
no orders" He Strengthened up In the
saddle. and his voice sounded down
the weSried line like the blast OF q
| trumpet.
Attention. n troop Right face,
dress. Number four bring forward
the ammunition packs. No. leave the
others where they are. move lively.
men!"
He watched them swing like magic
/ into formation. their dust-bcgrimed
faces lighting up with animation. They
knew their officer. and this meant bus
/ mess.
"Unsling carbines-loadi"
Weir. the veteran soldier. glanced
down that steady line Of ready troop
ers. and then back to Brants face.
DO you mean It? Are you going up
those blufs? Good Heavens. man. Il
will mean a courtmartial."
Custer commands the Seventh. I
command the pack-train." said Brant.
His orders are to bring up the packs.
Perhaps l can't get through alone. but
| III try. Better a courtmartial than 20
fail those men out there. Going? OF
course I'm going. Into line-take in
tervals--forwardl
Attention. ID troop" II was Weir's
voice. eager and determined now. Like
an undammed current his orders rang
out above the uproar. and In a moment
the gallant troopers Of y and ID, some
on foot. some in saddle. were rushing
up the face OF the blum. their officers
| leading. the precious ammunition
packs al the center. all alike scrani
bling for the summit. In spite OF the
cracking OF Indian rifes from every
side Painting, breathless from the
hard climb. their carbiueF splitting FIRE
while the rapidly massins sayages be-
gan circling their exposed position
the little band fought thHir way for
ward a hundred yards. Then they
halted. blocked by the Numbers bar.
ring their path. glanclng back anx.
lousy In hope that their effort would
encourage others to Join them. They
could do It: they could 90 Il II only
the rest OF the boys would come. They
poured in their volleys md waited.
But Reno made no move. Weir and
Brant. determined 70 hold every inch
thus gained. threw the dismGunted
men on their faces behind every pro
lection OF earth, and encircled the
ridge with fame. II they could not
| advance. they would nc; be driven
back. Messenger after messenger
taking life I'm hand. was sent skurry.
ing down the blum, TO Oeg reinforce
| ments 10 push on Tor rae rescue
swearing Il was possible. But II was
after FIVE o'clock before Reno moved
Then cautiously he advanced his col
umn toward where \ and - troops yet
held desperately to the exposed ridge
He came too late. That distant firing
had ceased. and all need Tor further
advance had ended. Scarcely had re
Inducements attained the summit be
fore the torrent OF saysgery barst
screeching on their front
from point to point the grim struy-
gle ragged. till nightfail wrought par
tial cessation. The wearied troopers
stretched out their lines so ms to pro
tect the packs and the field hospital,
threw themselves on the ground. dig
ging rife sits with knives and tin
pans. Not until nine o'clock did the
Indian fire slacken, and then the VII
lage became a scene OF savage rsvel,
the wild yelling plainly audible ~ the
soldiers above.