The Yale expositor., 1908-03-27

lows waiting mere lot.
The other uttered a groan, mis- hand
flung in contempt back toward the
bluff summit. The cowardly fool
won't move; he's whipped TO death
now"
Reno. you mean? Whipped? You
haven't lost 20 men. Is this the Sew
enth ?-slulking 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
make 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. Iirant. 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 were coming in. with
message from Custer. 1t would have
stirred the blood of anyone but him
oh, God! it's lerrible."
"A message? What was it?'
Cook wrote il and addressed it to
lage. BE quick. Bring packs. And
then, p. S.-Brin packs. That means
they want ammunition badly; they're
fighting to the death out yonder, and
they need powder. Oh, the coward"
Brant's eyes ran down tho waiting
line OF his own men. sitting sheir sad
dies beside the halted pack animals.
He 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 to 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 wearied line like the blast of a
trumpet
Attention! n troop! Right face;
dress. Number four bring forward
the ammunition packs. No, leave the
others where they are; move lively,
mem"
He watched them swing like magic
into formation. their dust-begrimed
| 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 Braat's face.
DO you mean it? Are you going up
those bluffs? Good Heavens, man, it
will mean a courtmartial."
Custer commands the Seventh. /
command the pack-train," said Brant.
His orders are to bring up the packs.
Perhaps | can't get through alone. but
| I'll try. Better a courtmartial than to
fail those men out there. Cling? OF
course I'm going. Into line-take in
tervals-forward!
Attention, ID troopi" 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 n ana ID, some
on foot, some in saddle, were rushing
up the face of the bluff, their officers
leading, the precious ammunition
packs at the center. all alike scram-
bling for the summit, in spite of the
cracking Of Indian rifles from every
side. Painting, breathless from the
hard climb, their carbines splitting fire
while the rapidly massing savages be-
gan circling their exposed position,
the little band fought their way for
ward a hundred yards. Then they
halted, blocked by the numbers bar
ring their path, glancing back anx-
iously in hope that their effort would
encourage others to join them. They
could do It; they could do II IL only
the rest of the boys would come. They
poured in their volleys and waited.
But Reno made no move. Weir and
Brant, determined TO hold every inch
thus gained, threw the dismounted
men on their faces behind every pro.
| lection of earth, and encircled the
ridge with flame. If they could not
advance, they would not be driven
back. Messenger after messenger,
taking life in hand, was sent skurry-
ing down the bluff, to beg reinforce
mehts to push on for the rescue.
swearing il was possible. But 1t was
after five o'clock before Reno moved.
Then cautiously he advanced his col
umn toward where n and ID troops yet
held desperately to the exposed ridge.
He came too late. That distant firing
had ceased. and all need for further
advance had ended. Scarcely had re-
Inducements attained the summit be-
fore the torrent of savagery burst
screeching on their front
From point to point the grim strug-
gle ragged, till nightfall wrought par
tial cessation. The wearied troopers
stretched out their lines so as to pro-
tect the packs and the field hospital,
threw themselves on the ground. dig
ging rife-pits with knives and tin
pans. Not until nine o'clock did the
Indian fire slacken, and then the vii
iage became scene of savage revel,
the wild yelling plainly audible to the
soldiers above
CTO BE CONTINUED)