The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1908-06-26

gaAstrlf 10 fe1fs "a "a stmf -
u~4c sAts vel $3.50 80 sss 20
lo-s ~alttas Asfs 49,
Tie o8heS uyfsssA srvsA IA, stsA
auas IN ecatesnEt kssA Nr-sta sAs
tiua sumuH ne s~N-aHfty Tod
~uht move hes -htpEsa la srsiA
now
"Rcno you m~an whiPrei' rsa
haVcnt lost ~ nirn3 10 ,hls The as-
cnth'-skulkins here uadot eorss
while Custer b~ss hcip' Doesn't the
4 Know Docsrt he understand
ny heaven. III foe. ain myself IN
mako him act. oVta u ! have TO dana
him to his face
He Swun. his horse Win q JERK 20
the LETT, but even as the spurs touched.
Weir graspcd Il ,aut rcin nrmIy
ITS no use. lirant. It's been dono;
we've all been at him. Hos simply
lost his head, Know. or course no
knows. Martini struck us just below
here. as we were coming In. with .
message from Custer. II would have
stirred the blood OF anyone but him
oh. God! it's terrible"
"A message? What vas IT,"
Cook wrote IL. and addressed II TO
Benteeh. II read: Come IN. Mig VII.
lage. BE quick. Bring packs And
then, p. S.-Briny packs That @
they want ammunition badly; they're
fighting TO the death out yonder. and
they need powder. oh, the coward"
Brant's eyes ran down the waiting
line of his own men,. sitting their sad.
dies beside the halted pack animals.
He leaned over and dropped one band
heavily on Weir's shoulder. THE
rest of You can do as you please, ibut
n troop is going to take those ammu.
.ition packs to Custer II, there's any
possible way to get through, orders or
nd orders" He Strengthened up in the
saddle, and his voice sounded down
the wearied 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.
meh!"
He watched them swing like magic
into formation, their d~nst.begrimed
faces lighting up with animation. They
+ knew their officer, and this meaht bus
illness. = i,t' 80 . o ont ="
"Unsling carbines--loaA!', )" e.
Weir, the, veteran soldier, glanced
down that steady line OF ready troop.
crs, and tfen back to Brant's face.
"Do,you mean it? Are you. guing up
those b%luffs2 Good Heavens, man. 1t
will mean a courtmartial."
Custer commands the Seventh. l
command the ~pack-train,', saidfBrant.
His orders are to bring up the packs.
Perhaps l can't get through, alone, but
III try, Better a courtmartlal than to
fail those men out there. GoinS?t OF
course I'm going. Into line--take in.
teryals-forward!" +
Attention, d troop" 1t was Weir's
voice, eager and determined now. Like
an undammed' current his orders rang
out above the uproa'r, and in a moment
the gallant troopers of n and d. 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 1t II only
the rest Of the boys would come. They
poured in their volleys and waited
But Reno made 40 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 moi
advance, they would not be driver
back. Messenger after messenger
taking life in hand, was sent skurry
ing down the bluff. to beg reinforce
ments to push on for the rescue
swearing it was possible. But 1t wal
after FIVE o'clock before Reno moved
Then cautiously he advanced his col
umn toward where N and D troops We
held desperately to the exposed ridge
He came too late. That distant firint
had ceased, and all need for furthe'
advance had ended. Scarcely had re
Inducements attained the summit be
fore the torrent Of savagery burs
%screeching on their front.
From point to point the grim strus
gle ragged, till nightfall wrought par
tial cessation. The wearied trooper
stretched out their lines SO as to pre-
tect the packs and the field hospital
threw themselves on the ground, DIG
ging rife-pits with knives and til
pans. Not until nine o'clock did tn
Indian fire slacken, and then the VII