The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-11-23
! AQueStiOnOf Honor.

w tue SIOUX. There was n treaty OF
peace between the white man and the
red. but II had been felt for three
months past that the latter were get.
ting ready to break It. The sergeant
had gone out without instructions what
TO do In case he was attacked. When
he found that he was menaced he did
what a veteran captain would have
done. He called IN his men, scattered
for two miles along the line, and threw
up defenses and prepared to stand of
the Indians untll courier could get
through to the fort and return with in.
structions.
Unfortunately for Sergeant Brady.
the regimental ad1utant chad II I'm" for
the grizzled old veteran, who had put
In twenty years on the frontier and
knew all tho tricks of the red men
Three or four things had occurred to
prove that the adjutant was after the
sergeants stripes. and for weeks the
latter had walked the chalk line 10 de-
feat the formers plans. When the
courier dofged the gathering warriors
and reached the fort and reported the
commandant wns for directing the
squad to come In at once, but II was
the adjutant who said:
Sergeant Brady simply reports see
ing signs and being fred on. Ii fl
some OF the young bucks giving him a
scare. He's got ratified over nothing.
We have no reports of outbreaks
'He has shown his bravery n score
Of times, but perhaps he has made too
much Of this OCCASION" unused the
commandant. 81 will order him TO
hold his position for three days and
then report again. l win also caution
him not to provoke hostilities."
1t was a tight squeak for the courier
70 return to the little command. The
Indians were creeping up on all sides
and Boosting that there should be a
wlpe-out. Already there had come a
demand for surrender, and hostile bull
let's had come singing over the de-
lenses. The sergeant read bis orders
and then assembled his men, read them
aloud and said:
'It's the hand Of the adjutant, me
boys, and It makes no difference to
him that the rest of you have got to
60 down with me. It's ratified / am,
IS 1t, after being at the front in score
of shindies with the red devils! We
are not TO provoke hostilities with 200
copper faced heather waiting for our
sealps!'
Seventy or eighty Indians who had |
crept as near as they could find cover !
rose up at a signal and rushed the |
breastwork OF brush and limbs and 1
powders. The seven concentrated
their fire on the rush and broke it.
Twenty redskins lay dead when the
living reiterated.
"Take long breath and do little
smiling, me boys" said the sergeant as
he turned over and sat up. THAT'S
thing we might brag about at the post
IL any of us were to get there. We
are going to get value received, but
don't forget what the end is TO be- IL
there were twenty Of US and we had
tyo guns apiece 1t would still be the
same. Rafferty,, what place in the old
country is responsible for that mug OF
yours"
1.-THE city Of Dublin, as far as l can
remember" was the reply.
eve been there myself and can't
say too much, in honor OF the town.
If you've an old mother back there
you might do bit of praying before
our friends make another move.
O'Grady, did you bring that red hair
of yours all the way across the big
water?'
Indeed, sarge, but did, 1t was
colored for me in the county Of Tip
perary."
'sThe Indian who gets your scalp lock
viii be mighty proud of the same.
O'Mears, are yc thinking Of that sweet
heart Of yours back there in New York !
city,
That's what am, Sergeant Brady.
I'm thinking how much more decent it
would have been of ne to catch the
smallpox and die within sound Of her \
wailing" II
well, laugh and smile over 1t just
the same. McGraw, I'm thinking see
wetness about your eyes. Have ye
been rubbing at them with some fine
cut tobaccof"
''Not at all, sarge, but curse the man
who held us here to be wiped out!'
1T don't need no vote to see that VIC
all think alike On that, but It's no time
for tears. We've been put on our
honor, and we are going to die with .
smiles on our faces. Whist, but they
have bullets to spare around us"'
The Indians had completely eneir-
cIed. the little band, and for half an :
hour they poured in such rain Of bul-
lets that every spot within the de- d
fonses was searched. Rafferty, aud i
O'Grady were killed and Sullivan and !
desperately wounded before it G
ceased.
-Four from seven leaves three" said
the sergeant as he rose to his knees
ard looked around, "The next move !
is to die smiling, me boys. They'll !,
come with whoops and yells and be d
over the breastwork In iiffy. Down
Wen 40 under the crush, but some c
day the boys back at the post win
learn that we did our best. Get ready d
they're coming" T"
aDead-aH of themle said captain
AS he looked over the defenses two II
davs later. "Who was it that called
II false alarm? Who said that Ser
,-oon+ p~edv WAS losing his nerve2"