Evening journal., 1909-01-05
AS Soldiers Die.
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Colonel Pelham, at Fort Clymer, had
been transferred from Fort Reno,
where there were no Indians. and as
a matter of fact had never come in
contact with hostile red man. Scouts
sent out returned with the news that
the Indians had already murdered lso-
lated pioneers, but they were almost
charged with lying. Sergeant Lyons
and his six men, who were the guard
for the woodcutters on tho mountain
side, two miles away. came in with the
wagons, and the sergeant reported be-
ing fred on and Of seeing q war party
numbering ut least 200 reds. The colo
mel heard him out and then saecringly
said:
at seems that | have been sent here
to command lot Of old women and
towards, and ought to be sensible OF
the distinguished honor. Sergeant
Lyons, you win at once return with
the guard or I'll prefer charges Of cow
ardice."
every well, sir" replied the sergeant
as he gave the salute. Wood guard,
fall iu Right face. Forward, march"
The seven marched back to the noun
tain alone. Scouts and settlers crowd
ed up to the colonel and told him
plainly that lie was sending the men to
death, but he commanded silence. The
citizens employed as woodcutters re-
fused TO go out again, and they were
stormed at and insulted. The under
officers stood grouped together and
spoke among themselves, but they
dared not address the colonel. He had
repulsed them over and over Not an
hour before he had said that, in so far
as the Indians we're concerned, he was
/ ready to make n ten mile circle of the
fort all alone.
Sergeant Lyons was just serving out
his fourteenth year, twelve of which
had been passed In the Indian country,
He had studied and fought the red
man and knew him for what he was.
He could show four wounds, and he
had been made corporal and then SER
geant for bravery on the field, and yet
the colonel had charged him with be-
ing a coward. He marched at the head
Of his men at high noon, with gritting
teeth and dark face. and realized that
it was his last march. BY and by. with
a grim smile on his face, he gave the
word to halt, and then. pointing back
to the fort. he said:
Men. take your last look at the old
place. It's a rough old home, but
we've been comfortable here. Before
the sun sets this day the reds will be
shaking our scalpG from this spot at
our comrades looking over the stock
ade. We are going out on orders, and
they are TO be obeyed and not ques.
toned. What is n soldier for but to
die? Private Smith, have you got a
mother living?"
aye, | have that"
"You should have written her n good
by letter yesterday. Private Williams
YOU are a widower with a little daugh
ter living with relatives in the east?"
That's true. sergeant"
"She'll be told some day how yor
We're wiped out The rest Of you arr
single men. Thank God that is the cast
with me Odds is the difference wheth
er we die today or a year hence
But there may not be any Indians,
suggested Private Naylor as he looked
from the mountain TO the fort anC
back.
Private Naylor IS a bit nervous, anC
l don't blame him." said the sergeant
with a laugh. NO Indansl Why. m,
boy. I'll bet that there are fifty pairs o
eyes watching us now from the thick
cts and powders. Their owners ar,
wondering why we are returning
They can't make it out why the sever
Of us should be marching back Il
death. They'll be thinking there i
some trick in It, Don't get any falls
notions into your head comrade. IT..
+. 4 dead man you are. It's dead we al
+. are. IF we started on the back tract
now II would be too late. Seven of us
and it viii be a complete wipe out"
The sergeant paused TO look arounl
him, as IL taking n last view OF earth
and the others were silent. Then, AT
er couple Of minutes, the officer wen
on:
"And now it's how we are going I
die. There's only one way for a sol
dicr TO pass in his checks. It's for tn
honor OF the flag and his regiment
They'll see the fight from the for
but no help will come to us. AS 500
as we take cover wen have hundred
Of the reds about us Down ther
! they'll be cursing the colonel and weeI
J ing for us. but up there on the hillsid
wen be singing our songs as we hol
on to the last. Up there on that bar
} spot where yov see the four bowlder
J IS the spot We are TO strike for. A
tention Left face Sing! March"
The sergeant struck up a song an
} stepped Off. ana the seven beaded fo
/ the bovldcrs Their voices were fain
" heard at the fort. and their con
: rades wondered Their voices reache
the hiding and waiting Indians on III
mountain side. and they grunted the
nmazement.
Ten minutes later there were 800 Il
dlans firing upon them. They saw
4 Rl from the fort for the next hou
One by one the wood guard was picl
\ cd or. but whenever there was a In
IN the firing the voices of the survivor
could be heard raised in song. Ther
could be no help for them The II