Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-04-02

in the dark night they started in the
direction Of Reio's retreat, and afr
about five miles they came to high
hill. from which they SAW fire. Al
times the fire disappeared, and they
concluded that thero nust be human
beings pacsinS Ground it. which hid it
occasiorally fro5i sight. But what
kind of hpalan beings-Irdians or
white? There was the rub. They
oraw,ed on with, greet cauiousness,
fearing the -inaians would have to be
if If was Reno. when their hearts were
raised By the braying of mule. Still
he might be a captured mule, so they
crept along on their bellies cautiously
until they got so near that they heard
voices talking in English. They
crawled within, 4 huadred yards of
the visible party aud called out TO the
picket who they were, DE Rudio and
| O'Neil For Gods sake, don't shoot"
\ cheer from the picket. and in few
| minutes the tired a:,u famished sur
yivors of many nenttgl deaths were
munching crackers and coffee with
Captain yarnpn.
| DE Rudio's reception by his corn
| rades brirgs to mind the time when
an army was drawn up il battle line
| to receive me.
/ will refer TO one Of the press dis
patches sent from Tcrry's command to
give an account OF this inC ident:
| Our march now lay through sue
| cessioE of abandoned Indian camps,
| showing that we We're on the trail Of
| the Sioux The bleached bones Of buff
| falocs and now and then the shaggy
| head of this monarch of the plains,
| tcStifyiny to the recent passage of In
dian hunters, were met with from
| time to time scattered among the
wickiups or temporary shelters made
of saplinGs and tree branches, but so
| far no signs Of the hostile Sioux We're
| encountered. Our picturesque Crow
and Cree allies had brought informa-
ton of the near approach of the Sioux.
and We were in hourly expectation that
the savages would appear to dispute
our progress. Plains Scared hy deep
canyons we passed which might cen
|
invisible at a few hundred yards dis
tant. Right and left ran continuous
lines of bluffs on either hand. offering
positions that defended by resolu;e
and well armed men, would he almost
impregnable.
"Suddenly. while standing around a
fire ut Il Temporary stopping place. we
were startled by a quick succession al
unearthly yclls, and soon after Il band
of Crows, painted hideously, burst into
camp ut full Eallop. They reported
heap Sioux coming toward US, more
Sioux than they had ever seen before
This cur informant expressed clcarl!
in sign language, showing us the Siou,
mounted and coming to cut our threats
, The Interpreter soon after arrived ant
confirmed our Interpretation of the In
dian sign language. Soon We wer,
startled by simultaneous rush o
: the Cree scouts. wh9 announced tn,
Sioux. The troops immediately formed
in iihc of bater,,s.an the scene was al
animated one Two companies of tn,
Seventh cavalry. under Captain Frencl
! and Lieutenant De Rudio. were to sup
port the scouts in case of attack. whil
the column was properly arranged a
| we'll as the difficult nature of tn
c ground would permit.
"One battalion of the Seventh cav
4 airy. under Captain Weir, formed
e mounted skirmishing line at full gal
lop, aided by the Second cavalry
: drawn up in column on their flank I'm
h der General Grisbin and Lieutenan
Il lows battery of three guns. TIL
y trains were closed up. and the com
h panies of the Fifth infantry. unde
e General Miles: the Sixty-siXth. unde