The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-01-06
'AQuestionof Honor.
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by the Sioux. There was treaty of
peace between the white man and the
Ted, but it had been felt for three
months past that the latter were get
Siny ready to break it. The sergeant
a1ad gone out without instructions what
20 do in case he was attacked. When
me found that he was menaccd he did
what veteran captain would have
done. He called in his men, scattered
1cr two miles along the line, and threw
up defenses and pre-, ared to stand off
the Indians until courier could get
Through to the fort and return with in
.structions.
Unfortunately for Sergeant Brady,
the regimental adjutant had it in' for
che grizzled old veteran, who had put
IN twenty years on the frontier and
KNEW all the 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
aatter had walked the chalk line to de
,aeat the formers plans. When the
courier lodged the gathering warriors
and reached the fort and reported the
squad to come in at once, but it was
Che adjutant who said:
Sergeant Brady simply reports see
sng signs and being fired ON. 1t is
some of the young bucks giving him
scare. He's got ratified over nothing
we have no reports of outbreaks
I1e has shown his bravery a score
OF times, but perhaps he has made too
much of this OCCASION" niused the
eemmandant. II will order him to
aoid his position for three days and
then report again. 1 will also caution
him not to provoke hostilities."
Il was tight squeak for the courier
TO return to the little command. The
Indians We're creeping up on all sides
and Boosting that there should be 4
Nipe-out. Already there had come a
demand for surrender. and hostile bull
Gets had come singing over the de-
fenses. The sergeant read his orders
and then assembled his men, read them
slssud aud said
cts the hand of the adjutant, me
boys, and it makes no difference to
him that the rest of you have got to
>sye down with me- It's ratified l am,
Is it, after being at the front in Il score
of shindies with the red devils! We
are not to provoke hostilities with 200
copper faced heather waiting for our
scalps!"
Il Seventy or eighty Indians who had
-ccrept as near as they could find cover
rose up at q signal and rushed the
sbreastwork of brush and limbs and
powders. The seven concentrated
istheir ire on the rush and broke it,
Twenty redskins lay dead when the
Giving retreated.
<'Takc q long breath and DO little
ksmiling, me boys" said the sergeant as
The turned over and sat up That's Il
Mining we might Drag about al the post
w any of us were to get there. We
are going to get value received, but
don't forget what the end is to BE- If
there were twenty of US and We had
two guns apiece it would still be the
same Rafferty,, what place in the old
country is responsible for that mug of
yours?"
'eThe city of Dublin, as far as | can
remember" was the reply.
GIVE been there myself and can't
say too much in honor of the town.
at you've an old mother back there
you might do a bit Of praying before
our friends make another move.
D'Grady, did you bring that red hair
of yours all the way across the big
water?"
Indeed, sarge, but l cid. 1t was
,colored for me in the county of Tip
perary."
''The Indian who gets your scalp lock
will be mighty proud of the same.
D'Mears, are ye thinking of that sweet
heart of yours back there in New York
eity?"
''That's what l am, Sergeant Brady.
I'm thinking how much more decent it
would have been Of me to catch the
smallpox and die within sound of her
wailing."
seWell. laugh and smile over it just
che same. NIcGraw, I'm thinking see
a wetness about your eyes. Have ye
been rubbing at them with some fine
cut tobaccoY'
mot at all, sarge, but curse the man
who held us here to be wiped OUT
SIT don't need no vote to see that we
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 u.s.
The Indians had completely encir-
cled the little band, and for half an
hour they poured in such rain of bu!-
bets that every spot within the de-
lenses was searched. Rafferty, ard
O'Grady were killed and Sullivan and
O'Mears desperately wounded before it
ceased.
sFour from seven leaves three" said
che sergeant as he rose to his knees
and looked around. "The next move