Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1911-08-17
A Reversal
By SAMUEL E. BRANT
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

him was an improvised fort about the
size Of those made by boys out Of
snow, though Lieutenant Osborne's
redoubt was composed of loose stones
gathered from the dry bed Of a creek
in which it was located. In its center
an opening had been left, through
which protruded the muzzle Of the
officers rifle, the butt Of which rested
against his shoulder.
There was no sound save the rustic
of the leaves of the trees, no motion
save slight swaying of the branches
and the hopping about of chipmunk
which finally stopped on a limb, sat
upon its launches, looked at Osborne
out of the side of it's head with one of
its bright little eyes and seemed to
say:
What are you doing there?"
This was what the lieutenant was
doing there: He was one of the garri-
son of a fort not many miles distant.
Rosa Hammond who had been visit
ing her married sister. had that day
left the fort to return to the east. Os-
borne had the evening before offered
her his heart and hand. Not being Ger
tain Of her feelings for him-she was a
conscientious girl-she had taken the
benefit Of the doubt and refused him.
Her refusal did not make any differ
ence in her lovers feelings for her.
He had his doubts as to the safety Of
her journey to the railroad terminal.
RumOrs were current that Indians
whom the garrison was intended to
keep in order were meditating rebel
lion. Rebellion meant murder and
scalps. The colonel commanding pooh
poOhed. Nevertheless on the morning
of Miss Hammond's departure Osborne
arose long before reveille, took his RI
fie and belt of ammunition. mounted
his horse and started alone to act as
a skirmish line over the route the girl
he loved would pass. She was to trav-
ell in an ambulance with an escort of
half dozen mounted Outriders and to
start at 8 o'clock in the morning.
Osborne had ridden over the route
Miss Hammond was to travel along q
ridge looking down on to the plains
Not caring to put too great distance
between himself and the ambulance, he
turned to ride back when below on
the open ground he saw band Of not
less than fifty warriors huddled to-
gether looking up at the ridge on
which he stood. but at point between
him and the fort. With the quick In
stinct of one used to such life, he in
ferred at once that they were looking
at the ambulance containing what was
dearer to him than his life.
Osborne was peering through foliage
and consequently invisible to the In
dams AS he looked they dashed off.
making straight for the mouth of
canyon leading from the plain up to
the ridge, their purpose evidently be-
ambush the party with the ambulance
when it came along. Osborne hesitat-
ed for a moment between two plans.
Should he ride back and warn the par
ty, or should he go down the canyon,
fortify himself in narrow gorge and
passed? A move of the Indians decid-
ed him. A dozen or more bucks broke
away from the body of the savages
and rode toward the mouth Of can
yon leading up to the rear of the trav-
elers Osborne dismounted and tied
his horse to tree He could not use
the animal in the canyon, and when the
travellers came along the horse would
serve as a warning to them. Then the
lieutenant dropped down into the can
yon.
The route up the canyon from its
mouth was difficult, and, though the
distance was not great. the Indians
made slow progress. The point chosen
for the improvised fortress command
ed an open space widening downward
Hearing the breaking of underbrush
at the farther end Of the open, Osborne
put himself on the alert and when a
redskin broke through fired The buck
pitched forward on his face. Two or
three more Indians broke into the open
at brief intervals. and Osborne dropped
CNCIy Out VI tlIClIi as IC dpDCdLCu
Indians are not prone to fighting
what they have no knowledge of, and
not another one of them came into the
open. They were accommodating the
toy fort with one man in It, though
they could not see the man. and he
naight be one or dozen. besides more
to come.
It was about this time that the am
bulance approached the point where
the young officer had taken to the
canyon. The first of this second Sc
ries OF shots came up to the travellers
The driver drew rein. One Of the es-
cort rode ahead. saw and recognized
Osborne's horse Riding back. he
called to the other armed men:
For heavens sake. come! Lieuten-
ant Osborne is down there fightingr
Osborne had dropped several Of the
redskins. who were trying to divide
his fire, when another batch emerged
and behind them another He believ-
ed that ten minutes more would end
the fight and his scalp would grace