The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-05-19

was evidently the father OF the fam.
! ily was giving his little army orders as
to the direction of their fire so that IT
would lie properly distributed They
were dong their best to pick off the
redskins. hut the latter were SO wary
In exposing themselves that II was diff
fenlt to hit them
Fuckers returned to his horse, un.
hooked his rife and. removing all the
ammunition he had in his saddlebags,
placed is in his hat Resides this am
tridges. Taking his load up to the
crest. he showed the muz2le Of his gun
sut between the cactus and was ready
10 commence operations.
| Meanwhile the Indians had changed
their tactics. They were concentrat-
Ing on their center preparatory to
charging the wagon. 1t was plain to
the whites that they We're lost. In
quick dash of the Indians some Of
them might he killed or disabled. but
there would be plenty left to toma-
hawk their enemies. The fathers
Let us die hard"
Rnt at that moment surprise oc-
GO to both whites and redskins.
Tie former heard a crack behind
them. and the latter saw puff Of
smoke on the crest. One Of the In
dians fell dead. Fuckers instead Of
firing again from the same spot scram
bled to a point few yards to his
right and from there sent another bull
let. Without waiting to see what dam
age he had done he moved and fired
again.
The Indians paused in their advance.
Fuckers had produced already the i'm
preston that there were at least sew
eral persons on the crest, and since he
kept up fire from different points it
was impossible for the savages to tell
how many there were in this re-en,
| forcement.
Equally interested in Fuckers We're
the party directly beneath him. They
were casting quick glances over their
shoulders, hoping to see party of
armed whites come over the crest to
their assistance. But when Ruckers
called to them to keep up their fire,
that he was alone. there was disap-
pointment But there was hope. The
father, seeing the advantage of Ruck'
crs' strategy. encouraged his family, a,
the same time admonishing them not
to fire except at an especial redsltin.
But by this time the Indians had be-
taken themselves behind slight rise
i in the ground. where they remained
out of sight. They had evidently
| withdrawn for consultation or with q
view to getting the strength Of theil
new enemy. Fuckers and the whites
below also ceased TO fire since they
could do no damage. Fuckers called
to their commander, suggesting that it
might be well to direct one Of the
party to crawl through the cactus to
the crest; that by firing from different
points at the same time the two above
might further make it appear that
! there We're not more than one person
there.
1t appeared to the father that who
ever succeeded in separating himself
from the party might have better
chance for his life. and. desiring to
give this advantage to his daughter,
he directed her to do as Fuckers had
suggested. The redskins detected her
and sent shot at her which raised the
dust only a foot from her, but she sue
ceeded in her attempt.
When Fuckers saw an attractive girl
who had come to fight with him for
her life and the lives Of all concerned
a new resolve came to him that they
should win. There was an eager light
in the girls eye as she asked what she
should do Fuckers. who since she
had been fired at in joining him had
lost confidence in his rlse, told her to
lie fat beside him and wait for orders
! The Indians appeared again. scatter