Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1911-05-19
A Reversal
- IT, ,
By SAMUEL E. BRANT
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

a Adu uaueu, Dlue eyeu young Queer
Of the United States army knelt in q
narrow canyon in the far west. Before
him was an lmprovised 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 creek
In which it was located. In it's 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 a slight swaying of the branches
and the hopping about of chipmunk
which finally stopped on limb, sat
upon its launches, looked at Osborne
out Of the side Of its 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 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. o.
borne had the evening before offered
her his heart and hand Not being GER
tain Of her feelings for him-she was
| 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
fle and belt Of ammunition, mounted
his horse and started alone to act as
a skirmtsh 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 O'Clock in the morning.
Osborne had ridden over the route
Miss Hammond was to travel along a
ridge looking down on to the plains
Not caring to put too great a, distance
between himself and the ambulance, he
turned to ride back when below on
the open ground he saw a band of not
less than fifty warriors hudGled to-
gether looking up at the ridge on
which he stood, but at a 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 of,
making straight for the mouth of
canyon leading from the plain up to
the ridge, their purpose evidently be-
ing to come up through the canyon and
ambush the party with the ambulance
when it came along. Osborne hesitat-
ed for moment between two plans
Should he ride back and warn the par
ty, or should he go down the canyon,
fortify himself in q narrow gorge and
delay the Indians till the party had
passed? A move Of the Indians decid-
ed him. dozen or more bucks broke
! away from the body Of the savages
| and rode toward the mouth of a 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 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 fred The buck
pitched forward on his face Two or
three more Indians broke into the open
at brief intervals, and Osborne dropped
every one Of them as he appeared
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 1t, though !
they could not see the man, and he |
might 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
RES of shots came up to the travellers. |
The driver drew rein One Of the rs. !
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 fightingw
Osborne had dropped several of the
redskins, who were trying to divide
his fire, when another batch emerged |