Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1913-11-21

! and disappeared No word, no sound
had come back They could only wait
in faith on their comrades. The men
we're dismounted. each holding his
own horse in instant readiness for 40
ton. Not q few, wearted with the
| days work, while still clingIng to theiI
brides, wrapped the capes Of theiI
o~vercoats over their heads and threw
themselves down IN the snow, and fell
asleep.
At the first sight Of dawn Ha'mliu
was sent down the line to arouse them
O~vercoats were taken OF and strapped
TO the saddles. Carbines loaded n
slung, pistols examined and loosened
In their holsters. saddles recinched,
and curb chains carefully looked after,
! This was the work Of hut a few mo
| ments. the half-frozen soldiers NOV
Ing with an eagerness that sent the
hot blood coursing f~ercely through
numbed limbs. To the whispered com
mand to mount, running from lip to
lip along the line, the men sprang
~joyOusly into their saddles, their
]quickened ears and eager eyes ready
for the signal
Slowly, at q walk, Custer led hem
forward toward the crest OF the hill,
where the Usage guide watched
through the spectral light OF dawn
the doomed village beneath. To the
uplift Of a HAND the column halted
and Custer and his bugler went for
ward. A step behind crouched the
Sergeant, grasping the reins OF three
horses, while q little to the right. be
yond the sweep Of the coming charge,
waited the regimentaI band.
Peering over the crest, the leader
saw through the dim haze, scarcely
FIVE hundred yards distant, dotting the
north bank Of the Washita for more
than a quarter Of a mile, the Indian
village. There was about it scarcely
a sign OF human life. From h top
of two or three Of the tepees light
wreaths Of smoke foated languidly
out on the wintry air, and beyond the
pony herd was restlessly moving
Even as he gazed, half convinced that
the Indians had been warned, the vii
lage deserted, the sharp report Of a
rife rang out In the distance,
Hamlin saw the General spring up
right. his lips uttering the sharp com
mand, Sound the charge" Even
while the piercing blare OF the eugfe
cut the frosty air, there was a Jingle
of steel as the troopers behind spurred
forward. Almost at the instant the
three dismcunted men were In saddle
Custer waved his hand at the band.
shouted PLAY" and to the rolhcking
. . 49, N-,ar tho noyo~ ocl-
nmn of horsemen broke into a mad
GALLON, and with ringing cheers and
mighty rush, swept over he ridge
straight down into the startled village.
To Bamlin. at Clusters side, reins in
his teeth, q revolver IN either hand,
what followed was scarcely a memory.
/ remained afterward as a blurred,
tndistinct picture OF action. changing
so rapidly as to leave no definite out
lines. He heard the answering call
Of three bug}es; the deafening thu
Of horses hoofs; the converging heel
Of excited troopers; the ningling ring
~ revolver shots; a sharp order clesv-
ING the turmoil the wild neigh of a
stricken horse; the cultural yeIis OF
Indians leaping from their tepees into
The ONan. theu ne NhS III tht hNHAA
Of village, firing with both hands;
before him. about him, half-naked say
ages fighting desperately, striking at
him with knives, firing from h shell
fer OF tepees, spr4nging at him with
naked hands In a herce effort to drag
him from the saddle. 1t was all con
fusion, chaos, a babb'e Of noise, his
ewes blinded by CLINT OF steel and glare
of fire. The Impetus OF their rush car
rted them irresistibly forward; over
and through tents they rode, across the
bodies of living and dead; men reeled
and fell from saddles; riderless horses
swept on unguided; revolvers emptfed
were flung aside, and hands closed
hard on sabre hits. Foot by foot,
yard by yard, they drove the wedge
of their charge. until they swept
through the fringe OF tepees, out into
the stampeded pony herd.
CTo BE CoNTINUED)
Tho faith that counts is the kind