The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
CHAPTER XXxvil..
The Battle With the Indians.


ment circling to tAe left. and "Califor-
MIA Joe" was with the other In the
valley, but Hamlin remalne& with the
chief. About them was profound 81
lence, the men standing beside their
horses. There was nothing to do but
walt. every nerve at high tension.
The wintry air grew colder, but the
troopers were not allowed to make the
slightest noise, not even to swing
their arms or stamp their feet. After
the last detachment swept silently out
into the night, there still remained
four hours Of daylight. No one knew
what had occurred; the various
troops had melted away into the dark
and disappeared. No word, no sound
had come back. They could only wait
in faith on their comrades. The men
were dismounted. each holding his
own horse in instant readiness for &C.
ton. Not a few, wearied with the
days work, while still clinging to their
brides, wrapped the capes Of their
overcoats over their heads and threw
themselves down in the snow, and fell
asleep.
At the first sight Of dawn Hamlin
was sent down the line to arouse them.
Oyercoats were taken Off and strapped
to the saddles, carbines loaded and
slung, pistols examined and lOOsened
in their holsters, saddles reclnched.
and curb chains carefully looked after.
This was the work Of but few mo-
ments, the half-froZen soldiers NOV
ing with an eagerness that sent the
hot blood coursing tiercely 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 a walk. Custer led them
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 little to the right. be-
yond the sweep Of the coming charge,
waited the regimental 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 the 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
rifle 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 bugle
cut the frosty air. there was a Jingle
of steel as the troopers behind spurred
forward Almost at the instant tha
three dismounted men were in saddle
Custer waved his hand at the band
shouted 'Play!" and to the rollick1ns
air of Garry Owen" the eager col
umn of horsemen broke into mad
gallop, and with ringing cheers and
mighty rush, swept over the ridge
straight down into the startled village.
To Hamlin, at Clusters side. reins in
his teeth, a revolver in either hand,
what followed was scarcely memory
1t remained afterward as a blurred
indistinct picture of action, changing
so rapidly as to leave no definite out
lines. He heard the answering cali
of three bugles; the deafening thud
Of horses hoofs; the conyerging cheers
of excited troopers; the mingling ring
of revolver shots; a sharp order cleav
ing the turmoil; the wild neigh of a
stricken horse; the cultural yells o.
Indians leaping from their tepees into
the open. Then he was in the heart
Of the village, firing with both hands;
before him, about him. half-naked saw
ages fighting desperately, striking al
him with knives, firing from the shell
ter of tepees, springing at him with
naked hands in a fierce effort to drag
him from the saddle. 1t was all con
fusion, chaos, babble Of noise, his
eyes blinded by CLINT Of steel and glare
of fire. The impetus of their rush car
ried 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 emptied
were flung aside, and hands closed
hard on sabre hilts. 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. -.
The bugle rang again, and they
turned, facing back, and charged once
more, no longer in close formation, but
every trooper fighting, as he could
Complete as the surprise had been,