The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1913-10-17

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.
| Overcoats were taken off and strapped
to the saddles, carbines loaded and
slung, pistols examined and loosened
in their holsters, saddles recinched,
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 fieraely 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,
l.;
ward. A step behind crouched the
Sergeant, grasping the reins Of three
horses, while a 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
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 jingle
of steel as the troopers behind spurred
forward. Almost at the instant the
three dismounted men were in saddle.
| Custer waved his hand at the band,
shouted Play" and to the rollicking
| 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 i'll
his teeth. a revolver in either hand,
what followed was scarcely memory
remained afterward as a blurred,
/ indistinct picture of action, changing
so rapidly as to leave no definite out
| lines. He heard the answering call
/ OIL three DuSlto, Tic uCaA|hAAo NhuN
of horses hoofs: the convergins cheers
of excited troopers; the mingling ring
of revolver shots sharp order cleav-
ing the turmoil; the wild neigh Of
| stricken horse; the cultural yells of
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 at
| him with knives. firing from the shell
ter of tepees, spTinging at him with
naked hands in fierce effort to drag
him from the saddle. 1t was all con
| fusion, chaos a babble of noise, his
| eyes blinded by CLINT of steel and glare
of fire. The impetus of their rush car
ried them irresstibly 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
we're 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.
tTO BE CONTINUEDD
| Tho faith thar counts is tho kind