The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-08-27
Wyandot among them. You will see,

Wyandot among them. You uill see,
monsieur"
"All right then take that first one,
and you pick the two to the left. Fire
when give the word. Schultz lay out
one of those extra guns beside each of
US. Ready now; the fellows who are
not hit will jump and run for the
woods as soon as we fire; give them
second shot before they can reach
cover"
Ready now!" l commanded sharp
ly. Let them have it-tire!"
The three guns spoke at once, the
smoke of their discharge for an in
slant blotting out the scene, yet not
before ! saw war-bonnet crumple up
beside the stump, and warrior just
behind him leap into the air with
both arms flung out. | gripped the
fresh gun beside me, and fired again
into a huddle of fleeing figures, hear
ing the sharp crack of the two 9TH
ers, as the blue smoke blew back into
my eyes. One Indian fell forward
clawing at the ground; another stag
gered wildly, yet kept his feet. A
chorus of yells rent the air, and the
fleeing forms vanished into the fringe
of woods. A fusillade OF bullets
chugged harmlessly into the protect
ing logs, blue puffs of smoke rising
between the distant trees, but nothing
remained visible for us to fire at.
Brady, glanced about from his loop
hole, and motioned me with his hand.
l crossed hurriedly to join him, again
the soldier.
What is it? Can you guess what
they mean to do"
mo, but they seem to be forming
there to the right; bend down here;
see, back among those trees. Ay! and
your red-coat is among the devils. I've
caught glimpse of him twice"
l grasped the situation in glance.
Brady moved to the next loop-hole,
and knelt down. Opposite me could
distinguish an Indian or two, skulking
in the tree shadows, we'll out of range
sentries, no doubt, stationed to guard
against any possibility of our escape
Yes, and there were others also along
the fringe of forest to the left, al
though only occasionally did half
naked form fit into view. They were
forming for assault, for a swift rush
forward, trusting that the suddenness
of their attack would put them across
that open space without great danger.
They had tried stealth and failed; now
they would try recklessness The very
choice was evidence of white leader
ship. An Indian leader would be pa
tient and wait for darkness to creep
up unseen, or plan to starve us into
surrender. Only a white man, eager
and dominant, would thus risk lives in
open assault
pressed back the wooden shutter,
kneeling to look out. For an instant.
blinded by the bright light, saw moth
ing, then, back in the edge of the tim
Der, l could dimly distinguish the
groups of savages, stripped for fight
ing, their naked bodies cleaning.
knew little then of Indian warfare, yet
it occurred to me that the representa-
tives of each tribe were gathered to-
gether, and I watched the war-bonnets
moving from group to group. as final
orders were passed among them. Only
once did catch glimpse of the red
jacket, as it's wearer stood at the foot
of huge tree, suddenly outlined by
ray of sun finding opening through the
leaves above. AS l caught view OF
him, he flung up one red arm, a rifle
grasped in his hand. and, as If it was
a signal, voice after voice whooped In
savage yell, the noise blending into
one fierce scream, horrible and menac'
ing. Above even this mad volume of
sound there was shout Of command,
emphasized by the discharge Of a
dozen guns. Then out of the smoke,
springing forth into the open, ! saw
the devils come. 1t was as II hell had
broken open and belched them forth.
Leaping into the air, shrieking, ges.
ticulating, weapons uplifted, red skis
glinting in the sun, black hair stream
ing on the wind, they sprang forward.
racing straight across the open.
"Shawnees!" roared Brady. "Give
it to 'em!" and he pulled trigger.
Describe what followed no man
could. 1t was pandemonium, uproar,
action. no two seconds the same.
fired twice, three times, leaping bach
to grasp a gun from the bench, and
cropping my way through smoke. My
eyes smarted. perspiration streamed
down my face, l heard the bark of
rifles, voices calling within, wild echo
ing yells without. Over the barrel OF
my rifle could distinguish the naked
forms of savages leaping amid the
smoke wreaths, stumbling, clutching
at the air with empty hands. Then all
at once they disappeared. vanished as
II by magic. Smoke chung to the
ground, yet amid its swirls | could
perceive no movement; the fierce yell
ing ceased. What this sudden cessa-
ton meant l could not guess, but my
hand reached instinctively for 20wder
and ball. Then another yell, louder.
more deadly with ferocity. smote my
ears; bullets chugged into the logs,