Gunnison news-champion., 1914-02-06

aud aisapfe ared- No word no SOUND
had come back They could only wait
In faith on their eomraaes. The men
we're dismoanted. escA holding his
5Wn horse in instant psoAiness Tor g.
lion. Not a few. wsaried with tAs
days work. while still clinging to their
brides. wrapped the sapes q theis
Overcoats over their heaAs ana threw
themselves dowa IN tAs saow. sal ZEN
seieep.
At the frst sight - lAwn Eaalia
sas sent down the line - arouse tAsa-
0vereosts were taken - cad stSADpsl
10 the saadies carbinss loaasd 81
sluhs pistols examins1 aad lssssas1
IN their holsters. saAAAss reciaeAsA.
and curb chains carefully booked ssses
This Was the worh 81 - Q feW -
ments. the half-frozen soldiers DOv-
ing with an eaGerness that sent tA0
bot blood eoursine Aescely thpoaGh
aumbed limbs. To the Whispered con
mand to mount, runntaG fron hp -
lip along the line, the nsa spraAG
ioyously into their ssAalss. tAslB
auickened ears and sa0ss eyes ssaAv
for the signal.
Slowly, at q walk, CusGss Led then
forward toward the crest Of the hill
where the Usage Gui1s watcho1
through the spectral Hight Of dawA
the doomed village bsasotA. To ths
uplift Of . hand the ss1unn halted,
snA Custer and his ba0lss went 49,
ward. a step bsAinl ssUscheA -
Sergeant. GpsspinG tAs ssaas Of tAsss
horses. whils . littIs - SAe righA. -
y0a1 the sveep - tAe eo0inG GAAGUA,
Woitsl tAs PaGiDsatal band.
PsesiaG svss ths ssst, tAs lsaAss
ssv tAssaGA tAs aia hase, ssascsly
ovs hsnArsl vas1s distant. AsstinG tAs
nortA bank q ths Washita ssr ners
tAaA . aSsrtsr - . mile, ths Indian
village. There vas about II scarcely
. saGn Of human life. Froa the top
- two or three Of the tepees light
wrsaths Of smOke Aoated languidly
out on the wintry cir, and beyond the
pony herd Was restlessly moving.
Even - he gazed. half convinced that
the Indians had been warned. the vii
lage deserted. the sharp report OF .
rife rang out in the distance.
Hamlin saw the General spring up-
right. his lips utterins the sharp com
Dand, Sound the charged" Even
while the piercing blare of The baGle
cut the frosty air. there was Q Jingle
of steel as the troopers behind spurreA
forward. Almost at the instant the
three dismounted men were n saAlls.
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
1 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, q 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 call
of three bugles; the deafening thud
of horses hoofs; the converging cheers
of excited troopers; the mingling ring
Of revolver shots; a 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 AZ
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. Il 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 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 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.
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,
the men of the Seventh realized nov
the odds against them. the Desperate
nature Of the fight Out from the shell
tering tepees poured a food Of war.
riors; rites in hand they fought saw.
aeely. The screams OF somen and
children. the bowling and bayine Of
Indian dogs. the crack Of rfnes. tie
/ Nild Kar cries All rni-.l.a - = -