Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1916-11-30

80 I ~
were attacking in numbers. struck
David on the shoulder in his hurry:
"Go ask Colonel Decker if we are
TO stand herel Quick, before General
Harrison goes!"
David ran toward the officers. AS
he reached them, Harrison succeeded
in getting his foot into the stirrup and
threw himself into the saddle. Decker
was about TO mount. David saluted
as he ran, crying, as Captain Har-
grove to stand where he ISL"
Harrison answered before the colon
ell could reply:
"All the captains are to hold their
companies as they stand! You will
do nothing but hold the ground until
light enough to advanced"
He gathered up the reins and with
a bound was gone through the falling
mist, Boyd, Owen, Hurst, Taylor,
Washington Johnston and .Daviess
urging their horses at his heels.
David ran back toward his captain.
The horrid tumult at the northwest
and southeast angles grew louder. Da-
vid listened with an excitement that
filled his ears with the sound of his
own hearts %throbbing. Two hundred
yards away the rifles cracked in a
ceaseless sputter.
The drums began. The orderly
drummer at the officers tents was
beating the long roll the steady I'M
varying tattoo spread its imperious
summons through the night with a
sound that forced its way through all
the wilder babel of the camp. David
wondered why it had not begun soon
err; it did not seem possible that not
sixty seconds had elapsed since the
first alarm had been given.
A cold gust made the raindrops
WAIVER. He became conscious that his
teeth were chattering. Two men,
wriggling on the ground, succeeded in
scattering the fire so that it's light
died down to the emberS. David saw
the other company fires go out, one
by II But they had not all been ex-
tinguished soon enough.
AS the light of the fires died out the
flashing of the rifles became more
plainly visible. The damp air vas
heavy with the acrid smell of powder
smoke. In the swamp at the east Da-
yid could see the flames of the Indi-
ans rifles twinkling like ~ireflies.
The uproar at the northwest angle
of the camp, two hundred yards away,
grew louder. David strained his eyes
through the darkness but distin-
guished nothing. Suddenly from the
dark angle a trumpet blared out it's
immemorial summons to charge. On
the last note arose a burst of cheer
ing.
"~Chargingw CALCULATED Hargrove
at David's side.
1t was the plan of the Indians to
wait until a girdle had been formed
on three sides of the camp, where a
simultaneous attack might be made,
north, east and south but before they
had completed this detour Of the
wooded plateau the impatient saw
ages stationed at the northwest cor
ner had drawn in closer and closer
to the American sentries in their ca
gerness to rush in. 1t was one of
these whom Stephen Mars had heard
gliding through the wet underbrush
and at the report of his rifle the In
dams threw aside %concealment and
began the onset on the north flank of
the little army, without waiting for
more of their numbers to complete the
circle on the east front.
And so the men of Geiger's Ken.
lucky Rifles and those of Captain
Barton's regular troops, forming the
northwest angle, awoke to find a hun
bred shadowy forms rushing on then
with the cries of wild beasts. TheiI
answering fire burnt the very breasts
Of the Indians and lighted up the
painted, hideous faces. There was M
time to reload; the rifles became clubs
that swung and crashed against rit
and skull, or red warrior and white
went down locked in the terrible EN-
brace which the bloody knife alone
rising and falling, might end.
But the angle held firm. When Har
rison and his staff refined in thei
horses at the spot, the ha~nd-to-hanC
, conflict was over, and the savages hat
retreated to the shelter of trees
where they might have time to reloat
, their guns. Behind them they left
! score Of dead and dying Of their owl
, number; but some bore at their belt
l the dripping scalps of the newly slain
1t was then that the trumpeter, d
Major Wells command, had place,
, the trumpet to his lips and blown tn
charge. With a cheer, the men O
|, Barton's company heard the order re
peated by their own captain and wen
/. ahead at q run. Only a dozen or S
. cure their frightened horses at til
trumpet call, but these, riding fror
tree to tree, drove the baiIled Indian
" before them into the willows by tn
q creek, where the horses could go n
farther. From the angle came an aid
with Harrison's order to sound the re
a call.
They came back. 1t was wisdoi
that snved them from being cut o
e from the main body of the troops. Fc
the fight had just begun. Only a littl
s breathing space they had; and In
they looked upon the fnces Of the
s dead.
The commander and his STAFF II
v spected the lines, letting their horse
pick their way through the tree
d through the darkness, loose-reIned
each company, as they passed l
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