The Benson signal., 1917-03-24

own company, which, with the other
militia companies of Wilson, Norris
and Wilkins, was stationed in the CEN
ter of the rear, line, the woods lay
quiet, seemingly empty Of any Indians.
David turned about and glanced
toward the center of the camp. Fifty
yards away were the tents of the Off
GERS, lighted up by the campfires. He
could distinguish the figures Of them
all. They were all fully dressed and
were buckling on their sword-belts as
they talked. Harrison was standing
impatiently waiting while an orderly
struggled with his horse.
Hargrove, divining that it was the
generals intention to ride away
toward the points where the savages
were attacking in numbers, struck
David on the shoulder in his hurry:
"Go ask Colonel Decker if we are
to stand here! 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, "Is Captain Har-
grove to stand where he is?'
Harrison answered before the colon
ell could reply:
Gall 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 un-
varying tattoo spread it's imperious
summons through the night with a
sound that forced it's 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
waver. 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 one. 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 was
heavy with the acrid smell of powder
smoke. In the swamp at the east Da-
vid could see the flames of the Indi-
ans rifles twinkling like firef1ies.
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.
"Chargingv calculated Hargrove
at Davids side.
+. 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 detolfr 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
dians threw aside concealment and
UOSdu Ill0 OIlS0C Ou llC uOI III lldl1A VI
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 hun
dred shadowy forms rushing on them
with the cries of wild beasts. Their
answering fire burnt the very breasts
of the Indians and lighted up the
painted, hideous faces. There WAS no
time to reload; the rifles became clubs
that swung and crashed against rib
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 reined in their
horses at the spot, the hand-to-hand
conflict was over, and the savages had
retreated to the shelter of trees,
where they might have time to reload