Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-12-16

NV eager hands were upon hers, my
eyes greedily reading the message re
|. vealed so frankly in the depths of hei
own. She only was in my thoughts
we were there alone-alone. Pc.
'They'rea comm, Cap" yelled Ken
nedy and his rifle cracked. "By G.
they're here" =
With one swift spring I was back al
my deserted post and firing. Never
before had I been in an Indian battle
but they had told me at Armstrong
that the Sacs were fighting men.
knew it now. This was to be no play
at war but grim, relentless struggle
They came en- masse, rushing reckless
~ forward across the open space
pressing upon each other in headlone
desire to be first, yelling like fiends
animated by but one purpose - the
battering Of q way into that cabin.
know not who led theD1-all I saw
was q mass of half-Daked bodies
bounding toward me, long hair stream
ing, copper faces aglow, weapons gilt
tering In the light. Yes, ! saw more
the. meaning Of that fierce rush; the
instrument Of destruction they brough
with them. It was there in the center
of the maelstrom Of leaping figures,
protected by the grouped bodies, half
hidden by gesticulating red arms-a
huge log, borne irresistibly forward
on the shoulders Of twenty warriors,
gripped by other hands, and hurled
toward us as though swept Oh by a
human sea. Again and again fred
blindly into the yelping mob; I heard
the crack of Tins rife echoing mine,
and the chug of lead from without
striking the solid logs. . Bullets
ploughed crashing through the door
panels and Elsie's shrill screams Of
fright rang out above the unearthly
din. A slug tore through my loophole,
drawing blood, from my shoulder in
its passage, and Embedded itself in the
opposite wall. In front of me savagos
fell, staggering, screams Of anger and
agony mingling as the astonished as
sailants realized the fight before them.
An instant we held them, startled,
and demoralized. The warriors bear
ing the log stumbled over dead body
and went down, the great timber
crushing out another life as 1t fell.
Again we fired, this time straight into
their faces-but there was no stopping
them. A red blanket flashed back be-
yond the big tree; a cultural voice
shouted, its hoarse note rising above
the hellish uproar, and those demons
were on their feet again, filed with
new frenzy. 1t was a minute-no
more. With a blow that shook the
cabin, propelled by twenty strong
arms, the great tree butt struck,
splintering the oak wood as though it
were so much pine, and driving a
jagged hole clear through one panel.
Kennedy was there, blazing away d.
rectly into the assailants' eyes, and I
Joined him.
Again they struck, and again, the
jagged end Of their battering ram pro-
truded through the shattered wood.
We killed, but they were too many.
Once more the great butt came crash
ing forward, this time caving in the
entire door, bursting 1t back upon its
hinges. In through the opening the
red mob hurled itself, reckless Of death
or wounds, mad with the thirst for
victory; jam Of naked beasts, crazed
by the SBell Of blood-a wave Of
slaughter, crested with brandished
guns and CLEAN Of tomahawks.
There is nothing to remember
nothing but blows, curses, yells, the
crunch of steel on flesh, the horror Of
cruel eyes glowering into yours, the
clutching of fingers at your throat, the
spit of fire singeing you, the strain of
combat hand to hand-the knowledge
that it Is all over, except to die I
had no sense Of fear; no thought but
to kill and be killed. / felt within me
strength-desperate, insane strength.
The rifle butt Splintered in my hands,
but the bent and shapeless barrel rose
and fell: like fail. 1 saw it crush
against skulls; I jabbed it straight
into red faces! I brought it down with
all my force on clutching arms. For
an instant Tim was beside me. He
had lost his gun and was fighting with
a knife. 1t was only a glimpse I had
of him through red mist-the next in
stant he was gone. A huge fellow