The Kevin review. [volume] (Kevin, Mont.) 1922-1929, 1923-06-28

a short rest. Something prompte
him to have another look at the bul
falo herd. With amazement he dis
covered that the supposed buffal
were really a war party of Indians
They had seen him before he ha
recognized their character and wer
coming for him hot foot.
The Slow Blind Mule
To flee was impossible. The bin,
mule was no match for an Indial
pony. He determined to sell his lif'
as dearly as possible. He rode thu
mule to the highest accessible poin
of ground and took refuge among the
rocks. Around him on every side
were swarms of shouting, shooting
mountaineering painted savages
and every moment brought then
nearer to his place of retreat.
Could Never Forget
IF / should live to be a hundred
years old never will I forget the sen
sations of hat moment" said Dris-
coll in one of those rare instances in
which he was induced to discuss the
matter, "as n by one those Indians
approached my hiding place and be-
gan to circle around me as is their
custom"
Bang" went the soldiers rifle
and a Sioux Indian gave a death
Shrek and dropped in his tracks.
Bang" and another plunged for
ward as he an. An Indian bullet
thudded near him and the faithful
blind mule dropped dead. Mean
while the approaching warriors were
| ,ff0@;o- {hasr I1ooI oh;l1;nr xvh0nnc
waving their tomahawks and dane
ing like fiends as they advanced to
the attack.
Driscoll slipped away from the
rock and behind the dead body of
the mule. Lying on his stomach, he
took careful aim across the carcass
and determined to make every shot
count. He fired carefully, every bull
let finding a target in a painted
body. His unerring aim and rapid
ity of fire was too much for Indian
bravery to undertake a frontal at
tack, and the rocks protected him in
the Ia Besides, being Indians,
they were resourceful and felt that
their end could be accomplished just
as effectually and without loss, by
burning him out. So they set fire
to the grass. The storm of the night
before had soaked the vegetation and
the grass burned slowly and with a
dense smoke.
The young soldier, who knew more
about climbing a ships rigging than
he did about frontier warfare tao
tics, was a quick thinker. When the
smoke became dense he wriggled
away on his stomach from his rocks
and made his way into the midst of
the smoke pillows. The attack had
lasted nearly all day. When Dris-
coll broke from the smoke ove on
the edge of a small stream it was al
ready night. Unmindful of chuck
holes and of the icy water he plunged
into the stream and Travelled all
night. Since he had left the beleag-
uered detachment SO precious hours
had elapsed, all of which time he
had been either travelling or fight
ing. When daylight broke he found
himself almost within the confines of
an Indian camp. His approach caus-
ed an alarm by the dogs and the In
dams came for him pell-mell with
their weapons in their hands. Dris-
coll Immediately took cover. The
braves opened fire. Driscoll return
ed it, picking a mark and hitting it
each time he fired. An Indian bullet
wounded him in the foot but did not
interrupt his fire. He fired so rapid
ly, shifting his position after each
shot, that the Indians were Impress
ed with the thought that there were
in his party. Being unable
TO hit him and afraid to rush an UNI
known number, they withdrew. With
the withdrawal of the Indians, Dris-
coll, now crawling, now limping,
attempting a staggering run,
for the Backbone mountains,
rom the top of which he expected to
.ocate the fort. He arrived at his
destination after a heart breaking
struggle. He could not discern the
been sounded. The flag had been :
owered. Driscoll, somewhat bewild- =
cred, struggled onward. Presently I,
le struck a well beaten trail. He !
recognized it as the wood road to the :
ort. :
Falls Senseless on Trail :
He had been 48 hours on the road
w Ou1S WlLnOuL olCCPs 1hO
oy at having accomplished SO much
# his journey, his fatigue and the
oss of blood from his wound which
ad received no attention since 1t
vas inflicted 10 hours before, was
much for him. He fell s~enseless
n the trail. A wood party from the
ort came upon the body. Among the
len was Nelson Story, ST., of Boze-
ian, now one of Montana's most dis
Inguished pioneers. He 1T was who
licked up the young soldier and bore
i'm to the fort. When Driscoll re-
aimed consciousness, according to
Army Life on the Palms." by Fran
IS Darlington, his first words were:
Has Major Burt received his dis
and then HAS the relief
arty gomez" He exclaimed in a
way, Where am II" On
told that he was at the fort,
3 said %fervently. THANK God I
too late" and relapsed into II,
consciousness. Isl
til
Six Weeks in Hospital m,
AS a result of the hardshfps he 81