Year: 1876

savages. Our hopes revived when we
heard the familiar cheer of our COM
rades, but dependency followed fast, for
we discovered that our wood was on fire.


The sharp cracking of the burning TINA
ber approached nearer and nearer with


awful rapidity, and we had to shift our
position. We crawled almost to the edge
of the wood, when we discovered that


the fiends had fred both sides. We


moved around until we found thick


cluster of what they call mulberry trees,


under which we crept, The grass on the


edge of this place was very green, and


as it had been raining little before and


there was no wind, when the fire APP


preached our hiding place it ran very


slowly, so that was enabled to smother


it with my gauntlet gloves. The fire


consumed all the underwood around us,


and was almost expended by this time.


There we were in a little oasis, sur


rounded by fire, but comparatively safe


from the element, and with the advan-


tage of seeing almost everything around


US without being seen. We could see


savages going backward and forward,


and one standing on the picket no more


than seventy or eighty yards from US.


evidently put there to watch the progress


of the fire. At about o'clock p. NJ.


this picket fred four pistol shots in the


air at regular intervals from each other,


which | interpreted as signal of some


kind. Soon after this fire we heard the


powerful voice of savage crying out,


making the same sound four times, and


after those two signals we saw 200 or


more savages leave the bluffs and ford


the river, evidently leaving the ground.


About one hour after the same double
signals were again repeated, and many
mounted Indians left at gallop. Soon


the remainder of those left on the bluffs


also retired.


Hope now revived, the musketry rat


tie ceased and only now and then we


could hear far-of shot. By o'clock


everything around us was apparently


quiet, and no evidence or signs of any
Indians were near us. We supposed the
regiment had left the field, and all that
remained for us to do was to wait for the
night and then pass the river and take
the route for sthe Yellowstone river, and


there construct raft and descend to the


mouth ofPowder river, our supply camp.


OF course during the SO hours we were
in suspense we had neither water nor
food at 10 o'clock P. M, we dropped
: ourselves into the river, the water reach
ing our waists, crossed it twice and then
carefully crawled up the bluffs and final
ly reached the broken, high country,
took our direction and slowly and eau
tiously proceeded southwark.


After marching two miles thought /
would go up a very high hill to look
around and see if we could discover any


signs of our command, and ON looking
around | saw fire on my left, and in
the direction where we supposed the
command was fighting during the day,
> probably two miles from us. OF course


we made two conjectures on this fret


might be an Indian fire and it might be


from our command. The only way to


ascertain was to approach it cautiously
and trust to chance Accordingly we


descended the hill, took the direction of


the fire, climbing another and another


hill we listened while and then pro-
: ceeded on for mile or more, when on


the top of hill we again stopped and
: listened. We could hear voices, but not
distinctly enough to tell whether they
! were savages or our command. We pro-
: ceeded a little further and heard the


bray of a mule, and soon after the dis


tinct voice of the sentry challenging
# with the familiar words. The challenge
r was not addressed to us, as we were too
e far off to be seen by the picket and it
t was too dark, but this gave us courage
+ to continue our course and approach,
S though carefully, lest we should run into
= some Indians again.


e We we're about 200 yards from the
g fire, and | resolved to call out to the
: picket and tell him who l was. / told
!, my companion to be ready to follow af-
: ter me, and when l had well surveyed
s the ground cried out, Picket, don't
: fire; it is Lieut. De Rudio and Private
r O'Neill." and started to run. We re-
e ceived an answer in a loud cheer from
4 all the members of the picket and Lieut..
] Varnum. This officer, one of our brav-
D est and most efficient, came at once to
e me and was very happy to see me again,
. after having counted me among the dead,
e and his JOY affected me so much that I
: entirely forgot the adventures of the
S thirty-six hours lust past. and was bannv