d food they still had in abundance, but ammunition was running
low. The men thrust their hot rifles into the nearest tub, and laughed
at Finnegan's loud claim for a patent on "K" Company's way of "bilin'
wather." Sheltered by the bales and barricades, the women and children
crouched unharmed. Corporal Sweeny, who had "swarmed" up a ladder to the
garret, in defiance of shots that tore through the flimsy woodwork,
called down the scuttle-hole that "the fellers must be comin' from the
fort--there's Indians gallopin' back by the dozens!" And Sweeny was
right, and his words carried cheer when cheer was needed, for now began
the supreme effort of the redmen, and in one magnificent, yelling,
streaming, lance-waving circumference they seemed to spring into view
from every conceivable point of the compass, still a good thousand yards
away from the threatened center, and, slowly at first, brandishing arms,
beating shields, shouting encouragement and vengeance, they bore
steadily inward, a slowly diminishing periphery, until they seemed
almost to join for some barbaric "all hands round." Then, at sudden
signal, unseen, unheard at the agency, all of the eastward semi-circle
broke instantly into a mad race for the center, the dust and turf flying
from the ponies' heels, the feathered crests and painted forms bending
flat over the outstretched necks of the darting steeds, plumes, pennons,
war-bonnets streaming in the wind, and every warrior screeching in
shrill rage and exultation. To right and left at the same instant the
westward warriors broke away, so as to avoid the rush and shots from the
selected front, and then, rallying north and south, they, too, rode
again into line in time to attack so soon as the first grand assault
should sweep by. A gorgeous sight it was to see Black Wolf's chosen
braves, a tremendous torrent of savage war, but Ray and his men gave no
heed to its grandeur. The sharp, spiteful bark of the low-aimed rifles
began the instant the foremost warriors came bounding across the road to
the railway, Ray's five-hundred-yard mark, and here and there as the red
surge came rushing on, a pony went down, a warrior was hurled to the
plain, but up, and by, and beyond, with terrific clash and clamor, the
yelling horde whirled past the fire-jetting walls; and out upon the
westward prairie a keen old fighter saw that certain ponies, riderless,
went loping after their fellows, and so shouted a word to Ray. "They've
dropped a f