Racing in toward one another the Sioux, and the general and Sergeant Butler, seemed about to join. But the general and the sergeant were beating. They would arrive first. Good!
The Sioux were well within range. Their war-paint and their feathers showed plain. There were enough of them to ride over the little line of cavalry and trample it to death. Ned, revolver drawn as he knelt at the rear of the line, felt himself trembling, although he was not afraid. Out rang the voice of Lieutenant Tom.
“Let them have it!”
“Crash!” belched the fifteen carbines. And with smart rattle as chambers opened, closed, reloaded they belched again: “Crash!” Through the smoke Indian horsemen were reeling and falling, ponies were sprawling or galloping wildly; and away to either side were scampering the Sioux warriors.
“Bang! Bang-bang! Bang!” for the third time roared the carbines. “Hooray! Yah! Yah!” cheered loudly the soldiers. With answering cheer up raced at full speed the support of Captain Moylan. Breathing hard, his eyes blazing blue from his red burned face, the general also was arrived and eager.
“Prepare to fight on foot!” shouted Captain Moylan.
The Sioux were many; the soldiers few; but with the horses protected by a semi-circle of skirmishers they steadily fell back to the grove of the noonday nap. Yet even here matters might have gone hard—for these Sioux were determined fighters—had not appeared, coming on with cheers and guidons flying, four more companies of the Seventh, sent ahead by the wise General Stanley. And the Sioux galloped away.
The companies brought bad news. That morning, after the general had left, along the line of march had been found the lifeless bodies of Dr. Honzinger and Mr. Baliran, pierced by ball and by arrow. The two cronies had wandered, as customary, and must have been two miles from help when Indians—Sioux, of course—had struck them down.
Two soldiers also were killed, and another battle was fought—a longer, harder battle—with more Sioux, up the Yellowstone, before, the last week in September, the Seventh returned again to barracks.