The war-cry "How-ow-owgh-aloo-oo!" uttered loudly from a hundred
throats, comes pealing down the valley. Its fiendish notes, coupled
with the demon-like forms that give utterance, to them, are well
calculated to quail the stoutest heart. Ours are not without fear.
Though we know that the danger is not immediate, there is a significance
in the tones of that wild slogan. They express more than the usual
hostility of red to white--they breathe a spirit of vengeance. The
gestures of menace--the brandished spears, and bended bows--the
war-clubs waving in the air--are all signs of the excited anger of the
Indians. Blood has been spilled--perhaps the blood of some of their
chosen warriors--and ours will be sought to a certainty. We perceive no
signs of a pacific intent--no semblance that would lead us to hope for
mercy. The foe is bent on our destruction. He rushes forward to kill!
I have said that the danger was not immediate. I did not conceive it
so. My conception was based upon experience. I had met the prairie
Indians before--in the south; but north or south, I knew that their
tactics were the same. It is a mistake to suppose that these savages
rush recklessly upon death. Only when their enemy is far inferior to
them in numbers--or otherwise an under-match--will they advance boldly
to the fight. They will do this in an attack upon Mexicans, whose
prowess they despise; or sometimes in a conflict with their own kind--
when stimulated by warrior pride, and the promptings of the tribal
vendetta. On other occasions, they are sufficiently careful of their
skins--more especially in an encounter with the white trappers, or even
travellers who tenter the prairies from the east. Of all other weapons,
they dread the long rifle of the hunter. It is only after stratagem has
failed--when _do or die_ becomes a necessity--that the horse-Indian can
bring himself to charge forward upon the glistening barrel. The mere
hope of plunder will not tempt even the boldest of red-skinned robbers
within the circle of a rifle's range. They all know from experience the
deadliness of its aim.
Most probably plunder had been their motive for attacking the train; but
their victims could only have been some straggling unfortunates, too
confident in their security. These had not succumbed without a
struggle. The death of all of them proved this: since not a prisoner
appeared to have been taken. Further evidence of it was seen upon the
sward; for as the crowd scattered, I observed through, the glass several
corpses that were not those of white men. The robbers, though
victorious, had suffered severely: hence the vengeful yells with which
they were charging down upon us. With all their menace both of signs
and sounds, I had no fear of their charging; up the mound, nor yet to
its base. There were fifty yards around it within range of our guns;
and the first who should venture within this circle would not be likely
to go forth from it alive.
"Not a shot is to be fired, till you are sure of hitting! Do not one of
you pull trigger, till you have sighted your man!" This was the order
passed around. On the skill of my comrades I could confide--on
Sure-shot with all the certainty which his _soubriquet_ expressed; and I
had seen enough of the young hunter, to know how he handled his rifle.
About the Irishman alone was there a doubt--only of his coolness and his
aim--of his courage there was none. In this, the infantry was perhaps
equal to any of us.
The words of caution had scarcely parted from my lips, when the enemy
came galloping up. Their yelling grew louder as they advanced; and its
echoes, ringing from the rocks, appeared to double the number of their
wild vociferations. We could only hear one another by calling out at
the top of our voices. But we had little to say. The time for talking
had expired: that of action had arrived. On come the whooping; savages,
horrid to behold: their faces, arms, and bodies frightfully painted,
each after his own device, and all as hideous as savage conception can
suggest. The visages of bears, wolves, and other fierce animals, are
depicted on their breasts and shields--with the still more horrid
emblems of the death's head, the cross-bones, and the red-hand. Even
their horses are covered with similar devices--stained upon their skins
in ochre, charcoal, and vermilion! The sight is too fearful to be
fantastic. On they come, uttering their wild "Howgh-owgh-aloo!"
brandishing their various weapons, and making their shields of
_parfleche_ rattle by repeated strokes against their clubs and spears--
on comes the angry avalanche!
They are within a hundred yards of the butte. For a moment we are in
doubt. If they charge up the declivity, we are lost men. We may shoot
down the foremost; but they are twenty to one. In a hand-to-hand
struggle, we shall be overwhelmed--killed or captured--in less than
sixty seconds of time!
"Hold your fire!" I cried, seeing my comrades lie with their cheeks
against their guns; "not yet! only two at a time--but not yet! Ha! as I
expected."
And just as I had expected, the wild ruck came to a halt--those in the
lead drawing up their horses, as suddenly as if they had arrived upon
the edge of a precipice! They had come to a stand just in the nick of
time. Had they advanced but five paces further, at least two of their
number would have tumbled out of their saddles. Sure-shot and I had
each selected our man, and agreed upon the signal to fire. The others
were ready to follow. All four barrels resting over the rampart had
caught the eyes of the Indians. A glance at the glistening tubes was
sufficient. True to their old tactics, it was the sight of these that
had halted them!