In Barracks and Wigwam — page 171: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a a | GA a ee ‘ A Gallant Defense. 161 No time was lost in executing this order. Harris was dead, and the body was left where it had fallen. The two wounded, Bent and Hiester, were picked up as tender- ly as the hurried flight would permit. Led by Dawnay, the little handful of troopers plunged into the tangle of stones and bushes to the right of the stream and scrambled in hot haste for the cliff. The ambushed Indians were now tumbling out of cover twenty feet up the valley, and half a hundred yelling braves were swarming forward from the opposite direc- tion. ‘The abandoned horses were galloping this way and that through the scattering curls of smoke. Linn and the trumpeter had halted on the edge of the bushes, and they took in the situation at a glance. Each fired three or four shots out of his carbine at the ap-: proaching foes, and then they turned and vanished in the thicket. For the present they were safe, though the bullets ) whistled thickly around them. With great strides, they leaped over stones and through the scrub, and overtook their comrades at the base of the cliff. For ten feet up to the place of shelter the rock was sloping and afforded plenty of footholds. Private Dawnay had already climbed to the ledge, and without a thought of personal danger, he leaned down and took hold of the two wounded men as they were pushed up to him. : Meanwhile the fire of the Indians had ceased, and they did not seem to be making much of an effort to pursue. As yet they had not observed the ledge, nor did they suspect the purpose of the troopers. Evidently they be- lieved that the little party were making a last stand in the bushes, and could be picked off and slaughtered at leisure. So, with Dawnay’s aid, the two wounded men were hauled 0 to the idee and put out of harm’ sway. Then =") <s i wy comicbooks.co ois mt co i ha ob Rom td ROS AR Cela nen aC ih Si Pan