Wellington's Quest by Robert F. Clifton (best books to read now .TXT) 📕

General Sibley called a halt to the column. The place he had chosen to stop was a piece of flat land surround by elevated grassy knolls. On some of the knolls tall, barley grass grew, other hills supported wild flowers. The troopers had just dismounted when the scouts rode in and reported to the General. Soon, word filtered back through the ranks that a large group of Indians were in the area.

Orders then came for the units to make camp. Jim removed the tack from the Cayuse and the pack from the mule. He then rubbed down both animals with batches of dry grass. He was almost finished when Abner Dooley walked up to him. “You must have found something”, said Jim.

“Yep, plenty of sign. Grass cropped by a lot of ponies. Horse shit, unshod hoof prints. They're near alright”, said Abner.

“Then there will be a fight”, said Jim.

“That's why we came here”, Abner responded.

“I wonder when they'll come?', asked Jim.

“They're already here. Up there a top of them mounds. Most of em are looking down on us from that big hill yonder”, said Abner pointing to the highest elevation in the area.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the bugler blowing officers call. Abner looked at Jim. “I see you carry that Colt revolver. Do you know how to use it?”, he asked.

“Enough. Never shot or killed a man tho”, Jim answered.

“That might change today. When the fur starts to fly you stay close to me. Better load that carbine of yours”, suggested Dooley.

Two hours later three Sioux warriors approached the Volunteer's camp. One led a horse pulling a travois. On the litter was a young man who appeared to be either sick or injured. The third man carried an old,

flintlock musket. Seeing what appeared to be a sick or injured Sioux the Officer Of The Day called for an Army doctor.

The doctor arrived carrying his medical bag and as he approached the man on the travois the Sioux holding the musket leveled it at the doctor and fired. With that the Battle of Big Mound was on. From the top of the surrounding knolls the Sioux began a fusillade of rifle fire, firing volley after volley into the camp below. Troopers ran for cover. Officers and non-coms shouted orders. Others peered up to the top of the hills looking for targets. Soon the Volunteers noticed the tell-tale white smoke emitted from burnt gunpowder on the ridges and within minutes began returning fire.

Jim saw several troopers wounded and the injured began calling out for help. Stretcher barriers arrived and began carrying those who could not walk, heading for a place that was safe from the rifle fire directed at the camp. Then, he heard the bugle call for “Boots And Saddles”. Soon, the troopers and scouts were mounted and moving as General Sibley quickly moved out of camp enforce. Next, he heard the bugle sound “Charge” and the sound resonated in the summer air as the Minnesota Volunteer's charged up the rising ground firing as they went.

The Sioux bolted and ran.

It was dark when the Calvary returned to camp. Jim saw Abner attending to his horse. He walked up to Dooley and asked, “How did it go?”

“Depends how you look at it. We found ten dead Sioux. I heard that we took twenty casualties. Don't know if that means wounded, dead or dying”, Abner answered.

“Only ten?”, asked Jim.

“Yep. Chased them for miles until it got too dark. Knowing the General he'll be up and ready to go after them bright and early”, Abner answered.

“Can I go with you?”, asked Jim

Abner looked at Jim for a moment. “Do you know what you're getting yourself into?”, he asked.

“Yes and it's better than sitting around back here”, Jim responded.

“Alright, it don't matter to me none. Put your Cayuse and mule next to my horse and move your gear to my camp site. Then, we'll have some supper. While you're doing that I'll put the coffee pot on the fire”, said Abner.

Chapter Six

Dead Buffalo Lake

The next morning Abner and Jim rode out on to the prairie, moving at times through tall yellow-orange colored grass. There was a dark sky just before the early morning dawn. Far in the distance in the increasing daylight Jim saw trees growing on a hillside. A few, scattered buffalo grazed near a small creek.

“Do you think we'll find them Abner?”

Abner brought his horse to a halt. He turned to Jim and in a loud whisper said,”First thing you got to learn is to keep your mouth shut when you're out here like we are. Man's voice can carry. The Sioux ain't stupid. They put out scouts just like we do. Fact is, that's how we learned how to do it years ago. If you got to talk keep it like a whisper, just like I'm talking now”.

“Sorry”, Jim replied.

Abner got his mount moving again. Jim watched the man at work.

The scout looked at everything, the grass, branches on bushes, wild flowers. From time to time he would stop, look and smell the air.

“What are you trying to smell?”, asked Jim in a hoarse whisper.

“Indian going into battle will paint himself and his pony. Most times they use animal fat mixed with either clay or berry juice. The fat gets old and rancid. There are times when the smell of rancid fat is carried on the wind”, Abner explained.

“Have you smelled anything yet?

“Yep, but I figured it's either your dirty ass or mine”, said Abner with a laugh.

As the early morning hours passed Abner crisscrossed the ground before him, looking, searching. He stopped his horse and sitting in the saddle said, “I got me a feelin that tho I can't see em or smell em they're about. I think we'll head west, go up towards Dead Buffalo Lake. If there's a large war party, that's where they'll be. They're full of piss and vinegar right now. I expect them there Tetons Sioux to join up with the Santee. That be the case both tribes probably moved their villages, bringing wives, children and old one's with them. Result is that they need a good supply of water. Need it for themselves, their horses and dogs”, said Abner

The two men headed west riding over and around rolling hills, some with scattered, stunted pines growing among the green and yellow grass and wild flowers. Shortly afternoon Abner stopped his horse and in a husky whisper said, “Bout time we took a break. Rest the animals. We'll make a cold camp. It will be jerky, hardtack and water for lunch”.

Jim climbed down from the Cayuse then reached for his saddle bag containing his provision for the day.

“Damn it! Let me tell you something. Out here and in this job when you dismount the first thing you reach for is your carbine. If it ain't loaded then it sure as hell should be. Now, take that rifle out of the saddle scabbard. Next, loosen that Colt on your hip so you can draw quick like if it need be”, ordered Dooley.

He did what he was told, but Jim sat somewhat embarrassed as he sat with the carbine across his knees as he chewed a piece of beef jerky.

Abner was quiet as he ate. He took a swig of water from his canteen and said softly, “Don't look at the top of the mound behind us, but any time now two or three Sioux will be coming at us. Cock the hammer on your carbine and get ready. Once you fire that carbine go for your revolver and for my sake don't get excited and shoot me in the ass”.

Moving very slowly Jim drew back the hammer of the Springfield then checked the looseness of the Colt in his holster one more time. When he did a sudden chill went up his spine as the screaming war cries of three Sioux warriors charging down the hill reached his ears.

In an instant Abner was up, on his feet and turned towards the attackers. A shot from the carbine he held in his hands hit the first warrior high in the chest. The sixty nine caliber ball exited out of the Indians back, taking blood, flesh and bone. The second Sioux heading for Jim was met with a ball that struck him just under the nose. Jim watched in horror as the fighter's face disappeared in a burst of blood, blood that flew in all directions, just like the top of the Tetons Brave's head.

Abner drew the revolver from the holster on his hip and drew back the hammer. The third Sioux combatant stopped.

“Quit! “Shouted Dooley, fluent in the Sioux language.

The Indian dropped the war club he held in his hand.

Speaking again in fluent Sioux Abner said, “You are now a captive,

I take you now back where the Army is camped. What is your name?”

“Hehaka Sapa”, the prisoner answered.

“Says his name's Black Elk. Where are the Lakota?”, Abner asked.

“Mni Tanka”, answered the warrior.

“Just as I figured. The tribes are at Dead Buffalo Lake”, Dooley said to Jim.

“How come he's being so co-operative?”, asked Jim.

“He's scared. Keeps looking at the one you shot in the face. That dead man has no eyes. To him that means the dead warrior can't see in the hereafter. If he can't see he can't hunt there. So Black Elk here is afraid you'll do the same to him”, Abner explained.

“Well, what are we going to do?”, asked Jim.

“I'm going to tie the son of a bitch up so we can take him back with us. While I'm doing that you go over the hill. They probably hobbled their horses. Let two go and bring one horse back. Then, we'll get the hell out of here just in case some other friends of this one heard the sound of rifle shots and comes to take a look see”.

On the ride back to where the Army camped Jim watched the mounted Indian riding with his hands tied behind his back. He rode the pony just by using his knees and uttering low sounding verbal commands.

“I'll say one thing. This man can sure ride a horse”, said Jim.

“The Sioux and Cheyenne are great with horses. Nonetheless, the best be the Comanche and that's not just my opinion”,said Abner.

“Tell me, how did you know they were behind you?”,asked Jim

“I sat with the sun at my back. Saw one of them cast a shadow when he raised his head a watching us”.

“Do you think he knows anything about Virginia and Matosapa?”

“I'll ask him. We'll either get a I don't know or a lie, but I'll ask him. Turning his head and looking at the Sioux Abner said in Lakota, “I want to know about a white woman with yellow hair with a war chief, Manosapa

The warrior sat in silence staring straight ahead.

“Nothin. He ain't talking. Probably don't know nothin him being a Tetons Sioux and Manospa being a Santee”, Abner explained.

“For damn sure one of these bastards know something”, said Jim.

“Yep, but right now General Sibley will want to know how many Sioux are camped on Dead Buffalo Lake”, Abner replied.

“Won't those dead bodies we left back there be a warning to those camped at the lake?”, asked Jim.

“Yep. Cept they got their dander up long before today. Dead bodies just going to get their blood to boiling and the young men will be itchin to go into battle. Young braves will be looking for honors in combat”.

The two men rode into camp, turned over their prisoner and reported what had happened up near Dead Buffalo Lake.

That evening the two men shared a supper of salt pork, beans and hardtack, all washed down with hot cups of black coffee. As they sat talking before the fire that was slowly dying out a tall man walked into