| Show Do that was the gruff reply Andy went to work in the fields the days dragged uneventfully along job he only slightly enjoyed He had joined the Minute Men to fight Indians not hoe corn and there were times when he was tempted and put distance between himself and the fort Anderson seemed this so he offered some unsolicited advice Ye gotnice head of hair son here where we can look after and to mount up to suspect Take care of it an stay right ye Look after me Andy shouted donneed you or anyone else Anderson ignored Andyanger as he walked away After that the younger men with whom Andy associated helped him to break the monotony as they all appeared to take the problems of this Tonesome primeval Black Hawk land broke in stride the monotony Cattle from south Sanpete were rounded up one dark into the mountains and by daybreak the Minute Men were suspecting that Black Hawk would be waiting for them night and driven out in number never Taken completely by surprise innarrow canyon the Minute Men fought an elusive horde of blood-crazed Indians who utilized every rock and brush in their vicious attack Quickly realizing that he was greatly outnumbered and that he would undoubtedly lose his entire command should the Indians seal off the mouth of the canyon Lyons orderedhasty retreat The retreat becamedisorderly rout with the enemy firing from ambush In the thick of it Andy was getting his first introduction to warfare with an enemy he couldneven see He rode hard the sound of battle and the disorganized retreat swelling up all around him The pandemonium created by screaming horses pounding hooves and screaming angry men together with volley after volley of gunfire from the hillside seemed to freeze him and humble his thinking Try as he did to keep well within the body of men and horses he was gradually forced to the more dangerous outer edge and when he felt his horse shudder and stumble he instinctively threw himself from the saddle With his last conscious effort he rolled clear and into the shadow of an overhang Darkness came quickly withstabbing pain in his head Andy raised his head andsick dizziness swept over him He lay back while the canyon rolled grotesquely The battle That was months ago wasnit Weeks Days The canyon was wrapped inhaunting silence that seemed to emphasizehorror that was butnightmarish dream with spasms of realism Throughtantalizing mist he noted that the overhang afforded him adequate protection from gunners on the sidehill He had only to fearfrontal attack from the canyon floor |
