Red Plume — page 86: what you’re looking at

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

86: - -'RED PLUME. The pacific. Néz Percés occupied themselves in endeavoring to collect their horses, which had been stampeded at the com- mencement, of the fight. ~The white men did not overtake the flying Blackfeet, until the latter had safely reached their camp, which, as has been stated, was located in a valley by the side of a small river. Advancing up the valley they. found their way obstructed by a rude sort of breastwork of logs, brushwood and earth, which the Indians had hastily thrown up, as a defense against attack. Behind . this the Blackfeet.Jay and waited for them, and greeted them, on their approa ( with a, vigorous discharge of of arrows and. fusees. . Including those who had been left at the camp, the Indians then numbered about one hundred and fifty, while there were only eighty of the whites, As the odds were not to be counted, if the enemy could be got at, Captain Steele ordered hig,men_to dismount, to picket their horses well in the rear, to take such cover as they could find, and adyance against the breastwork as they chose. The position was as follows: The breastwork that fronted the white men was at the narrowest part of the heavily timbered plain, closed in on the right by the river, and on the left by a wooded bluff. ; As there was plenty of cover, the men were able to push up within good range of the breastwork, and to’ deliver their fire with good precision, but without much effect, while they were continually annoyed by the missiles of their antagonists. This was too. slow. work for Captain Steele, especially as it was now night, although the moon was shining, and it’ was possible that the Blackfeet might escape under cover of the night, It was necessary to turn the enemy’s position. Accordingly, he ordered twenty-five picked men to ford the ‘river, make a détour, recross at a point above the village, and fall upon. the rear of the Blackfeet, while he would keep them occupied in front. In less than an hour, the rifles of the picked party. and a commotion among the Indians before him, told that the at- tack had been made, end the men under his command charged the. breastworks with a yell. _ At the same time, shots were heard from an unexpected direction, from the bluff at the left. | * + \ q comicbookks.comm