Then, with a
magnificent gesture of the hand, he waved them on and, accompanied by
only two young riders, rode swiftly away to a little swell of the
prairie just out of range of the carbines, and there took his station to
supervise the attack.
"Damn him!" growled old Winsor. "He's no charger like Crazy Horse. He's
a Sitting Bull breed of general--like some we had in Virginia," he
added, between his set teeth, but Ray heard and grinned in silent
appreciation. "Set your sights and give 'em their first volley as they
reach that scorched line," he called to the men along the northward
front, and pointed to a stretch of prairie where the dry grass had
lately been burned away. "Five hundred yards will do it. Then aim low
when they rush closer in."
"Look at the middle tooth, captain," came the sudden hail from his left.
"Mirror flashes! See!" It was Field who spoke, and life and vim had
returned to his voice and color to his face. He was pointing eagerly
toward the highest of the knobs, where, all on a sudden, dazzling little
beams of light shot forth toward the Indians in the lowlands, tipping
the war bonnet and lance of many a brave with dancing fire. Whatever
their purport, the signals seemed ignored by the Sioux, for presently
two riders came sweeping down the long slope, straight for the point
where sat Red Fox, as, for want of other name, we must for the present
call him--who, for his part, shading his eyes with his hand, sat gazing
toward the westward side of his warrior circle, evidently awaiting some
demonstration there before giving signal for action elsewhere.
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