Chapter 14

When the attackers retreated, the moans and groans started. I looked around and found a first aid kit, and started treating the wounded. Marty Stapleton soon followed me. Marty had been the best guy we had during our first aid classes. So, he naturally was thought of as our medic.

I quickly ran over to First Sergeant Draper. He was in bad shape, and I had a heck of a time trying to control the bleeding from his chest wounds. He also has a serious gash on his head. While I was bandaging him, one of the Boise troopers called out, “Here they come again.”

I scrambled and picked up an available rifle that was lying nearby. Checking the load, I took up a position. That’s when I noticed that the Indians weren’t approaching. Instead, they were on horseback, standing in the open, just outside of rifle range. That’s when I saw that one of them had bright yellow hair. It dawned on me that this was Sun Hair, a white Indian member of the Regiment and the Shoshone tribe.

I called out, “Captain Davis, hold your fire. These are friendlies.” As I said this, a bugle sounded Boots and Saddles. That’s when Colonel Anderson and a troop of Regimental riders came into view. They slowly rode up to our positions.

When Colonel Anderson arrived, Captain Davis stood and saluted. “Sir, you don’t know how glad I am to see you. My thanks for rescuing my command.”

Colonel Anderson returned the salute. “Don’t thank me, Captain. Thank these Shoshone warriors. When the Piutes saw them engaging, they broke and ran for the hills.”

As they were speaking, the medics spread out and started seeing to the wounded. The medic who joined me looked at Sergeant Draper’s wounds and then looked up at me. I could see that he knew it was bad. Sergeant Major Young joined us.

“Aaron,” he whispered, “How ya doin’, brother.”

Sergeant Draper looked up through pain-filled eyes. “It’s bad, Wayne. I can feel it” He gasped.

“It’s going be OK, Aaron, we’ll get you fixed up, and you’ll be back pushing troops in no time.” As he said this, he looked up to the medic. The medic closed his eyes and slowly shook his head.

Gasping through the pain, Sergeant Draper said, “Wayne, don’t bullshit me. I know my times up. Please do one thing for me” “Anything, Aaron, anything at all.”

“See to Peggy make sure her and the kids are OK. I’ve got some cash saved up, and that’ll keep her for a while.”

“Don’t worry about that, Aaron. We’ll see that she’s taken care of. Remember what I said before. Anything she wants, we’ll bring her and the kids to the Hacienda. She’ll want for nothing.”

Sergeant Draper was smiling as he reached up and grasped Young’s arm. He coughed, blood spraying from his lips, then fell back limp, his eyes staring blankly up to the sky.

Sergeant Major Young gently reached over and closed Sergeant Draper’s eyes, then bowed his head. For the rest of my life, I would never repeat to a soul that I saw tears trickling from his eyes.

Off to the side I heard a groan coming from the Indian that I had clubbed. “It looks like you have a prisoner there.” Colonel Anderson said. Sun Hair had ridden up behind the Colonel and looked closely at the prisoner. “Colonel Anderson, this is Rides Spotted Pony. He is the leader of the raiders.”

Colonel Anderson looked closer. “Really? It looks like you have quite the prize here, Captain.”

“I can’t take the credit for him, Colonel. This trooper here,” He pointed at me. “Took the prisoner.”

Sun Hair looked at me and then started rattling off to the prisoner in his language. At first, Rides Spotted Pony stared at him in disbelief. Then he looked at me, and that seemed to set him off. He started yelling and screaming and struggling against his ropes. All while Sun Hair and the other Shoshone warriors laughed.