Dreams of a Kitten by Edward Drobinski - HTML preview

Dreams of a Kitten

Page 388

troopers into the southern end of the village. Custer mistakenly

believed that the Indians were trying to escape. But the Indians

were not fleeing. Instead, Reno quickly rode into a growing

number of counterattacking warriors. The troopers halted,

dismounted, and formed a skirmish line, then watched in dismay

as hundreds of Indians, some mounted and others on foot, began

to outflank them. In less than an hour of heavy fighting, the

soldiers were in danger of being surrounded. Bloody Knife,

standing next to Reno, was struck in the head, spraying the

major with blood and brains. In shock, Reno panicked, issued

wildly confusing orders, and ran for it. No retreat order was

passed to the troopers, but as he desperately mounted his horse

to flee, Reno shouted, “Any of you men who wish to live, make

your escape—follow me!”

The uncoordinated rush back to the river was total chaos. The

soldiers drove their horses into the water, crossed the river,

and clawed their way up the steep 100 foot bluffs on the other

side. The Indians, riding on their flanks, poured a withering

fire into the wildly retreating soldiers. Some 80 troopers,

including 13 wounded, managed to get to the top. Seventeen

others were left in the woods. Thirty of Reno’s men were killed

initially, and another 27 died in the fighting. Reno