leofyearsbeforehewouldnaturallyhavebeenputonhalf-payundertheagelimit,alittleexpeditionwasarrangedagainstsomeunrulyhill-tribes,andColonelParsonswasgiventhecommand.Hetooktheenemybysurprise,findingthematthefootofthehills,andcutoff,bymeansofflankingbodies,theirretreatthroughthetwopassesbehind.Heplacedhisgunsonalineofhillockstotheright,andheldthetribesmeninthehollowofhishand.Hecouldhavemassacredthemall,butnothingwasfartherfromhisthoughts.Hesummonedthemtosurrender,andtowardseveningtheheadmencameinandagreedtogiveuptheirriflesnextdaythenightwascold,anddark,andstormy.ThegoodColonelwasdelightedwiththesuccessbothofhisstratagemandofhishumanity.Hehadnotshedasingledropofblood.
"Treatthemwell,"hesaid,"andthey'lltreatyoubetter."
HeactedlikeagentlemanandaChristianbuttheenemywereneither.Heneverdreamedthathewasbeingcompletelyoverreached,thatthenativeswereusingthedelayhehadunsuspectinglygrantedtosendoverthehillsurgentmessagesforhelp.Throughthenightarmedmenhadbeencomingstealthily,silently,fromallsidesandintheearlymorning,beforedawn,hisflankingpartieswereattacked.ColonelParsons,ratherastonished,sentthemhelp,andthinkinghimselfstillsuperiorinnumberstotherebellioustribesmen,attackedtheirmainbody.Theywantednothingbetter.Fallingbackslowly,theydrewhimintothemountaindefilesuntilhefoundhimselfentrapped.Hislittleforcewassurrounded.Fivehourswerepassedinalmostblindconfusionmenwereshotdownlikefliesbyanenemytheycouldnotseeandwhen,bydesperatefighting,theymanagedtocuttheirwayout,fiftywerekilledandoverahundredmorewerewounded.
ColonelParsonsescapedwithonlytheremnantsofthefineforcehehadcommanded,andtheywerenerveless,broken,almostpanic-stricken.Hewasobligedtoretreat.TheColonelwasabravemanhedidwhathecouldtopreventthemarchfrombecomingadisorderlyrout.Hegatheredhismentogether,putcourageintothem,riskedhislifeadozentimesbutnothingcoulddisguisethefactthath