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Armstrong Subero

Programming Microcontrollers with

Python
Experience the Power of Embedded Python
1st ed.
Armstrong Subero
Basse Terre, Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago

Any source code or other supplementary material referenced by the

author in this book is available to readers on GitHub via the book’s
product page, located at www.​apress.​com/​978-1-4842-7057-8. For
more detailed information, please visit http://​www.​apress.​com/​
source-code.

ISBN 978-1-4842-7057-8 e-ISBN 978-1-4842-7058-5

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-7058-5

© Armstrong Subero 2021

This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively
licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is
concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of
illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in
any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and
retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or
dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed.

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks,

service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the
absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the
relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general
use.

The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the
advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate
at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the
editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the
material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have
been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional
claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This Apress imprint is published by the registered company APress

Media, LLC part of Springer Nature.
The registered company address is: 1 New York Plaza, New York, NY
10004, U.S.A.
To all those who tinker to keep the world running
Acknowledgments
I want to thank my family.
I want to thank everyone who ever said anything positive to me or
taught me something. I heard it all, and it meant something.
I want to thank God most of all, because without God I wouldn’t be
able to do any of this.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1:​Getting Ready
Introduction to Microcontrollers​
Firmware, Memory, and Clock Speed
8-Bit vs.​32-Bit
Microcontroller Programming Languages
Assembly Language
C
C++
BASIC
Rust
Python
Selecting a Development Board
Adafruit Metro M0 Express
Adafruit Feather M0 Express
Adafruit Metro M4 Express
Adafruit Grand Central M4 Express
The Arduino Zero
The STM32F746ZG Nucleo
Device Comparison
The Component List
The Mu Editor
Other Serial Communication Tools
Setting Up Your Own Board
Conclusion
Chapter 2:​Electronics Primer
 Electrical Wires
The Breadboard
Electronic Schematics
Passive Components
Resistors
Capacitors
Polarized Capacitors
Non-polarized Capacitors
Capacitor Schematic Symbols
Inductors
Semiconductors
Diode
Light-Emitting Diode
Transistor
Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors
Integrated Circuits
Digital Logic
Logic Level Conversion
Flip-Flop
Registers and the Shift Register
Multiplexers and Demultiplexers
Conclusion
Chapter 3:​Embedded Systems Overview
An Overview of Embedded Systems
Microcontroller vs.​Application Processor
Embedded Systems Structure
The Hardware System
The Software System
The Toolchain
Software Testing
Embedded Software Architecture
The Driver Layer
Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL)
Board Support Package (BSP)
Middleware
Software Framework
Code Generator
Platform
Embedded Systems Constraints
Cost
Performance
Energy Budget
Embedded Systems Classification
Small-Scale Systems
Medium-Scale Systems
High-Performance Systems
Distributed Embedded Systems
Seven Steps to Developing an Embedded Product
Step 1:​Idea Creation
Step 2:​Requirements Specifications
Step 3:​Functional Design
Step 4:​Rapid Prototyping
 Step 5:​Testing
Step 6:​Securing Your System
Step 7:​Bringing to Market
Conclusion
Chapter 4:​Python Programming
Writing Python Programs
Whitespace
Comments
Variables and Constants
Data Types
Operators
Lists
Tuples
If Statement
else Statement
elif Statement
short if
for Loop
while Loop
Functions
Lambda Functions
Exception Handling
Object-Oriented Programming
Random and Time
Python vs.​CircuitPython
How Does My Python Program Run?​
 Conclusion
Chapter 5:​Digital Control
I/​O Pins
Output and Input on Microcontroller Hardware
Going Deeper into Microcontroller I/​O
Using Output:​Lighting an LED
LED Control
Building the Circuit
Lighting an LED with CircuitPython
Blinking an LED
Using Input:​Adding a Pushbutton
Pull-Up vs.​Pull-Down Resistors
Switch Debouncing
Input with MCU Schematic (Pull-Up)
Pushbutton Pull-Up Circuit Connection Tips
Pushbutton Pull-Up with CircuitPython Program
Input with MCU Schematic (Pull-Down)
Pushbutton Pull-Down Circuit Connection Tips
Pushbutton Pull-Down with CircuitPython Program
Conclusion
Chapter 6:​Data Conversion
Analog to Digital Conversion
ADC Hardware
Going Deeper into ADC
The Potentiometer
Analog to Digital Conversion in CircuitPython
 ADC with MCU Schematic
ADC Circuit Connection Tips
CircuitPython with Potentiometer Program
Photoresistor
Photoresistor with MCU Schematic
Photoresistor Circuit Connection Tips
Photoresistor with CircuitPython Program
Temperature Sensor
Temperature Sensor with MCU Schematic
Temperature Sensor Circuit Connection Tips
Temperature Sensor with CircuitPython Program
Conclusion
Chapter 7:​Communication Protocols
Microcontroller Communications
USART Communications
Deeper into UART
UART in CircuitPython
USB-UART with MCU Schematic
MCU with USB-UART Circuit Connection Tips
UART with CircuitPython Program
SPI Communications
Deeper into SPI
SPI Circuit Connection
SPI with CircuitPython Program
I2C Communications
Deeper into I2C
 I2C Support in CircuitPython
The MPU6050
I2C with MCU Schematic
I2C Circuit Connection Tips
I2C with CircuitPython Program
Adding Libraries
MPU6050 with CircuitPython Program
Conclusion
Chapter 8:​Display Interfacing
The Liquid Crystal Display
Using a GLCD
Monochrome GLCD Schematic
PCD8544 with CircuitPython
Troubleshooting
The Framebuffer
OLED
Using an OLED
MCU with OLED Schematic
CircuitPython with OLED Program
Conclusion
Chapter 9:​Controlling DC Actuators
DC Motors
Driving DC Motors
Pulse Width Modulation
PWM in CircuitPython
PWM with CircuitPython Program
 Controlling Motor Speed
The H-Bridge
H-Bridge with MCU Schematic
H-Bridge with CircuitPython Program
Servo Motors
Servo Motors in CircuitPython
Servo Motor with MCU Schematic
Servo Motor with CircuitPython Program
Stepper Motors
Stepper Motors in CircuitPython
Stepper Motor with MCU Schematic
Stepper Motor with CircuitPython Program
Conclusion
Chapter 10:​Python MCU Interfacing
RGB LED
RGB LED with MCU Schematic
RGB LED Circuit Connection Tips
Libraries We’ll Need
RGB LED with CircuitPython Program
HC-SR04
HC-SR04 with MCU Schematic
HC-SR04 Circuit Connection Tips
Libraries We’ll Need
HC-SR04 with CircuitPython Program
Piezo Speaker
Piezo with MCU Schematic
 Piezo Circuit Connection Tips
Libraries We’ll Need
Piezo with CircuitPython Program
DHT11
DHT11 with MCU Schematic
DHT11 Sensor Circuit Connection Tips
Libraries We’ll Need
DHT11 Sensor with CircuitPython Program
Conclusion
Index
About the Author
Armstrong Subero
started learning electronics at the age of 8. One of the happiest
memories in his childhood was when he finally figured out how to
make a light bulb. It took off from there as he taught himself more
advanced topics in electronics, before delving into computer
architecture, and eventually discovering the joys of microcontrollers
and FPGAs.
He currently works for the Ministry of National Security in his
country; writes software; designs circuits, courses, and robots; writes
books; and blogs about technology on www.trinirobotics.com in
his free time. He is also a contributing author to Free Code Camp and
has degrees in Computer Science and Liberal Arts and Sciences from
Thomas Edison State University. He is the author of Programming PIC
Microcontrollers with XC8 and Codeless Data Structures and Algorithms
both published by Apress Media LLC.
About the Technical Reviewer
Sai Yamanoor
is an embedded systems engineer working for an industrial gases
company in Buffalo, NY. His interests, deeply rooted in DIY and open
source hardware, include developing gadgets that aid behavior
modification. He has published two books with his brother, and in his
spare time, he likes to contribute to build things that improve quality of
life. You can find his project portfolio at http://saiyamanoor.com .
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to APress Media, LLC, part of Springer
Nature 2021
A. Subero, Programming Microcontrollers with Python
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-7058-5_1

1. Getting Ready
Armstrong Subero1
(1) Basse Terre, Moruga, Trinidad and Tobago

You have decided to learn about microcontrollers using Python. While it

would be nice to jump straight into developing cool stuff, there are a
few steps you must take to get ready first. If you have experience with
software development, you may be accustomed to just opening an
editor and typing code right away. However, microcontroller
development is a little more involved than that. After all, you will be
writing programs for a separate computer, so there is a lot more to set
up. A microcontroller development environment consists of not only
software but an entire hardware ecosystem that must be understood to
unlock all the magic these devices have to offer.
In this chapter, we will look at setting up an environment for
development. By the end of the chapter, you will be ready to select a
microcontroller board, and you’ll have the software tools and hardware
devices needed to begin your development with CircuitPython. Let’s get
started!

Introduction to Microcontrollers
In our modern world, computers are ubiquitous. They have become
smaller, easier to use, and more integrated into our daily lives. A few
years ago, to connect to the Internet and check your email, you would
have had to sit down at a large desktop device. Today, you can do the
same thing with a computer that fits in the palm of your hand and
places all the information in the world at your fingertips.
 The advancements in technology that brought us smartphones and
tablets have given billions of people access to computers. However,
these handheld devices aren’t the only computers that exist. What if I
told you that the billions of smartphones in use pale when compared to
another kind of computing device that silently surrounds us? In fact,
there are probably a half dozen or more of these devices in the room
with you right now. These miniature computers are called
microcontrollers , or MCUs, and they can be found all around us.
Microcontrollers are small, intelligent, programmable computers
that we use to perform tasks that are repetitive or that require some
level of intelligent control without the need for human interaction.
Microcontroller devices have a fraction of the computing power of a
device like your smartphone or tablet, but they have many, many uses.
Any device around you that reacts to a button press, displays
information, or makes sounds when something is wrong is most likely
controlled by a microcontroller. From calculators to TVs to microwaves
and dishwashers, almost every household device you can think of
contains a microcontroller.
If you are familiar with computers, you are sure to have heard of a
central processing unit (CPU) or a microprocessor: the brain behind
your computer. A microprocessor lets a computer perform many
functions. One day you might use your computer to type a document,
the next to stream your favorite movie, and so on. The microprocessor
has a lot of supporting circuitry, including memory and input and
output chips, that allows it to carry out all these tasks. These are usually
part of the motherboard that houses the microprocessor.
A microcontroller takes all the supporting chips that are required to
make a microprocessor work and places them on a single chip. This is
why a microcontroller is called a single-chip computer . A
microcontroller still operates like the microprocessor, but it is designed
to only do a single task and to do it as efficiently as possible. For this
reason, a microcontroller chip contains the minimum amount of
processing power required to do its task.

Firmware, Memory, and Clock Speed

Like general-purpose computers, microcontrollers work by running
programs. Because microcontrollers perform limited functions, the
programs written for them are not expected to change frequently. For
that reason, programs written for microcontrollers are called firmware.
This firmware is usually stored as a binary file (with a .bin file
extension) or a hex file which is a text-represented binary file (having a
.hex file extension); this file contains the memory content that is
written on flash, and thus it is ready to be run on the microcontroller. A
special device called a programmer loads this binary file into the
microcontroller’s memory.
The memory consists of two parts: the main memory (sometimes
called program memory) and the random-access memory (RAM,
sometimes called data memory). The main memory is nonvolatile,
whereas RAM is volatile. This means that when the microcontroller is
not powered, the information contained in RAM will disappear,
whereas the information in the main memory will be retained. For this
reason, the main memory is also called read-only memory (ROM). Its
contents are designed to be mainly read, whereas RAM is designed to
have its contents changed by the user during runtime.
In a general-purpose computer system, usually a program is loaded
into RAM before it is executed. Microcontroller systems are a bit
different. In a microcontroller, the firmware is executed directly from
ROM, and RAM is used to do things such as to store temporary
information that aids in running the firmware (these are usually
runtime variables and can contain a stack or a heap, special memory
structures).
Some microcontroller devices can have their ROM contents
programmed into them from the factory and cannot be changed by the
end user once they are put into a device. These are called one-time
programmable (OTP) devices, and they are cheaper and easier to
manufacture. Usually though, the ROM is made of flash memory,
meaning that it can be programmed and changed after manufacturing.
Flash memory lets you program a device thousands of times,
making it useful for learning and product prototyping. If errors show
up in your firmware program, flash also allows you to fix errors by
means of an update, a process called patching. Updates usually take the
form of over-the-air (OTA) updates, which change the contents of the
ROM via a wireless connection. OTA updates are common for Internet
of Things (IoT) devices. Alternately, you can connect the device to a
computer with a cable to update the firmware.
A microcontroller executes the instructions in its firmware program
according to the speed of a clock that runs the device. The speed is
measured in hertz, or cycles per second. The faster the clock speed , the
faster the device will execute instructions. Microcontroller clock speeds
typically range from about 1 MHz (though for extremely low-cost, low-
power applications, the clock speed can run as low as 32.768 kHz to
about and for fast systems up to 1 GHz.)

8-Bit vs. 32-Bit

The devices we will use in this book are quite powerful. They consist of
a 32-bit microprocessor core which means that the number of bits of
data that can be processed by the microcontroller is comprised of 32
registers (a register is a small storage location for data within the
microcontroller; we’ll talk about this more in the next chapter). For a
long time, however, 8-bit devices ruled the microcontroller market.
Historically, 32-bit devices were expensive and hard to program.
Due to advances in technology, the cost of 32-bit devices has been
declining to the point of where they can rival 8-bit devices for all but
extremely cost-sensitive applications. Meanwhile, thanks to the myriad
of tools now available to use with them, 32-bit devices have become
amazingly easy to program and control. While 8-bit microcontrollers
are still alive and relevant, a lot of their market share is being replaced
by 32-bit devices.
For beginners, 32-bit devices are an especially useful learning tool
because they contain more memory and have greater memory
addressing capabilities. This allows for a higher level of abstraction,
meaning it is typically easier to program a 32-bit device without a
thorough understanding of its inner workings. By contrast, since 8-bit
devices have less processing power and memory, you need to have a
deeper understanding of the internals of the device to better manage
memory resources and write effective programs.

Microcontroller Programming Languages

In this section, we will look at some of the languages available for
programming microcontrollers. While there are several options to
choose from, microcontrollers have been mostly resistant to the
overcrowded zoo of programming languages that make up the modern
software development landscape. Historically, the microcontroller
world has been dominated by the C programming language. This is
because microcontrollers have traditionally only had a few bytes of
memory and run at a few tens of megahertz of clock speed, and C is
particularly well suited to working on memory-constrained systems.
Nowadays, though, you can find microcontroller devices that have
multiple cores that run up a gigahertz and possess several megabytes of
memory, opening up space for other languages to be used.

Assembly Language
At one point in time, microcontrollers were programmed exclusively in
assembly language. Today, assembly language is reserved for devices
with limited memory and for situations where the programmer needs
to squeeze every drop of performance out of the microcontroller.
Assembly language is useful in these situations because a lot of
assembly instructions translate directly into machine instructions on
the microcontroller. This means that there is less overhead in the
execution of the instructions, making code segments written in
assembly language faster. While assembly language is fast, it takes a lot
of instructions to perform a simple task on the device. Another limiting
factor of assembly language is that for each device you are
programming, you must learn the assembly language for that device.
Given these limitations, the language has declined in popularity for all
but niche situations.

C
C has long been the language of choice in the embedded world. It was
made to run on memory-constrained devices such as microcontrollers.
C gives us the ability to control the underlying hardware efficiently –
one C instruction translates into several assembly language instructions
– and it can match the speed of assembly language for most
applications. Since C has been used for so long, a lot of the code that is
written has been battle tested and proven to work for the applications
they are intended. C users have access to a large code base with helpful
information and code snippets. However, the language requires a good
understanding of the hardware and is difficult for beginners to break
into.

C++
As time progressed and embedded devices became more powerful,
some microcontroller manufacturers and software vendors began
adding C++ support to their devices. C++ is slowly gaining traction in
the professional embedded space. In the hobbyist realm, however, C++
finds widespread use on the Arduino platform. C++ is a large and
difficult language to learn, however. Many of the features that make C++
more effective to use than C in general-purpose computing applications,
sometimes cannot be implemented on the resource-constrained
microcontroller devices. This is because while C++ can match the
performance of C for most applications, C++ tends to use more memory,
a precious resource that is usually not bountiful on microcontroller
devices. For that reason, C++ is reserved for the higher-end devices.

BASIC
In the early 2000s, if a beginner was getting started with
microcontrollers and did not fancy assembly, BASIC was the
programming language to use. BASIC stands for Beginners’ All-Purpose
Symbolic Instruction Code and is an easy programming language to use.
There would usually be a BASIC interpreter on the microcontroller chip
to run the instructions.
BASIC eventually fell in popularity because the boards that ran it
cost a lot of money relative to what they were capable of. Additionally,
running the BASIC interpreter slowed the chips down and took up too
many resources on the already constrained 8-bit devices. Also, the tools
and software for the most popular BASIC devices were all closed
source, so people could not make their own BASIC devices. When open
source alternatives like the Arduino came around, devices like the
BASIC Stamp thus fell out of favor.

Rust
The Rust programming language is new compared to C (which is almost
half a century old) and is designed to upset the C and C++ hold on
systems programming, including embedded programming. As
microcontrollers become more powerful and factors like concurrency
(the ability to carry out multiple processes at once) start to matter,
Rust’s advantages over C begin to show. Rust is better suited to
concurrency because it can handle a data race, which is when two
devices try to access the same location in memory at the same time.
While Rust could replace C, there is no reason for the industry to
adopt it anytime soon. Embedded software is called firmware for a
reason: it doesn’t change all that often, and much of the code that has
already been written has no reason to change to a new language. C
works and has a lot of established toolchains and devices, and there are
many skilled developers comfortable with the language. However, there
are already tools available that allow Rust to be used on
microcontrollers, and as time progresses, Rust may gain some share in
the embedded market.

Python
Python is a relative newcomer to the embedded space, and it could
become a major player in the field. Python is a lot simpler than C to
learn and is one of the most popular programming languages today.
While BASIC was also easier than C for beginners, Python has several
advantages over BASIC that make it better suited for use as an
embedded language. Notably, while the popular BASIC microcontrollers
were closed source, Python is open source, allowing you to run Python
on your custom device if you desire. Python files can also be compiled
to make them smaller, allowing you to create tight, memory-efficient
programs.
Many people say that interpreted languages like Python are not
suited to the limitations of microcontrollers. This may have once been
true, but with today’s more powerful devices, it is entirely possible for
microcontrollers to run interpreted languages without hiccups like the
speed limitations experienced by older BASIC devices. For extremely
time-efficient computing, also called real-time computing, interpreted
languages are still not suitable. However, Python should have no
problem meeting the speed requirements of the majority of
microcontroller projects.
While Python is not as fast or efficient as C when running on
microcontrollers, its ease of use makes it worthwhile, especially if you
are now getting started with microcontrollers. Additionally, you can
extend Python code with C, which means you can leverage existing C
code bases that have been battle tested and refined over the decades.
The Python interpreter as it exists on general-purpose computers
cannot be directly implemented on a microcontroller with the same
available features. This is because the standard Python interpreter is a
large program that relies on features that would be given by the
operating system, particularly memory and hardware interfacing
features, a luxury nonexistent on microcontroller devices. Two
modified forms of the language interpreter, MicroPython and
CircuitPython, bridge the gap between the standard Python interpreter
and the embedded space. Of the two, MicroPython is targeted more
toward professional developers and precedes CircuitPython.
CircuitPython, developed by Adafruit, is simpler to use, making it an
excellent learning tool for beginners as well as a platform for
professionals. The major feature of CircuitPython that makes it user-
friendly is that you do not need to compile a program before it can run
on the microcontroller. As soon as you save a program, it is run and
executed.
CircuitPython promises to be available for more resource-
constrained devices and is expected to remain well supported into the
foreseeable future. For these reasons, we will use it throughout this
book.

Selecting a Development Board

To work on the projects in this book, you will need a development
board with a microcontroller that can run CircuitPython. A
development board contains a microcontroller as well as the
connections required to power the board and get it up and running. A
development board allows you to use, program, and prototype with the
microcontroller without worrying about the hardware setup.
At the time of writing, CircuitPython supports over 140 boards, and
the list keeps growing. You can view the list here on the CircuitPython
website: https://circuitpython.org/downloads. Any one of
these compatible boards will work with this book. You can also choose
to create your own custom device that supports CircuitPython, a
process I will discuss at the end of this chapter. For beginners, however,
using a premade, CircuitPython-compatible board will always be a
better choice. It will ensure that the hardware is working and allow you
to get started more quickly with writing software for your device.
In this section, we will look at some preconfigured devices that can
run CircuitPython. Though many companies supply microcontroller
boards that are capable of running CircuitPython, Adafruit devices have
the best support since they originated the language and have an entire
ecosystem built around CircuitPython with their development
environment. We’ll look at some of the boards that they have available,
along with some popular boards from other manufacturers that can be
used with CircuitPython. This list is not exhaustive, but the boards
presented here will be compatible with the examples discussed in this
book.

Adafruit Metro M0 Express

The first board we will look at is the Adafruit Metro M0 Express,
pictured in Figure 1-1. This board is an ideal choice to be used with the
examples in this book, as it is powered by a SAMD21G18A
microcontroller. This board also has the Arduino form factor; this
means that it can be used with existing Arduino shields. Thus, the
powerful Arduino ecosystem can be used to easily prototype with
Arduino shields in Python. The SAMD21G18A represents the “ideal
minimum” that is required to run CircuitPython. Its features allow it to
run the interpreter without any hiccups. The SAMD21G18A has a 48
MHz clock, 256KB of flash memory, and 32KB of RAM. (For comparison,
boards powered by the ATmega328 microcontroller, like the Arduino
Uno, offered 8 times less flash and 16 times less RAM.) The Metro M0
Express also has 2MB of flash storage that can be used to store
programs and other files. You may be able to run the CircuitPython
interpreter with less memory or less processing power than the
SAMD21G18A offers, but the experience may not be seamless.
The SAMD21G18A microcontroller was one of the first devices to
support CircuitPython, and boards built around this device are usually
among the first to receive the newest versions of the interpreter. In
particular, the Metro M0 Express was the first Adafruit Metro board
designed to use CircuitPython. It is considered the standard board for
running CircuitPython, and it will be able to run the programs in this
book decently.

Figure 1-1 Adafruit Metro M0 Express [Credit: Adafruit, adafruit.com]

Adafruit Feather M0 Express

If you want a more minimalist approach to development, you can grab
the Feather M0 Express from Adafruit, shown in Figure 1-2. Because it
is also built around the SAMD21G18A processor, this board has all the
capabilities of the Metro M0 Express: the same 48 MHz clock, 256KB of
flash, and 32KB of RAM. It also has the same onboard 2MB of flash
storage. However, it is more compact than the Metro, and it has 5 fewer
I/O pins – 20 rather than 25.
A cool feature of this board that the Metro M0 Express lacks is the
little prototyping area in the front. When you have become acquainted
with the Metro M0 Express and you want a board to embed into your
own projects, then you can use this smaller, cheaper board. There is
also the QT Py board from Adafruit which is even more compact than
the M0 Express should you need an even smaller board for your
projects.

Figure 1-2 Adafruit Feather M0 Express [Credit: Adafruit, adafruit.com]

Adafruit Metro M4 Express

If you need a little more oomph than the Metro M0 Express offers, then
you can grab the Metro M4 Express, shown in Figure 1-3. The board is
powered by the SAMD51J19 microcontroller, which offers better
performance than the SAMD21G18A-based devices discussed earlier. At
120 MHz, it runs at more than double the clock speed of the
SAMD21G18A-based boards, and it features 512KB of flash memory,
192KB of RAM, and an additional 2MB of onboard flash storage.
 These enhanced features provide better support for digital signal
processing (DSP) and floating-point processing applications. If you
want to use your board for applications like audio processing, or if
you’re looking for better security capability or general performance
improvement, then this is a good board to use. However, the heightened
performance comes with a trade-off. The Metro M4 Express’s processor
will consume more power than the boards discussed earlier. Depending
on your application, this may not be much of a factor, though, as the
board is still power efficient.

Figure 1-3 Adafruit M4 Metro Express [Credit: Adafruit, adafruit.com]

Adafruit Grand Central M4 Express

The next board we can use to work along with this book is the Adafruit
Grand Central M4 Express, pictured in Figure 1-4. This board is quite
powerful compared to the Metro M0, as it features an ATSAMD51P20
microcontroller. It runs 2.5 times faster, and the RAM size of this board
is 8 times that of the Metro M0. In fact, the Grand Central has the same
amount of RAM as the entire flash memory of the Metro M0 (let that
sink in a bit). The Grand Central also has 1MB of flash memory, 8MB of
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Like a flash he turned to another officer and, pointing to the mass
on the left, said,
"Order Colonel McLaren to charge that party and drive them to the
ridge, and not to stop till he has forced them clear away from their
camps."
Once more his words flashed out like a whip-lash, and Wallace
Smith, quivering to be off, caught them as they came from his lips,
"Tell Captain Pope to advance at a gallop through the skirmish line
and give them shell. Tell him to clear the valley and sweep the ridge
in front of Brackett and McLaren."
Wallace dashed away and the General relapsed into his former
attitude of silent, intent watchfulness. All his officers and orderlies
were now gone somewhere with orders, excepting Al and Lieutenant
Dale, who still rode behind him. But he paid no more heed to them
than to the grass under his horse's feet. His whole attention was
concentrated on the great game he was playing with living men for
pawns, as the skilful chess player centres his thought upon the
board before him at the crisis of the game.
Far to the right and left fronts, beginning in a low rumble and rising
rapidly to a steady, pounding thunder above the crackle of the
musketry, sounded the hoof-beats of McLaren's and Brackett's
squadrons as they passed from the trot to the gallop and from the
gallop to the charge and, a forest of flashing sabres circling above
their heads, bore down with fierce cheers upon the foe. Straight
ahead, through the gap in the battle line, could be seen the guns of
the Prairie Battery, going forward, the cannoneers clinging to the
limbers, the cavalry escort galloping furiously on either side. A
moment more, and the boom of a howitzer rose above the lesser
noises of battle, followed by another and another, and the shells,
circling high, burst like great, white flowers against the rugged, dark
green front of Tahkahokuty. A terrified commotion could be seen
among the people in the camps on its crest. Here and there fires
burst out among the lodges and smoke began to pour aloft through
the foliage.

"'But see! Look up! On Flodden bent

The Scottish foe has fired his tent!'"

quoted Lieutenant Dale, pointing upward, and Al, catching the

inspiration of the great poet of border warfare, who had thrilled him
since childhood, went on,

"'And sudden, as he spoke,

From the sharp ridges of the hill
All downward to the banks of Till
Was wreathed in sable smoke!'"

Before the resistless rush of the Minnesotans, the savages on either

flank broke and fled wildly back to the higher ground, the cavalry
hard on their heels. Here, backed literally against their camps, they
turned amid the rocks and trees and ravines, like wolves at bay, to
protect for a few minutes the squaws and children, who were
frantically striking the tepees and running or driving their travois up
the ravines and into the impenetrable mountain fastnesses beyond.
Farther and still farther along the crest of the lower ridge puffed out
the little, cotton-like jets of carbine and rifle smoke. At length, nearly
at the foot of the mountain on the right they began to increase in
rapidity until they were floating off in a mass of thin vapors, while
the sound of the fire became a shrill, continuous rattle. Above it rose
the yells of the Indians, answered now and then by a disjointed
cheer. General Sully's eyes narrowed, and his jaws set hard.
"Brackett's struck a hornet's nest," he ejaculated. "By George, that
begins to sound like Fair Oaks!"
He wheeled his horse and galloped back to Captain Jones, whose
battery was a short distance behind him.
"Captain," he cried, pointing to the spot where the heaviest fight
seemed to be raging, "get out there as quick as the Lord'll let you,
close to the base of the mountain, and shell out those redskins in
front of Brackett."
The Captain saluted and spurred his horse around to the flank of his
command.
"On right sections;—to twenty-five yards, extend intervals;—" he
shouted. "Trot;—march!" Then, as the battery resolved itself into the
new formation, he continued, "Right oblique,—march! Trot! Gallop!"
The guns went racing away, swung into battery, and in a moment
their shells were searching the ravines in Brackett's front. They had
scarcely opened when a great hubbub and popping of carbines
broke out behind the wagon train, and a large body of Indians made
their appearance, as if springing out of the ground, and bore down
upon the rear guard. Immediately one of Jones' guns limbered up
and came galloping back to reinforce the hard-pressed companies
covering the train.
At this moment the General raised his glasses with a frown and
looked toward the bluffs where McLaren was advancing, then swept
his glasses around to Pope's battery and the Dakota Cavalry, which
had charged ahead of the guns and become heavily engaged among
the rocks in a ravine running back through the centre of the enemy's
lower camps. The General turned to Lieutenant Dale.
"Warn Pope not to fire so far to the left," he said. "He's endangering
McLaren's advance."
Then he called to Al,
"Ride up there to those Coyotes and scouts and tell Miner not to
push too far ahead of the flanks. He'll be surrounded."
The two couriers galloped off together, leaving the General for the
moment alone. As they pushed through the gap in the centre of the
main battle line, Lieutenant Dale exclaimed,
"Don't these fellows fight splendidly considering most of them have
never been under fire before?" Then he laughed. "Look at Pattee
over there! His coat's off and he's fanning himself with his hat. It's a
hot day for a fat man to fight."
The line of sweating, panting soldiers, closely followed by their
comrades who were holding the horses, was plodding steadily
ahead, firing at intervals upon the scattered warriors still circling in
their front, as yet unrouted by the movements which had swept
back their extreme flanks. Having passed the line of battle and the
skirmishers ahead of it, the Lieutenant changed his course toward
the left, where Pope's men were working methodically around their
guns, while Al galloped straight on. He passed a small, detached
butte from whose crest the shells of Pope's guns had just driven a
crowd of squaws and children who were watching the battle from
that elevation. He encountered no warriors, though some were so
near that he drew his revolver before entering the rocky, timbered
mouth of the ravine where the Coyotes were engaged.
Few soldiers were to be seen at first, but sounds were arising from
among the rocks resembling those of a small volcano in eruption,
and as Al pushed on into the broken ground he began to meet here
and there troopers of the Dakota Cavalry, each holding four or more
horses of the men on the firing line, which was still farther ahead.
He soon found that he could not continue mounted, so, hooking up
the sabre he had worn ever since leaving Fort Rice, he dropped
Cottontail's reins over his head and hurried forward on foot,
stumbling over roots and dodging rocks, in search of Captain Miner.
Bullets and occasionally arrows whistled by him and the yells of the
Indians seemed not fifty feet away. In a moment he came upon
Corporal Wright and two men of his squad, crouching behind a
broad rock and firing whenever they saw a target. Just as Al reached
them the Corporal cried to his men,
"Now!"
They leaped from their concealment and ran forward with a shout to
another rock, some thirty feet ahead, while four Indians, who had
been hidden on its further side, jumped back and bolted for other
cover higher up the ravine. The troopers fired and one warrior fell,
but was snatched up by his companions and dragged along. Al
followed the soldiers and cried in the Corporal's ear,
"Charlie, where is Captain Miner?"
"Captain Miner?" said Wright. "I don't know. He's somewhere around
but we're all scattered out here."
Al could see other soldiers behind trees and rocks off to the right
across the ravine, and, dodging from one cover to another, he
started in that direction. After going a few yards he nearly fell over a
man lying flat on the ground, peering ahead around the corner of a
stone with his cocked carbine at his shoulder.
"Hi, Wallace!" exclaimed Al. "What are you doing here? Why don't
you go back to the General?"
Wallace shot a resentful glance at him.
"How can I go back?" he asked. "We're cut off. There's redskins all
along the rear."
"But I just came through," objected Al.
"Oh, don't bother me!" cried Wallace, impatiently, quite beside
himself with the fascination of the struggle. "Can't you let a fellow
alone? There!"
At the last word his carbine cracked and an Indian, his arm dangling
at his side, darted away from a tree ahead. Wallace sprang up and
followed, taking possession of the nearer side of the tree.
"Say, Wallace, where's Captain Miner?" shouted Al after him.
"Aw, how do I know?" replied Wallace, without looking around. Then
he added, "Oh, yes; he was just over there a minute ago." He jerked
his head vaguely to the right.
Al went on and almost immediately encountered the Captain,
accompanied by eight or ten men, in a little gully where they had
stopped to breathe. Though panting and soaked with perspiration,
the men were firing up at the rocks above them but, at the moment
when Al arrived, the Captain's revolver lay on the ground at his feet
and his drawn sabre was thrust under one arm while he was picking
with his right thumb and forefinger at a tiny splinter in the palm of
his left hand. His face wore an absorbed expression and he moved
his head slowly from side to side as he worked. He seemed entirely
unconscious that anything was happening around him.
"Captain Miner," said Al, hardly able to repress a laugh as he saluted,
"General Sully says for you not to get too far ahead of the flanks. He
is afraid you will be surrounded."
The Captain looked up at him with a glance of pathetic helplessness.
"Why, my boy," said he, "how can I help it? We are already
surrounded. We must keep going ahead or we shall be cleaned out.
I'm sorry. I wish the General understood the situation."
Having extracted the splinter, he picked up his revolver again,
stepped to a rock and peered around it.
"They seem to be afraid to go out of there, don't they?" he said to
his men, thoughtfully, after a moment's inspection of the enemy's
position. "I believe perhaps we'd better drive them. Yes, let's do
that. Come on, boys. Charge!"
The soldiers gave a yell and scrambled out of the gully, Al with them,
and the Captain climbing and jumping over the rocks just ahead. On
either side of them other men of the Coyotes sprang up to join the
advance; and farther to the right, up the side of the ravine, the
Winnebago scouts of Captain Stufft, and Captain Williams's company
of the Sixth Iowa, surged forward also. A hundred or more Indians
sprang away from their hiding-places beyond and hurried higher up
the ravine, some of them pausing to fire at their pursuers.
Al, being strong and quick, was soon abreast of the Captain. He was
just pulling himself up on hands and knees over a ledge when he
saw a tall, broad-shouldered Indian step into view from behind a
rock not thirty feet ahead and raise his rifle to fire. As he stood, his
left side was turned slightly toward Al, and what the latter saw as he
looked made him gasp as though he had been struck in the face. A
long, livid scar ran down the cheek and neck of the savage and out
upon his shoulder.
 He was just pulling himself up
For an instant Al's head swam, as he realized that before him stood
Te-o-kun-ko, the captor of his brother Tommy. Then, with no
thought in his mind other than that he must catch up with the
Yanktonais and demand his brother, he began running and climbing
ahead again with frantic energy. The Indian had fired and
disappeared; but to Al's excited imagination it seemed almost as if in
overtaking him he would overtake Tommy himself. He paid no heed
to Captain Miner and his men nor to Wallace Smith, who had joined
them, all of whom were shouting to him to come back. He leaped
over the rock where Te-o-kun-ko had stood but the warrior was not
in sight. He ran up a little, steep depression beyond and swung
around a tree-trunk at its head. An Indian behind a stone a few feet
to one side, who had not noticed him so far in front of the line, gave
him a terrified glance and fled like a rabbit. Al did not pause to fire
at him; but another warrior on his opposite side sent a bullet so
close that the wind of it brushed his face sharply, and he stopped
long enough to reply with his revolver; whereupon the savage dived
between two boulders and vanished. Al rushed on, totally oblivious
of the fact that he was getting far within the retreating Indian lines.
Just then, in climbing over a boulder, his foot slipped and he pitched
forward and rolled into the narrow crevice between two rocks
beyond, where, for a moment, he was held securely, despite his
struggles. He twisted himself around in an effort to grasp a point of
the stone above him, and found himself staring into the face of Te-o-
kun-ko, hardly fifteen feet away, looking at him down the barrel of
his rifle.
"Te-o-kun-ko! Wait!" shouted Al. "Te-o-kun-ko, where is Tommy,—
Tommy Briscoe?"
The tense muscles of the Indian's features relaxed. His finger did not
press the trigger which would have forever ended Al's search. Across
his face came an expression of intense bewilderment, mixed, it
seemed to Al's fascinated gaze, with grief or remorse. The levelled
rifle barrel wavered and then sunk. He half turned away, hesitatingly,
then looked again at Al with a keen, searching glance, as the latter
lay helpless between the rocks. Finally, with a gesture half defiant
and half despairing, he made a few quick, cat-like springs across the
rocks and disappeared once more.
With a mighty effort Al succeeded in grasping the jutting point of the
stone and drew himself up from the crevice. He was none too soon,
for two Indians, whom he had distanced in his rapid climb, coming
along the slope near him with guns evidently empty, saw him and
leaped at him with clubbed muskets. He fired his revolver at one of
them and missed, then jerked out his sabre and swung it in a left
parry just in time to save his head from the blow of a musket butt.
Three more warriors coming behind and afraid to shoot lest they hit
their friends, came bounding down to join the hand-to-hand
struggle.
In a few seconds more all would have been over but at this crucial
instant the four men leading the wild scramble of the Coyotes after
Al, caught up with him. They were Wallace, and Troopers Will Van
Osdel, Lank Hoyt, and George Pike. Van Osdel leaped in beside Al,
his sabre knocking the gun clear from the hands of one of the
Indians, Hoyt crouched and fired his carbine at another, who sunk to
the ground with a grunt, and Pike and Wallace, giving as loud a
shout as they had breath for, climbed on after the remaining
warriors, who had taken to their heels.
No sooner had the Indians fled than Van Osdel turned on Al.
"You crazy jack-rabbit," he cried, "what are you trying to do? Have
you gone plumb out of your head? It's the biggest wonder ever
happened you're not dead."
"I saw the Indian that captured my brother," returned Al, dejectedly.
"But he's gone now."
"Well," interjected Hoyt, mopping his streaming face, "he came near
getting two brothers, instead of one. Anyhow, you've led a lovely
charge. We've nearly cleared the ravine."
They looked ahead. It was true. The crest of the mountain was
towering above them through the trees and they were actually
ascending its base, for, though Al's foolhardy pursuit of Te-o-kun-ko
had taken hardly five minutes from the time he started until he was
overtaken by his comrades, he had climbed so fast and so far that
the Dakota and Iowa Cavalry and the Indian scouts, in following him
had penetrated clear through the Sioux camps lying above the ravine
on either side.
His right senses came back to Al the moment he realized that he had
failed in his purpose of capturing or killing Te-o-kun-ko, and he knew
that he ought to return at once to General Sully. But he could not
resist the temptation to go on now to the top of the ravine and see
what was there, and he had, moreover, a lingering hope of catching
another sight of Te-o-kun-ko. The stragglers of the cavalry were now
closing up on those who had gained the advance, and, the Indians
having practically given up the contest, a few moments of hard
climbing brought them to the top of the ravine.
An astonishing sight met their eyes. As far as they could see over
the sloping ridge, the ground was covered with a city of lodges. A
few had been struck and dragged away for a distance, but most of
them were still standing, though deserted. Over at the farther side
of the camp could be seen the last of the squaws and children, flying
into the bewildering maze of ravines leading up the rugged face of
Tahkahokuty, protected by the scattered fire of the warriors who had
just been routed by the cavalry. Off to the right and left, where the
shells of Jones and Pope had but just ceased to burst, the little
group of soldiers could see the columns of Brackett and McLaren
pouring with exultant shouts into other parts of the immense,
abandoned Sioux camps, while, in their own rear, the main line of
battle was approaching up the ridge. Though the mountain had not
yet been ascended, plainly the field itself had been completely
conquered, and the battle of Tahkahokuty Mountain, the greatest
and most picturesque conflict of the American Northwest, had
become a part of history. Al and Wallace, tardily recollecting their
duties, made haste in descending the ravine to find their horses and
return to General Sully, with such explanations as they could devise
for their long absence while carrying orders to the firing line.
 CHAPTER XIII
BESET IN THE BAD LANDS

On regaining the prairie, the boys found that General Sully had
already gone up to the Sioux camps at one side of the ravine by
which they had ascended. They at once followed, passing the
artillery and the wagon train on the way. When they arrived they
found most of the army already assembling on the farther side of
the hostile camps, at the base of Tahkahokuty. Far up on the top of
the mountain a number of Indians had gathered and were firing
upon the troops at very long range. Although the soldiers were very
much exhausted by their efforts of the afternoon and were sorely in
need of food and rest, it was evident that these annoying neighbors
must be dispersed before nightfall. Moreover, it was known that
good water was to be found somewhere near the mountain top, at
the Falling Spring of Tahkahokuty, as the Indians called the spot, and
since the troops were suffering for water, an advance was
imperative. General Sully inspected the enemy's position, then said
to Colonel Thomas, who was with him,
"Colonel, do you think some of the Eighth Minnesota could clear
those fellows out and get possession of the spring, if Captain Jones
shells ahead of them?"
"They certainly can and will, General," responded Thomas.
"Four companies ought to be enough," continued Sully. "The rest of
the troops can be having mess while they are gone."
"I will instruct Major Camp to make the advance," replied the
Colonel, riding away.
Al stepped to the General's side.
"May I have permission to accompany Major Camp, General?" he
asked. "This afternoon I came face to face with the Indian who has
my brother a prisoner,—Te-o-kun-ko,—but he got away. I might
possibly see him again up there."
"The Indian who has your brother?" exclaimed the General, much
surprised. "How do you know?"
"By the scar on his cheek and neck and by the way he looked when
I called him by name," answered Al.
"Why, in that case, of course you can go," the General replied. "But
be careful; he is undoubtedly a desperate fellow. However, it isn't
likely you will see him again. Most of them have gotten as far away
as they can by this time." Then he added, "By the way, since you are
going, watch for a practical path to the top for cavalry and wagons.
The army may have to go up there, and I certainly shall to-morrow."
Al mounted Cottontail and rode away. He had hardly reached Major
Camp's detachment, which had dismounted and was deploying to
the right as skirmishers, when the guns of the Third Minnesota
Battery began once more to boom. Their elevating-screws had been
run down to the last thread in order that the muzzles might be
raised enough to throw their shells upon the overhanging mountain
crest. The projectiles carried to their mark, bursting in sprays of
pale, orange flame high above the topmost rocks. But they did not
entirely dislodge the enemy, and after a few rounds the battery was
obliged to cease firing owing to the advance of the skirmish line.
Up along the steep, boulder-strewn breast of Tahkahokuty, through
timber and underbrush, went the thin, irregular line, eagerly
watched by the troops below and but feebly opposed by the warriors
above. It was hard climbing, and more than once Al and others in
the detachment stumbled and fell over stones or tree roots. As they
neared the top and came into clear view from the crest, the fire of
the Indians increased in intensity, though the savages continued to
shoot high so that very few of the soldiers suffered. At length the
cavalrymen scrambled over the last ledge, too breathless to shout in
response to the hearty cheers of their comrades far below, but not
too breathless to follow on a run after the Sioux who had been bold
enough to await their coming and still showed fight around the
ravine of the Falling Spring. The struggle was sharp and decisive but
it lasted only for a moment. A few carbines and sabres clashed with
lances and muskets, then the rear guard of the Sioux, unable, as
always, to stand the test of hand-to-hand conflict, broke for the
nearest cover behind them and disappeared in the tumbled
wilderness of mountains beyond, whither their families and the bulk
of their army had already gone.
Some deserted lodges stood around the triumphant Minnesotans on
the lofty eminence, but they were few in number compared to those
in the vast camp below. Al saw nothing of Te-o-kun-ko in the handful
of warriors who fled before them; and while the men were filling
their canteens at the spring of cool, crystal water which burst from
the rocks near at hand, he walked along the crest of the ridge,
looking for a less abrupt ascent than the one they had followed.
From his position, the view spread before him in the golden glow of
early twilight was magnificent. Far below and seemingly almost at
his feet, lay the bivouac of the army. He could see the soldiers
moving about, some of them still tossing their hats in enthusiasm
over the success of the charge. They looked like pygmies, and the
sound of their cheers came up to him faint and far away. Farther out
from the ridge lay the myriad dots of the Sioux lodges, and beyond
them, extending for miles upon miles until lost in the haze of the
horizon, stretched the countless rough ranges of hills over which the
army had passed in the morning. The treeless expanse of crests and
slopes, lying like a tumbled green counterpane in the distance, was
now as still and peaceful as if it had never known the turmoil of
battle or the trample of armed men.
At length Al retraced his steps and joined Major Camp, whose men
were now ready to descend to the main body, with the exception of
a strong picket left to hold and patrol the mountain top. Once more
back at headquarters, Al was not long in finishing his supper and
rolling himself in his blanket. But, though weary with the exertions
and excitement through which he had passed since daybreak, he lay
for a while thinking over the events of the past nine hours, while one
by one the sounds of the camp died away around him, and the
soldiers lay down to rest. Most of his thoughts were naturally of his
encounter with Te-o-kun-ko and the mystifying conduct of the latter.
Why had the Yanktonais failed to shoot him when he lay there
between the rocks, utterly helpless? It would have been the most
natural thing in the world for an Indian to do, for they seldom show
mercy, especially in the heat of battle. Why had that strange,
bewildered expression come over the Indian's face when Al called
him by name? And, most perplexing of all, where was Tommy now?
Among the women and children who had fled away before the army
could overtake them, or in some distant, secluded place where Te-o-
kun-ko had left him for safe-keeping? All these questions were
utterly baffling; no amount of thinking could bring a satisfactory
answer to a single one of them; and at length Al, weary in body and
mind, sunk into the dreamless slumber which had already enveloped
his comrades on every side.
The bugles were blaring out the reveille long before daylight next
morning, and in a short time the army had eaten its breakfast,
formed in column and was marching away by the left flank along the
base of Tahkahokuty, seeking a passage around or through the
mountain into the country beyond, whither the enemy had fled.
General Sully himself went straight up to the crest by a pathway
which had been discovered by Al and others the previous evening,
but what he saw there was extremely discouraging. As far as the eye
could look to the northward the country was intersected by
precipitous hills and steep ravines, some of the latter one hundred
feet deep, entirely impracticable for either cavalry or wagons. The
army marched for six or seven miles along the foot of the mountain
without finding a route by which it could be ascended or turned, and
at last the General, bearing in mind that he had rations left for only
two more days, reluctantly gave the order to halt and countermarch
to the abandoned Sioux camps, in order that these might be
destroyed before the army returned to Heart River.
Large detachments from the Second and Eighth Minnesota, the Sixth
Iowa, and the Dakota Cavalry were at once detailed as fatigue
parties and placed under command of Colonel McLaren to collect
and burn the lodge poles and lodge skins, the vast accumulations of
dried buffalo meat and dried berries,—food which, though great in
quantity, was utterly unfit for white men,—the tanned robes,
clothing, cooking utensils, saddles, travois poles, and countless other
articles left in the camps and the near-by ravines. Thirteen
companies were engaged in the task, and they spent half a day of
hard work at it, when, finding that they would be unable to finish by
evening, they set the woods and prairie on fire, and burned the
remainder of the captured property in one great conflagration. The
poles and coverings of between fourteen and sixteen hundred lodges
were destroyed, being the camp equipment, so General Sully
estimated, of between five and six thousand warriors and their
families. If correct, this meant that at Tahkahokuty the Sioux had
assembled a greater army than they ever brought together on any
other field, before or since.
A little while after noon the troops began their return march,
bivouacking that night about six miles from the battlefield, where
they were assailed by a body of Indians about dusk, but repulsed
the attack easily. Next day they reached Knife River, and on July 31,
by a march of thirty-five miles, regained Captain Tripp's camp on the
Heart. They found every one there safe and well; but, though no
Indians had been seen during the absence of the main column, both
the emigrants and the camp guard were exceedingly glad to see the
army back again, as it relieved them from their enforced idleness
and assured the early renewal of the westward march. While the
army was away, Captain Tripp had employed his men in digging a
strong line of rifle-pits around the camp, which was now in a
condition to withstand the attacks of any number of Indians.
The next two days were spent by the troops in resting themselves
and their animals, for all were very weary from the hard marching
and fighting of the past week; and by General Sully in trying to
determine upon the best route to follow in his further march toward
the Yellowstone. Al was absent from headquarters during most of
the time, making out commissary requisitions and returns in the
wagon train, though once, on the second day, he saw General Sully
as the latter passed through the train with Lieutenant Bacon, closely
inspecting the contents of each wagon. When, toward evening, he
returned to headquarters, he at once asked Wallace Smith, who had
been there continuously, what had happened during the day.
"Oh, the General seems to be having a lively time deciding what to
do," answered Wallace. "It must be a hard question. He had all the
Indian and half-breed scouts in here for hours to-day, questioning
them about the routes to the Yellowstone. All of them, excepting
one, told him they knew nothing of the country due west of us,
which must be terribly rough bad lands, from what they say. They
declare they have never ventured into it and advised the General to
return to the Cannonball and then move west to the mouth of
Powder River and down the Yellowstone to where the boats are to
meet us. But that means a long, roundabout march of probably two
or three weeks; so the General went and inspected the wagons to
see if there were supplies enough to make it."
"Yes, I saw him," interrupted Al. "There are just six days' full rations
left now."
"That's what he said when he came back," Wallace continued. "He
was a good deal worked up, and told the guides they must find a
way for the army to march straight west from here across the Little
Missouri. But all of them said it was impossible, except one
Yanktonais. He declared he had been back and forth across the Bad
Lands of the Little Missouri a number of times on hunting
expeditions, and he is sure he can lead the army through if some
digging is done in the worst places to make a road for the wagons
and artillery."
"Just one man?" exclaimed Al. "My gracious! suppose he should lead
us into a trap?"
Wallace shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, of course, he might," he agreed. "But what else can be done?
There are not rations enough to last over the other route, nor even
enough to take us back to Fort Rice. Anyway, the General has
decided to trust this chap and make the attempt and we shall start
up Heart River to-morrow morning. You know our rations are to be
cut down from one-half to one-third, so as to make them last."
"Yes, I know," answered Al. "We were issuing reduced rations this
evening. I hope we are not going to run into an ambush," he added.
"But there is no doubt General Sully knows what he is doing; he
always does."
That evening the troops were paraded and heard the General's
congratulatory orders on their conduct in the recent battle. Soon
after, they retired to rest, and it seemed that but a few moments
had passed in this refreshing occupation when reveille called them
up to their labors again. The advance guard soon moved out,
followed by the military wagon train with strong columns of troops of
the Second Brigade on each flank, the First Brigade bringing up the
rear. Then with much confusion and shouting, the Montana emigrant
train finally got under way and moved out of the intrenched camp,
leaving the latter to lie, with parapets slowly crumbling under the
rains of summer and the blizzards of winter, an object of curiosity
and vague uneasiness to straggling Indians and prowling wolves.
For three days the army pushed steadily westward up the valley of
the Heart, through a pleasant country whose hills often showed the
outcroppings of large veins of coal. Each night's camp was made in a
spot well supplied with water, grass, and wood, and the men began
to believe that the terrors of the country ahead, so vividly described
by the Indian guides, had no existence save in the imaginations of
the latter. No hostiles were seen, but the column passed one camp
ground, recently abandoned, which showed the sites of several
hundred lodges; so no one could doubt that the stealthy enemy was
still in the neighborhood and probably watching the progress of the
column closely.
Toward evening on August 5, the third day of the march, the
advance guard on arriving at the crest of a hill, similar to dozens of
other hills they had crossed that day, suddenly came to a halt. The
troops behind them could see by their gestures of excitement that
they had discovered something unusual ahead. The army and the
trains were halted and the General rode forward to the advance
guard, accompanied by his staff.
When they reached the crest of the hill and looked out beyond it,
not a man spoke for a moment, though at the first glance a few
uttered ejaculations of astonishment or dismay and then became
silent. Before them in the brilliant sunlight and lengthening shadows
of late afternoon spread a scene of such weird and desolate
grandeur as has few parallels in the world. Six hundred feet below
lay the bottom of a vast basin, apparently twenty-five or thirty miles
in diameter. From rim to rim it was piled with cones and pyramids of
volcanic rock or baked clay and other hills of every imaginable
fantastic shape, some of the peaks rising to a level with the
surrounding country and some lower, but all glowing with confused
and varied color, from gray and yellow to blue and brick red. Over all
this huge, extinct oven of what had doubtless been, sometime in
ages gone, a great coal bed which had burned out, hardly a sign of
vegetation was visible save here and there a few small, straggling
cedars or bushes on the barren hillsides. The place resembled
strongly the ruins of some mighty, prehistoric city, but more strongly
still it reminded the beholder of some of Dante's vivid descriptions of
the infernal regions.
They bivouacked that night on the prairie and early next morning
marched down into the forbidding basin, knowing not whether they
would ever emerge from it alive.
All day long in suffocating heat and under the glare of an almost
intolerable sun they toiled forward, winding in and out through
gorges with high, perpendicular walls and yawning ravines so narrow
that only one wagon could pass at a time. No water could be found
save a little which was bitter with alkali. A large pioneer party was in
advance, grading along hillsides and filling gullies so that the wagons
might pass; by nightfall the army had succeeded in covering twelve
miles and found itself on the bank of the Little Missouri, where at
least water and grass were abundant. But the expedition was literally
buried in the Bad Lands, which, on the western side of the stream,
still stretched before them in a wilderness of mountains and gorges
even more forbidding than those they had already passed.
Fortunately no Indians had yet opposed them, and many of the
men, especially those in the advance and on the flanks, had found
some pleasure mixed with their labor in viewing the strange and
beautiful rock formations through which they passed. Here were
many petrified stumps and fallen trunks of trees on the tops and
sides of the hills. Some of them were of immense size and
wonderfully preserved, showing the bark, the stumps of branches,
and the age rings of the interior wood. At one place was seen what
the men called a "petrified sawmill", consisting of what appeared like
a pile of lumber and slabs under the edge of a hill and, close by it, a
large tree, cut up into logs of exact length, such as might be found
around any sawmill, but all of stone as hard as granite. In addition
to the trees, many of the men found impressions of leaves in the
rocks of sizes and shapes belonging to no vegetation of the present
age, while others discovered the footprints of unknown animals
which had once inhabited this ancient land.
Colonel Pattee with his detachment of the Seventh Iowa crossed the
Little Missouri the following morning to trace out, if possible, with
the Yanktonais guide, a route leading westward from the river. He
was gone for some hours and, meanwhile, a few of the men seized
the opportunity to take their horses outside the lines in search of
better grazing. They had not been out very long when they saw a
party of thirty or forty Indians bearing down upon them, intent on
cutting them off from camp. The soldiers were too few to think of
fighting, so they fled at utmost speed, and all succeeded in getting
in, though several escaped very narrowly. The attempted surprise
seemed to be the signal of the Indians for the beginning of a general
attack on the army, for in a moment the bluffs across the river were
swarming with warriors, who opened a hot fire on the camp, though
at such long range that their bullets could not reach half the
distance. Just after they began firing, a horseman dashed out of the
ravine directly beneath their position, which Colonel Pattee's
detachment had ascended, and plunging into the river, trotted and
galloped his horse across amid a great splashing of water. It was
Lieutenant Dale, who had followed Colonel Pattee with an order an
hour or two before. General Sully met him at the river bank.
"What's the matter?" he demanded, the moment the Lieutenant
reached him.
"The Seventh Iowa is attacked back there two or three miles, in the
hills," replied Dale. "Colonel Pattee wants reinforcements."
He had scarcely finished speaking when there arose the sound of
many hurried hoof beats in the ravine from which he had just
emerged. The General looked toward it with a growing smile which
presently broke into a laugh as a confused crowd of cavalry rushed
from the ravine and galloped furiously down to and through the
river.
"The Seventh has evidently come after its own reinforcements,
Lieutenant," said he. "They must be in a hurry for them."
"It looks like it," answered Dale, grinning.
He retired, while the leading officer of the frightened cavalry hastily
explained to the General that the Indians had come upon them in
such a position and in such numbers that the only way they could
save themselves was by instant flight.
"Is that so?" asked Al of the Lieutenant, after hearing this
explanation.
"No," returned Dale, laughing, as he dismounted and sat down
cross-legged on the ground for a moment's rest. "They were just
scared, but it's no wonder. There are enough redskins around to
have made it true. I believe the whole Sioux Nation is out in front of
us there. They pretty nearly got me; tumbled a couple of ton rock
down when I was coming through that ravine and just missed my
horse by about six inches, and they fairly singed my hair with
bullets. I guess the ball has started again."
The ball had started again, sure enough, for when the army crossed
the river next morning and began threading the succession of
ravines and canyons which Colonel Pattee had traced and partially
dug out the day before, it was instantly attacked by the Sioux on all
sides, in numbers seemingly as great as had fought at Tahkahokuty.
On this day detachments from the Second Brigade formed the
advance guard, under Major Robert H. Rose, of the Second
Minnesota, supported by Jones's battery. The rest of the Second
Brigade guarded the army wagon train, with strong flanking parties
out on each side to hold the hills and transverse valleys from which
the enemy might fire upon or charge the train. Behind the Second
Brigade came the First, similarly protecting the Montana emigrant
train, the Coyotes and two companies of the Sixth Iowa bringing up
the rear, while Pope's battery held itself ready to shell the hills or
ravines whenever the enemy appeared in sufficient force to justify
unlimbering the guns.
The march was slow and fatiguing in the extreme. The Indians,
holding the tops and sides of the long succession of narrow passes
or canyons through which the army must go, poured their fire down
upon the troops until dislodged by the fire of the artillery or the
approach of the flankers, when they would fall back to another
position of like strength and repeat their tactics. The wagons, after
advancing about three miles, were parked in a space where the pass
opened to a somewhat greater width; while the troops, pushing on,
cleared the hills to allow the fatigue parties to dig out and level
some three miles more of road. Then once more the unwieldy train
unwound into column and crept carefully forward along the trail. The
latter, in spite of the efforts of the pioneers, was often so narrow and
slanting that it was all several men could do to keep the wagons
from overturning and blocking the road permanently. Officers and
men were working together on the firing line and among the trains,
coatless and dripping with sweat in a temperature of one hundred
and ten degrees in the shade. Their throats were parched with
thirst, for the water brought from the Little Missouri was soon
exhausted, and no more could be obtained throughout the day
except at one tiny spring, to which the Indians clung so stubbornly
that they were only dislodged by the Second Minnesota after a sharp
fight.
Attack after attack was launched on the advance guard; and when
repulsed there by the steady volleys of the cavalry carbines and
shells of the Third Minnesota Battery, the warriors would concentrate
and rush upon one or the other flank, if the ground was open, or
else lie in concealment and fire upon it as it approached. Up and
down the hills in every direction the braves could be seen, riding
their nimble-footed ponies along slopes so steep that it seemed even
a dismounted man could not keep his footing there.
Toward noon a serious misfortune fell on the army in the loss of the
Yanktonais guide, the only man who knew the country through
which they were passing. He had proved very faithful to his trust,
and in his zeal to lead the march correctly, he had ventured too far
to the front, where he was severely wounded in the breast, the
bullet coming out under his shoulder blade.
All day long the members of the General's staff were on the run,
carrying orders, suggestions or cautions to the commanders of the
various organizations, hurrying forward the lagging wagons and
sometimes themselves becoming involved in one or another of the
many skirmishes constantly blazing up among the tumbled hills.
Once Lieutenant Dale rode back to the General's position near the
head of the column, with the blood running over his face from a
wound in the cheek.
"Oh, are you badly hurt?" asked Al, who happened to be there,
startled and anxious.
"No," the Lieutenant returned, lightly, dabbing some of the blood
from his cheek. "I've been back to the rear guard to tell Captain
Miner that the redskins were getting ready to swing around on him.
They did, just about as I got there, and stirred him up pretty lively,
but the boys repulsed them. One fellow grazed my cheek, that's all.
Just look at them!" His glance swept the surrounding hills, on every
one of which groups or masses of Indians were to be seen. "They
seem to be everywhere, and for every one killed it looks as though
ten new ones sprang out of the ground." He looked at Al and an
ominous expression passed over his face. "Have you ever heard of
Kabul Pass?" he inquired, in a low tone.
Al returned his glance steadily.
"Yes, I have," he admitted, slowly.
"It looks something like that around here, doesn't it?" the Lieutenant
continued. "Only one man came out of Kabul Pass alive, you
remember."
"Why, you're right," answered Al, feeling a passing throb of
foreboding. "But I think we shall do better than that," he added,
hopefully.
"Oh, no doubt," agreed Dale. "I was just thinking of the similarity of
positions, that's all."
In an instant his mood changed and he laughed at a sudden
recollection.
"I saw a funny thing back there," he chuckled. "You know the oxen
those emigrants are driving are pretty well fagged out; every now
and then one of them lies down and has to be exchanged for a fresh
one from the herd. The rear guard has orders to shoot all the
exhausted animals, so the Indians won't get them. While I was back
there one big ox fell over, and he was unyoked and left on the
ground, looking as good as dead. But as the rear guard passed him,
he heard their shots and then the yells of the redskins close behind,
and he raised his head and looked at the Indians. They were
pushing up, hoping to catch him alive. I guess he didn't like their
looks, for all at once he scrambled to his feet and made a bolt for
the herd, charging right through the rear guard with his tail sticking
straight out and his eyes bulging with fright. Now he's travelling with
the rest of the cattle and seems as well as any of them."
Al laughed heartily. "He ought to have a medal," he declared.
"Yes, he had," agreed Lieutenant Dale, "a leather one, anyway."
A long time after noon, the walls of the canyon through which the
column was marching became gradually lower, and after a while the
hard-pressed troops and trains found themselves passing out of the
dangerous defile upon a comparatively level plateau, higher than
most of the surrounding Bad Lands, though it was girt on all sides by
the characteristic peaks and gulches of the region. Here General
Sully decided to make camp for the night, though he had marched
only ten miles, for here had been found a little grass and a large
pool of stagnant, muddy rain water, which, however, was better than
none at all, and no one could tell whether any existed farther on.
The troops were placed in very compact formation and the trains
corralled, the emigrants a little to the east of the military camp.
 CHAPTER XIV
TE-O-KUN-KO

After supper had been eaten and rations distributed for the next day,
it was nearly sunset, and Al and Wallace sat down on the ground
near General Sully's tent to clean their weapons and enjoy a few
minutes of welcome rest.
"I never saw anything like that canyon we were in to-day," said
Wallace. "More than once I thought we were going to be cleaned out
there, and we would have been if we'd had civilized troops to deal
with."
"Why, of course," Al answered. "Civilized troops one-tenth as strong
as we could have held it against us for a year. Yet we've lost only
eight or ten men wounded all day. The Indians haven't enough
staying qualities, though they have plenty of dash and are
magnificent horsemen."
"Yes, that's true," agreed Wallace. Then suddenly he dropped his
ram-rod and sprang to his feet. "Look there!" he exclaimed. "Are
they going to try some more of their dash this evening, after all
they've done to-day?"
The dry expanse of prairie where the camp lay, sloped gradually up
to the eastward, terminating in a ridge at a distance of about a mile
from the camp. Over the crest of this ridge a throng of Sioux
warriors was now galloping, much as they had come over that other
ridge at the opening of the battle of Tahkahokuty. The emigrant
camp lay nearest to them, and here a great confusion and panic
immediately arose, and women and children began to emerge from
the corral and run toward the military camp, shrieking and calling
piteously for help. Without waiting for orders scores of soldiers
seized their weapons and rushed out across the prairie toward the
fugitives, many of whom, as soon as they were within the lines, fell
to the ground exhausted or weeping hysterically. The soldiers, once
started, continued their advance on the enemy, the swiftest runners
distancing the rest. The Indians halted and fired, then seeing that
their antagonists were not checked, began sullenly to retire, not
even hastening much from the shells of the cannon, which had
opened along the eastern edge of the camp. So the retreat and
pursuit continued to the crest of the ridge, where the Indians went
out of sight into the Bad Lands just beyond.
Al and Wallace, who had run out at the first alarm, presently found
themselves, in company with one of the Sioux guides and a couple
of soldiers of the Sixth Iowa, on the edge of the ridge with a deep,
narrow valley before them, bounded on its farther side by four
hillocks, or small buttes, shaped like sugar loaves and each
separated from the next by crooked gullies, washed deep by rains.
At the left end of this series of buttes lay a long, open space,
entirely bare of vegetation, apparently extending around behind
them. Not an Indian was in sight, but Wallace suggested,
"I believe some of the redskins are hiding behind those buttes. Let's
surprise them. I'll tell you what we can do. You fellows," he
addressed the two cavalrymen, "stay here and the rest of us will go
back a little way and then sneak around and down across that open
space and get in behind the flank of the buttes. If there are any
Indians there, we can shoot them before they can get away."
"But there may be a lot of them," objected one of the troopers, "and
they'll clean you out."
"No," declared Wallace, with conviction. "It's only a little way across,
and if there are too many of them we can run back while you cover
us with your fire. Besides, lots of the boys are near by."
This was true; a number of soldiers were still a short distance back
on the plateau.
"What do you think of it?" asked Al, turning to the Sioux guide, who
happened to be one who could speak English, as well as his own
tongue.
"Good," said the Indian. "I go."
"Come on, then," urged Wallace, who seemed determined to have
an adventure if possible.
Followed by Al and the guide he walked back across the prairie until
the ridge hid them from view of any watchers who might be on the
buttes. The two troopers, meanwhile, lay down on the edge of the
ridge to wait developments. As soon as they were out of sight of the
buttes, the boys turned north and ran for some distance, then
swinging east again regained the edge of the ridge opposite the
open ground below. Here they could not be seen from any except
the northernmost butte and, hastening down the slope, they ran
across to the base of this butte and around to its farther side.
Looking up, they saw two Indians lying behind the top of the next
adjoining eminence, peeping over at the two soldiers across the
valley. Simultaneously the three adventurers fired. The head of one
of the warriors dropped between his outstretched arms and he lay
still without a struggle. His companion sprang to his feet, cast one
terrified glance at the unexpected assailants below him and leaped
with a few long bounds down the steep slope into the ravine at its
base and around the third butte, where he disappeared. Al and
Wallace gave a shout, in which the Indian scout joined, and Al ran
on in the direction taken by the warrior, followed by Wallace. But the
scout hesitated.
"Maybe better go back now, eh?" he called.
"Oh, no; come on!" Al shouted back. "We can get out anywhere and
we've got him on the run."
The scout said no more, but followed. They passed the ravine and
the base of the next butte, and came to the gully between that and
the fourth and last eminence to the south. From this eminence a
little ridge ran eastward out across the open ground. As they came
toward it an Indian rose half his height behind it, then, seeing them,
dropped down again. Al ran to the left to get around behind him,
and, as he did so, Wallace and the scout both saw another warrior,
farther up on the fourth butte, stand erect and aim at him.
"Look out, Al!" shouted Wallace.
"Drop, Briscoe!" cried the guide at the same instant, and Al
instinctively flung himself full length upon the ground just as the
Indian fired. The bullet passed over him; but at this moment Wallace
noticed still another hostile raise his head above the ridge and look
eagerly toward Al. He had no time to interpret the glance, but the
thought came to him that more Indians were showing themselves
than he had expected, and he cried,
"Come on out, boys! They're getting too thick."
Followed by his companions, he sprang into the gully close at hand,
expecting to see the valley beyond and the prairie ridge where the
two Iowa soldiers were lying. But, instead, a few yards up the
trench-like gulch he came to a sharp turn. As he rounded it, he
caught a glimpse of several Indians crouching down a little farther
on, their guns cocked and ready, and he dodged back again, almost
colliding with Al and the scout, behind him.
"I guess we're goners," he exclaimed, as he heard the swift patter of
moccasined feet behind and on the edges of the gully above them.
"Oh, what an idiot I was to get you fellows and myself into this. It's
my fault."
"No, it isn't, Wallace," declared Al. "It's mine. If I'd minded this
scout, we'd have gotten back all right."
But at this moment, which it seemed evident must be their last, they
heard a deep, commanding voice speak a few rapid words in the
Sioux tongue, and the sound of footsteps ceased.
"They're going to rush us," whispered Al, his voice shaking but his
eyes still courageous. "Let's give them all the shots we can and then
kill ourselves. Good-bye, Wallace, old man,—and good-bye, mother,
and Annie, and Tommy," he added, to himself.
Thoroughly expecting death within a few seconds, he could hardly
believe his ears when he heard the same deep, masterful voice
which had halted their pursuers, say, loudly,
"Al Briscoe! Al Briscoe!"
Al, shaking and pale, looked at his companions, too amazed and
bewildered even to hear the Sioux words, unintelligible to him, which
followed his name. The mere utterance of the latter, in such a place
and under such circumstances, was of itself ominous and terrifying
enough to chill his blood, for it seemed to single him out from his
companions for some special and horrible fate. But the Sioux scout
looked at him solemnly.
"You understand?" he asked.
"No," answered Al, shuddering.
"He say, 'Al Briscoe, I, Te-o-kun-ko, want talk with you.'"
"Te-o-kun-ko?" exclaimed Al, his strength coming back to him at that
familiar name. "Indeed, yes. If he does kill me, I shall at least find
out first."
He prepared to scramble up the side of the gully, but the scout
restrained him.
"No go till he say he not kill," said he.
"Ask him," Al replied.
The scout called out the question in Sioux and Te-o-kun-ko
answered, a note of surprise and satisfaction in his voice. The scout
himself looked relieved.
"He say, 'you got interpreter. Good!'" he repeated. "He say, 'come up
and bring him. We no kill.'"
There was nothing else to do, so the three scrambled to the top of
the gully, Wallace bringing up the rear. When he had regained his
feet, Al saw confronting him the superbly handsome figure of his
brother's captor, the muscles of his arms, the curve of his deep
chest, his proudly poised head, and eagle-like features, all mellowed
and harmonized in the soft glow of early twilight, until he looked
more like a bronze statue than a human being. The Indian was
leaning on a long rifle and he wore a short tunic, buckskin leggings,
and moccasins, all heavily embroidered with brilliant bead work,
while a splendid war bonnet of brightly colored feathers hung from
his head nearly to the ground. A handsome necklace of bears' claws,
fastened around his neck and depending over his massive chest,
completed a costume of savage magnificence strikingly becoming to
this lord of the prairies. A few feet behind him stood a dozen or
more warriors, their guns lying across their arms. They were as
silent and motionless as Te-o-kun-ko, but the glances of sullen
animosity which they flashed at Al and his companions showed
clearly enough that it was only the strong hand of their leader which
restrained them from instantly slaying the white boys and their
Indian comrade.
Te-o-kun-ko did not move as his three involuntary guests came up
before him but, leaning on his rifle, he regarded Al with a gaze so
keen and steadfast that the latter's eyes wavered, and to break the
silence he said,
"How."
"How, Al Briscoe," replied the Indian, still without moving.
A rush of indignation suddenly swept over Al as he remembered who
this man was.
"Ask him," said he, sharply, to the scout, "where my brother is."
He was determined to learn at least this much before anything could
happen to prevent.
The question was repeated, but Te-o-kun-ko did not reply
immediately. At length he said, through the interpreter,
"You are bold for a boy, Al Briscoe. Do you hold your life of no value
that you demand your brother now, when you are in my power?"
"I hold his life of more value than my own, Te-o-kun-ko," replied Al,
stoutly. "Would you not feel the same for your brother?"
The Indian flashed a look at him which seemed almost one of
sympathy.
"Yes," said he, and paused. Presently he went on, "If you were not
brave you would not be worthy of such a brother. But I knew that
you were brave the day I took him from you beyond the Yellow
Medicine, and I knew it better eleven suns ago when you came after
me like a hungry wolf under the shadow of Tahkahokuty. So I will
tell you."
He paused again, as if reflecting, then continued in the following
words, uttering them deliberately, and they were interpreted, phrase
after phrase, by the Sioux scout:
"Your brother was such a one as should have been an Indian, and so
I thought to make him. He fears neither the darkness nor the flood
nor the lightning, the buffalo stampede nor the rush and shouting of
armed men. No lad of my tribe can shoot straighter than he and he
rides a horse as the gray goose rides the north wind. He learned our
speech more quickly than a Cheyenne, of our own race, could have
learned it, and he came to love our life; I know, for he told me so,
often. And he loved me, who sought to be as his father, and my
squaw, Techon-su-mons-ka (The Sandbar), and his foster brothers
and sisters, Mah-to-che-ga (The Little Bear), Ka-pes-ka-da (The
Shell), and Mong-shong-sha (The Bending Willow). Your brother
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