Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-12-21

dition. However, we carefully refrained
from troubling him with many questions,
until he should feel sufficiently recovered
to volunteer an account of his recent
perilous scout. We determined to wait
his own time for it, and did 80, though,
it must be confessed, with great deal of
feverish impotence. II came in the
morning, to our great relief, and the sub
stance of which / will give as near as
possible in Dicks own language.
THAT 'C)mpsny l fellow is COW
ardly scamp" he began, "and the least
said about him the better. All he wanted
of me was my company through the camp
on the Green. He had lodged the bull
let's and arrows of the 'Rlpehoes, there's
no doubt Of that, and took such a scare
that it was company or death to him.
"We rode together that day, bat it
didn't require more than an hour to con-
vince me CT his cowsrdice, and then /
began to feel doubtful and suspicious of
him. Ireaily do believe the fellow was
afraid of his own shadow. 1t was either
that or nervous way he had of starting
suddenly at everything that moved. he
told me be had been courier between
two posts among the Black Hills, for four
months at stretch, but didn't believe
q word of it,
AFTER leaving you that day we followed
the valley on down to the Green, where
we ought to have found the troops en-
camped, according to his statement; for
if it was one mile it was twenty, before
we reached the river, and the time was
within an hour or so of night. But no
sign of camp was there. e
"The fellow began to say something
about our having missed the direct
route-we had kept too much to the left,
while we should have followed valley
that diverged more toward the east. We
turned to the right, and continued on up
the Green, travelled four or FIVE miles,
then when it got so dark we couldn't see
the trail, stopped and lighted FIRE to
keep from freezing. / suggested to him
that perhaps we were travelling in the
wrong direction, but he repeated very
positively that he was certain we were
going right
II 1t had been possible to have con-
tinued on that night, surely should
have done so, even at the risk of losing
my way. For the truth lie, was be-
coming afraid Of the fellow, by that time,
and l cursed myself again and again for
having been such tool as to go with
him at all. ] formed the conclusion that
he was q deserter from the army, and
had no doubt he meant to kill me, if
only half o chance presented, and make
off with my property.
"Weil, the consequence of this state
of things was, ! wrapped myself in
my blanket and sat all night by the
FIRE, awake and watchful, while the
soldier rolled himself in his own and
curled up on the ground few feet away.
Lord what long, wretched plight that
wssl I thought it never would pass,
and more than once half resolved to
softly steal away, mount my horse and
put out on the back track; and | have
wished fftv times since that l had done
so then. But morning came at last, and
/ then concluded it would be better to
continue On to the military camp, if
there was any such place in that region.
1--WE set out soon after daylight, after
partaking of cold luncheon by way OF
breakfast; for neither of us had any food
that required cooking, aud very little of
10 the provision line. 1t was
the same old thing over again--s silent
ride through desolste wilderness coun-
try, continually half frozen by piercing
winter wind, which blew steadily ia our
faces until 9 o'clock, when, happily, we
reached the military camp.
There, indeed, | enjoyed an oppor-
tunity of thoroughly thawing my frozsn
frame, which was certainly an inestims-
ole privilege, after being so long at the
mercy of wind and frost But as an off
set to this was doomed to dissppoint-
ment for which / was little prepared at
that time. There was to be nogexpedi
tioR sent out against the Indians, nor for
any other purpose so far as any person
there knew. saw the commander, but
he had no knowledge of anything Of the
kind. He had received no order or re
quest on the subject from the officer in
command at Harper's Fork. Nor was
he subject to the orders Of that military |
whatever his grade OF rank.
"The truth was out then-that soldier |
was q confounded humbug-and there
was an end of the matter. lie was sim
ply the bearer of ordinary dispatches l
could have blacked both Of his eyes
handsomely, just then, if / had had him
within my resch-I was in the right
mood for it, by jingo Bat there was
little to be made by getting myself in
the guardhouse, 10 addition to my other
so 1 wisely refrAined fran
seeking satisfaction in that manner, aud
turned my attention to the subject of get
ling back sgsin as soon as possible to
lhe point from which / set out
"If had started at once, l might
have made half the distance that day,
and should have got alcng better, no
doubt. | don't know, thought was q
terrible night Of storm and cold, and
IN all probability / should have lost my
way and frozen to death. The Lord
knows didn't miss it so very far, after
III. $500 Il
"As it was, my horse needed rest and
orovender, and so when saw the storm
,oming on, my courage failed me, and
concluded to lay BY till morning, in hope
hat there would be by that time q more
favorable state Of the weather.
Ito be Continued