The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-06-01
CAPT. sTANLEY's BODY-GUARD.

CAPT. STAhLEY'S B0DY-GUARD.
Well, yes," said my host, Captain
Stanley, as brave a soldier as ever drew
a sabre; 80 [ have seen some hard times
since j have been out here, and so have
we all A man in our profession can't
pass i've years Of his life on the plains
without getting some hard knocks,
tell you. anla1 ef.f Hfr
We had just finished a late supper,
and having drawn our chairs about the
wide fireplace, had. filed our pipes pre-
paratory- to iuduigfng in social smoke.
There were a dozen of us in the room,
all except myself wearing Uncle SANS
"honOred blue l was at that time
correspondent for an Eastern paper and
had been ordered to the frontier to
writeup' the campaign which Cen
eral Crook was about TO undertake.
against Che Cheyennes Who had broken
away from Their reservation. Finding
hat a detachment led by Captain
Stanley, the Commander of old
Fort Frazier, was expected to
bear the brunt of the work,
joined my fortunes with it, Accompanied
it on-a peFilous scout of fourteen hundred
miles, and we had but Just returned to
the fort. We had got back, too, just ian
time TO escape what Western men call
. blizzard" And what is that? lit IS
an old-fasldoned New England snow
storm a dozen times intensified. The
wind blows as if it would sweep every
thing before it, the cold is SO piercing
that one shivers over the hottest fire,
and, the air is filled, not with snow, but
with sharp needles of ice, which seem
TO threaten destruction to every living
thing exposed to its fury. We were all
snUgly housed, our faded horses were
munching their barley in their warm
stables, the sentries were standing grim
and silent in their boxes, and those of us
who were fortunate enough to have no
duty to call us out into the storm,
spread our hands over the cheerful
wood fire and congratulated ourselves
on the safe ending Of oiIr tedious scout.
| said there was a dozen of US in the
room; but / must not forget to mention
Captain SANKEY'S bOdy-guard, four
magnificent Scotch deer-hounds, which
lay stretched out in front of the fire.
They were large, shaggy animals, with
immense bone and muscle, aud bore on
their bodies numerous evidences of the
battles through which they had passed.
They were terrible fighters, and the
ease with which they could Overtake
and pull down an antelope, was surpris-
ing. They accompanied us on the
scout, and ] could not imagine why it
was that they We're treated with SO
much kindness and consideration by
every member of the command. On
this particular night l was to find out.
How the wind blowsr' exclaimed
young Lieutenant, from his seat in the
chimney corner. 4 declare, it viii
tear the stockade up by the roots.''
Yes, it is a wild night; and 1 hadn't
been on the plains as long as you have,
Jack" said the Captain, addressing
himself to the Lieutenant, 'before / was
called upon to face just such a storm as
this. without shelter of any Kind, -ex--
Cept what was tO-be~ found in the hills,
and under circumstances that were cal
Culated to freeze the blood in the veins
of the bravest man chat ever stepped
Those hours of horror turned my hair
white as You see il now,E and made me
an old man before my time ] cannot
recall them without shuddering."
The Captainpuffed Vigorously at his
well-blackened brier-root fora few min
utes, and after making, sure that it was
well lighted, continued:
81 always was fond of horses. doe
and guns, and I can scarcely remember
the time when | did not own some of
the very best. My pointers could not
be beaten, my pony would take fence
almost as well as any of my fathers
thoroughbreds, and my little fowling
piece was sure death to any bird that
got up within any reasonable distance.
When left home 30 go 20 West Point,
it almost broke my heart TO part from
my pets; but my uncle, who was an ar
dent sportsman. assured me That if L
would pass a creditable examination at
the end of my school term, he would pre-
sent me with pack of dogs that would
more than take the place of the one |
left behind; my father, a veteran of the
Mexican war, and q great admirer of
the cavalry, told me that if would fit
myself to enterthat branch of the serv-
ice, he would give me the finest horse
in his stable, and my mother said she
would give me another. Encouraged
by these promises. and ambitious to
distinguish myself in my chosen profess
sion, | worked hard, and stood among
the first five at the end of the course,
Here are The dogs my uncle gave me-
said the Captain, his stern face soften
ing as he gazed almost lovingly at the
splendid animals before him. and The
horses-well. one was killed during
fight on the Sweetwater. and the other
poor Gipsyl She was my mothers
gift.
As soon as I received my commits
sion was ordered TO report To the COM
manding officer Of Fort Scott for duty.
The officers were Ill lovers of the chase,
and ut the sght of my horses and bounds
they received mo with open arms. In
company with Che neighboring ranch
men, we hunted almost constantly;
there was little scouting AZ bc done. Cor
the Indians were Quietly settled onatheir
reservation, and when winter came and
the first snow covered the ground, the
sport we had in coursing antelope was
simply magnificent @aaaA ga
Early one morning, while / was re-
turning to the post with freShly-killed
antelope slung across my saddle. j
noticed that my eyes burned, and that
the surface of the snow, from which the
bright rays of the cum were reflected
with almost dazzling brilliancy, seemed
to be covered with floating specks.
Now and then something that looked
like n chain danced across the range of
myvision, and this would be followed
by multitudeS of miniature pin-wheels
and sky-rockets.r knew that the glare
Of the sun on the snow had affected my
eyes, but l thought nothing of il, for
was foolish enough to believe that It
would wear off in time. SIS
when ] reached the fort / found
there was a runner from the Red Eagle
Agency, who had brought Information
whichrendered it necessary that cou-
rler should be sent with dispatches to
Fort Morris The dispatches were