The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-06-13
THE PRRRF GANG.

uH INC Train at IaWn0e Ja1cClOn.-s4 IN
station-naster's face fell as be saw thu
lady. but he ssluted the engineer witt
as easy an. air as he could assume ant
watched for an opportunity tt. speak te
him alone. Sinclair read the dispatches
with an unmoved counteaauce, and
aftera few minutes reflection, sfnfplS
said: "All right. Be sure and keet
= the n,atterspeffectly qniet.,n At break.
fast he was distraitEso much SO thai
his wife asked him whist was the matSe 4
Taking her aside, he At o1asloweahe,
! aYoa see my duty. ".he1 ais. ~.ahl,
only Thought il zsssst YOU. my. deas
2 child. WIN yeu stay here?"
She simply replied. looking into his
face without tremora ~
.My place is with yems Then the
!. conductor called .All Aboard. ~ and The
train once more started. ~ N= Z
Sinclair asked Foster to- JON him in
the smoking compartment, and tell a
promised story, which thej lister did.
A former rescue at Barker's he frankly
and gratefully said. had been The turn
ing point in his life. In brief. he had
-'sworn off, from gambling and drink
ing. and had foundhonest employment,
d and was doing well - ~
1--we two things to do now, Major, +"
he added; first, must show my
gratitude 20 you; and next--' he
hesitated a little-sI want to find that
poor girl that l left behind at Barker's.
. She was engaged to marry me, and
when L came TO think of il, and what \
life I'd have madezher lead, L hadn't
the heart till now to look for her; but.
seeing I'm on the right track, I'm
going to find her. and get her tc come
with me. Her iather's an old scoundrel,
| but that amt her fault, and ! ain t going
Foster" quietly. asked Sinclair.
<'do you know the. Perry gang?"e
s. The mans brow darkened. 80
= ''Know them?" said he. eI know
ithem much too well. Perry is ~ an
.godly cutthroat as ever killedSan
temigrant IN cold blood, and he's sc& in
7, his gang nearly all those hounds that
= tried to hang me. Why do you ask,
Maior?"
Sinclair handed him sthc dispatches.
: sfYoa are the emily man soa the train to
whom have shown them,'"' said he., Z,
Foster read them slowly, his ewes
lighting up as be did so. s.Looks as ff
1t was true said he. s.Let me see,
Fort -H-1.. Yes, that's the til Infantry.
Two of their boys were killed at Sydney
last summer by some of the same gang,
and the regiments sworn vengeance.
Major, it this story's on the, square.
that crowds goose is cooked. and don't
You forget it. 1 say. you must give me
q hand in it." = al ~ $3.50 -
Foster. said Sinclair. 81 am going to
put the responsibility on your shoulders.
L have. no doubt that. ii we be attacked,
the soldiers ai1 dispose Of 1.-The gang:
but must take all possible pre- aations
for the safety of the passengers. We
must not alarm them. They can be
made to think that the troops are going
on scout, and only certain number.
of resolute men need be told of what
we expect. Can you. late this after
noon, 60 through The cars and pick
them oute I will then put you in
charge of the passenger cars. aud you
can post your men on the platforms TO
act in case of need. My place will be
ahead" - T.a .-..il-I
Major. you can depend on me" was
Fosters reply. "Pll 60 through the
train ard have my eye on some boys of
the right Sort and that's got their
sboosing irons with Chem"
Through the hours of that day on
rolled the train. still over the crisp huff
1alo grass. across the we'll worn buffalo
trails. past the prairie-dog villages. 4
The passengers chatted. dozcd, played
cards. read. all unconscious, with the
exception of three, of the coming con-
fiict between the good and evil forces
bearing on their fate; of the fell prep
arations making for their disaster; of
the grim preparations making to avert
such disaster: of all of which the. little
wires alongside OF them had been talk
ing back and forth. Watkins had tele-
graphed that he still saw no reason to
doubt the good faith of his warning, and
Sinclair had reported his receipt OF au-
thority and bis acceptance thereof.
Meanwhile. also. there had been set in
motion q measure of that power to
which appeal b 80 reluctantly made in
time OF peace. At Fort -, a lonely
post on the plains, the orders had that
morning been issued for twenty men
eSSSi AiSN@Suous navy ~ spdfSde at
four O'Clock p. m. with overcoats, two
days rations. ball cartridges; also for
Assistant Surgeon Kesler to report for
duty with the party. Orders rs to des-
hnstion were communicated direct to |
the Lieutenant from the Post Command |
er, and on the minute the little column
moved, taking the road to the station. |
The regiment from which it came bad |
been In active service among tile In |
dians on the frontier for long time, |
and the officers and men were tried and |
seasoned fighters. Lieutenant Halsey |
had been well known at the West Point |
balls as the "leader of the german"
From the last of these balls he had gone I
straight TO. the field. and three, years
had gwen him an envisble reputation |
for sang froid and determined bravery. J
he looked every inch the colder as he
walked along the raa, kis cloak thrown
back, and his sword tucked under his
arm. Tic doctor, who carried Modoc I
bullet u some inaccessible part of his
scarred body. growled geod-naturedly |
mt the need Of walking. and the men.
enyeioped In their srmy-blue overcoats, |
marched easily in fours. Bleaching the
station, the Lieutesant called the agent
aside. and with HIM inspected, on a
siding. long platform ear ON which,
benches had been placed and secured