Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1892-08-04

on Gorham's report that he had some
important personal matters TO look after.
Has he returned ycty
"He had not up to stables, sir. but his
pass does not expire until tattoo. and |
almost hope he has not started in face of
this wind. 1t looks like blizzard COM
ing
"When did Rolfe get these reports. il
may asSf' queried Holden. 81 sent
telegram day before yesterday to Mrs.
Holden that ought to have reached her
that very evening-it was TO forestall !
any sensational newspaper story about /
the majors wound-and l certainly /
looked for a reply Of some sort yester-
day"
"The wires are down both east and /
west, I'm told-cut by 'friendlies at the /
reservation, very probably. No dispatch
/ has passed either way since Yesterday"
answered the colonel. "Rolfe's must
/ have come before that. Possibly we
I will have later news when the sergeant
| rides back tonight. lgave him an order
TO get any kilograms that might have ar
rived for the regiment What time does
the train get in from the east-d0 you
know, doctors"
somewhere about three. sir, but
fear there will be no mail for MS for
day or two. Old hands here say it is
madness to face a Dakota blizzard ON
the open prairie, and some Of the officers
think we are in for a gale, to say the
least"
well, Brewster" said the colonel
kindly. ''vour statement Is all that
was needed to put an end to any idea
that You knew all about Ellis before his
enlistment. OF course / shall have to
look into Captain Rolfes charges against
him; but say nothing about the matter
for the present
The cavalry trumpet, weird and htful
on the wings Of the gale. was sounding
first call for retreat as Brewster left the
colonel's tent and started down the gem
Ito slope TO join his troop. Already the
snow flakes were driving almost hori-
gontally with the biting wind, and In
The rapidly gathering gloom the men
came budding from their rude shelters,
aud bundled to the ears in their great
coats stood stamping and swinging their
arms, impatient 30 have roll call over
and done with. The colonel came forth
a moment later. and together he and
Holden tramped over to the turf walled
structure in which their wounded COM
rade lay. The air was now so thick
e with snow that objects a hundred yards
Instant were blurred and those beyond
T mtirely obscured. Holden softly un-
Z strapped and raised the canvas flap and
= pol1ed his fur capped head within the
, aperture.
4 "Sleeping?" he queried Of the hospital
4 attendant
d Sleeping like baby, sir" whispered
u the soldier, as he tiptoed TO the entrance.
q captain Hazlett was reading TO him
p over an hour, and then he just dropped
e away, and the captain left at first call. y
r "That's capital, said Holden, turning
10 the chief "He has worried so over
e the effect the news might have on his
d wife that l couldn't get him to sleep
s. Now, if we can only tide him over until
Is morning and if this beastly gale viii
only subside, Wen have good news foi
a him."
"Well, don't let Rolfe get near him,
u said Farquhar with quiet smile. ether,
@ isn't n better duty officer in all tn,
Twelfth, but somebody has TO suppress
Ie him once in awhile
Is HE ought to be married" laughed
Is Holden in reply.
T. That night when tho trumpets pealet
20 tattoo the musicians braced their back
10 against the clustering northwest anS
IL blew as best they could, though Borea
re strove TO silence their lustiest effort, an,
IL no trooper on the windward side coul,
& hear note. over the whistle and how
Of the gale, far out on the desolate prairie
"a far to the southeast, however, the stir
ring. welcoming, hope-reviving strain
/ was borne TO the frozen ears Of a solitar.
-, and we'll nigh exhausted trooper, bid
vi ding him pluck up courage. rouse him
self to renewed effort, and once NOR
IL plunge forward into the blaclSness Of tn
'u night.
De So long as he kept the gale in his bat
OF tered face, so long would he be strug
re Cling toward comrades and shelter
o. Staggering, stumbling, sometimes crawl
ing few PAGES on hands and knees
Re sometimes turning his back to the ic.
blast and gasping for breath, sometime
as burying his face in his arms, sometime
7u stretching those arms alOft TO heavei
and lifting up a silent prayer for help
'll for strength, he had struggled on afoo
d, long after abandoning his fallen an
at crippled horse. No reckoning light, n
y" glimmering star to guide, only the rud
Bullets Of the cruel, pitiless blast, tn
gu singing, biting, thrashing of the snoy
nj pelting him like small shot, TO point tn
way, yet sayagely to beat him back-t
bid him face and force them, yet furiou
De to overwhelm and down. Weak and eS
40 hausted, he had well nigh abandoned tn
nj last vestige of hope, and a wailing or
W went moaning aloft from his cracke
iis and frozen lips: 'God in heaven guild
I me; bear me up; give Inc strength. LII
he not for myself, but those poor womer
~ God in mercy hear me. God in pit
az answer"
as And over the wrath and fury of tn
Isl mad hurricane, triumphing above tn
III shrek and howl of the temptest, ringin
ne like tho voice of archangel through III
Is vault Of the storm dashed skies, God
ne answer came. The divine pity, ridin