Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1892-08-18

drifts around the hospital ambulance
and huddled for warinth-fres they
could not light, even had there been a
vestige Of fuel-and then, with three IN
daunted campaigners at his back, he
had once again turned down stream, fol-
lowing its wanderings in the darkness
and feeling for ravines he could not see
along the southern bank. Time and
again they dismounted and ran beside
their horses to restore circulation to the
numbed and stiffened feet and fingers.
Time and again they plunged waist
deep into drifts and the horses founder
ed to their girths i'll the powdeyy snow.
AT last Brewster noftd that here and
there far in the northwestern skies the
stars were beginning to peep; the clouds
were driving away, the dawn was nigh.
the hurricane abating. Broader and
brighter the daylight stole over the
storm swept prairie, streal1ed here and
there with fleecy, winding veins, and
when at last the sun arose in its un-
clouded splendor the gale had died away
to mere ghost of its furious self, and
they rubbed the icy fringe from their
battered eyelids and gazed long and
wistfully up and down that shallow,
winding valley, all heaped and tumbled
with the driven snow, and saw not a
sign of those whom they had rushed to
save.
Never for an instant did Brewster re-
lax his efforts. Giving each Of his men
pull at the flask, he selected little
Murphy as about the most compact and
certainly the lightest Of the trio, and
bade him make his way to camp and
tell the colonel that up to sunrise no
vestige Of the lost ones had been found,
and suggest that additional parties be
sent out at once.
''Tell somebody to bring my field
glass" he added, as Murphy was about
to ride away. IF | had dreamed we
would have found nothing Of the ambu-
lance until this time, | never should
have left it. Good luck to you now.
corporal. Ride as lively as you can"
Murphy turned promptly away, spur
red his unwilling horse through the ice
into the black and racing waters Of the
Wolf and was presently following lit
tie break in the north side which led by
more gradual ascent to the prairie be-
yond.
"Now, men, one of you ride back to-
ward the party at the ford, poke into
every ravine to your left they're all full
Of snow; it may be the ambulance Is 50
deep in the drift they could hear no
sound. If you find anything, the faint
est trace, ride up on the prairie and
circle your horse to the left Morse,
you come with me-
beg pardon, lieutenant, | think Mur-
ply sees something now," said Morse,
indicating the farther shore with nod
of his fur covered head. WhirIing eaz-
erly about, Brewster was surprised to see
his little Irishman, hundred yards or
so away, crouching low on his horses
back, still in the ravine and up to his
girth in snow, and peering cautiously
eastward, his eyes just level with the
bank. Then he was plainly seen to sig
nal. In an instant Brewster and his men
were plunging into the rapid stream,
crushing tha ice that slirted the shores
ana DVutntliu5 5ut uPOn tAe frozen
ground beyond. Again Murphy held
forth hand-a warning gesture, not
a beckoning one. Keep down, keep
down, lie signaled, and wondering, the
little party Of troopers cautiously fol-
lowed into the ravine.
"What 40 YOU see. queried Brewster.
eager and agitated
Upon my soul, sir. l wish knew;
but its more like Indians than anything
can think Of Z
"Indianss where away" And with a
wild fear at heart Brewster gazed over
the bank in the direction indicated.
''Indians, and coming this way, sir, or
I'm Il tenderfoot," muttered Morse. a
man who had served in the Twelfth for
many year.
What on earth can they be doing 50
far south Of the agency? You don't
think any of the hostiles have got down
this way
They're all hostiles, sir, when there's
only three or four ag'in them. 1t don't
matter whether these are from the
agency or the Bad Lands now, if they
can catch white man a-napping, and
romething has brought them out here.
My God, mani you don't suppose
they've heard of the ambulance?n
~TLey hear things quicker than we
do, lieutenant. Day OF night, calm or
storm, those fellows can all around beat
us in getting news.
And they are coming from the north
east, lieutenant" chimed in Murphy.
THAT means if they are from the vii
lagos near the agency they've circled
around Dur people
Breathless the little party watched the
coming dots. The stream bore to the
northeast after deep bend about half
mile away, and on the farther bank,
moving nearly parallel with the valley,
about dozen dark objects could be seen
moving at rapid lope, the springing, tire
less gait Of the Indian pony. Ponies they
were unqucsuonaoIy, ana each with his
rider. Every moment brought them
nearer and nearer, until, as they spread
out i'll extended order across the level
surface, 1t was possible to count their
AeAhtbIAf tACNrus HCoclb4C " nOtC tustJ
every now and then some one of the
number in front or ON the tanks would
rein i'll suddenly and circle around and
stop, az though examining tracks upon
the prairie.
1T is not possible the ambulance can
have got so far over as that, muttered
Brewster. 1T is not possible that they
can have heard of it in all that fearful
storm. Why, Morse, its madness to
think Of itl'
IL don't know how far the team may
have been driven out that way. sir, but
the blizzard came from the northwest,
from their left front; it beat across their
path all the way and mules won't face
it, and if it isn't the ambulance they're
after, what can it be-
My God, il we only knew where it
waslY groaned Brewster. Come what
may, men, we've got to stand 'twixt it
and those scoundrels. Here, Murphy,
lively now, slip back down into the val
ley and ride for all you're worth to the
ford and bring those fellows back with
you, every man Of them. Tell them to
keep under the bank and ride like hell
Off with you, now" And this time there
was no recall; Murphy was ont Of sight
in flash.
Nearer and nearer rode the savage