San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-11-23

| that very eVening-it was to forestail
any sensational newspaper story about
the majors wound-and | certainly
looked for reply of some sort yester1
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
will have later news when the sergeant
rides back tonight. Igave him an order
to get any kilograms that might have az
rived for the regiment. What time does
the train get in from the east-dO you
! know, DOCTOR"
Somewhere about three, sir, but |
fear there will be no mail for us for
day or two. Old hands here say it il
p madness to face a Dakota blizzard on
the open prairie, and some of the officers
think we are in for gale, to say the
least"
well, Brewster" said the colonel
kindly, your 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 II
look into Captain Rolfe's charges again
him; but say nothing about the matter
for the present"
The cavalry trumpet, weird and titful
on the wings of the gale, was sounding
first call for retreat as Brewster left TIL
colonels tent and started down the gen.
tie slope to join his troop. Already the
snow flakes were driving almost hori-
zontally with the biting wind, and in
the rapidly gathering gloom the men
came budding from their rude shelters,
and bundled to the ears in their great
coats stood stamping and swinging their
arms, impatient to 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
with snow that objects hundred yards
distant were blurred and those beyond
entirely obscured. Holden softly un.
strapped and raised the canvas flap and
pOked his fur capped head within the
aperture.
Sleeping" he queried of the hospital
attendant.
Sleeping like baby, sir" whispered
the soldier, as he tiptOed to the entrance.
Captain Hazlett was reading to him
over an hour, and then he just dropped
away, and the captain left at first call.
That's capital, said Holden, turning
to the chief. He has worried so over
the effect the news might have on his
wife that | couldn't get him to sleep
Now, if we can only tide him over until
morning and if this Oeastly gale will
only subside, we'll have good news for
him"
well, don't let Rolfe sss near him."
said Farquhar with quiet smile. There
isn't better duty officer in all the
Twelfth, but somebody has to suppress
him once in awhile"
He ought to be married." laughed
Holden in reply.
That night when the trumpets pealed
tattoo the musicians braced their backs
against the clustering northwest and
blew as best they could, though BOreas
strOve to silence their lustieSt effort, and
no trooper on the windward side could
hear note. Over the whistle and howl
of the gale, far out on the desolate prairie,
far to the southeast, however, the stir
ring, welcoming, hope-reviving strain
was borne to the frozen ears of solitary
and well nigh exhausted trooper, bid
ding him pluck up courage. rouse him
self to renewed effort, and once more
plunge forward into the blackness of the
night.
So long as he kept the gale in his bat.
tered face, SO long would he be strug-
Cling toward comrades and shelter
Staggering, stumbling, sometimes crawl.
ing few PAGES on hands and knees,
sometimes turning his back to the icy
blast and gasping for breath, sometimes
burying his face in his arms, sometimes
stretching those arms aloft to heaven
and lifting up a silent prayer for help,
for strength, he had struggled on afoot
long after abandoning his fallen and
crippled horse. No reckoning light, no
glimmering star to guide, only the rude
Bullets of the cruel, pitiless blast, the
singing, biting, thrashing of the snow
pelting him like small shot, to point the
way, yet savagely to beat him back-to
bid him face and force them, yet furious
to overwhelm and down. Weak and ex-
hausted, he had wellnigh abandoned the
last vestige of hope, and wailing cry
went moaning aloft from his cracked
and frozen lips: God in heaven guide
me; bear me up; give me strength. tits
not for myself, but those poor women
God in mercy hear me. God in pity
answer"
And over the wrath and fury of the