Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1892-06-23
DICK, THE COMPANY DOG.
STORY OF HIS RUN ACROSS
THE PRAIRIE AT NIGHT.
1t Was Not Stealing because the Whole
Company Took Hiln-The Little
Dog Who Brought Help to
the Pcrishing Men.

Dog Who Brought Help to
the PcrishinE Men.
'9cs Dick was favorite! Dick
always counted one in the company:
every man claimed Dick as com.
rade. Surprisingly young looking.
with his dark eyes honest face. alert
movements, and ringing bark
This story was being told OF Dick.
the company dog. in the summer OF
SO out in the Indian Territory
He came from the East with us.
joining us in Jersey City. How did
he come to join9 Well to be honest.
we wee waiting on the platform for
the train to back in and when the
handsome dog came up and made
friends, soldier-likc we smuggIed him
on board. Yes. he was somebody's
pet No it wasn't rla hit to take him
But You see the whole company took
him, not any one man-that would
have been stealing No, sir he
hadn't & collar.
There WASH t anything special for
long while Dick was friends with
everybody. Even when some OF the
men got little off Dick never got a
blow.
Why did say there never was a
dog that had SO much sense2 Just
this Our post WAS down near the
| Wishita and the Indians had been
| quiet for a couple of weeks: just time
enough for the cavalry to get shol
and rested and fixed up to 90 out and
chase en- some more when they got
ready to be chased.
'Otr company was ordered to march
to tho next fort and bring down a
supply train. Steam9 Not much
Six-mIle wagons. So one morning
off we started Dick with us as usual.
10 mike a long story short the next
afternoon found US surrounded by four
Or five hundred Indians our wagon
animals killed and we unable to move,
intrenched as best we might with our
wounded as comfortable as We could
make them in the centre OF our circle
Safe OF course we We're, that Is
some Of US got hurt OF course. but
they colldn't break our circle And
no more could we move. There We
were out on wide prairie only a few
drops Of water in our cantecus and
cut off rom any way OF getting more
That made it a question OF moving
and getting killed. staying still and
dying If thirst or getting aid from
the fort Night came and volunteers
for water tried to steal through the
Indian ines. Get through? No sir.
Those plains Indians knew just the
kind of box they had us in. and no
man, White Or red. could have got
past item. Every man that made
the trial came running,back for his life
Net day It was worse: hotter
than ever and. what water there W as
was kept for the wounded And the
meanc$t part of it was to look at the
reds some on horseback some on the
ground stretched out enjoying them
selves out Of range and all of them
free to ride over TO the stream whose
cottonwood covered banks We're in
plain SIGHT a few miles OIL.
MI ht came again. and again some
volunteers tried to sip through But
it was 10 use Things looked prett.
rough Only an occasional croan
from tie wounded broke the silence.
Along ,bout 10 O clock heard some
body whistle; then Dick was called
softly. After {; bit every man go
orders not to let Dick come inside the
lines. message to the fort for aic
had been rolled up in IL piece OF rub
Der blanket and tied around his neck.
Our Only hope was that he would star
off for he fort and carry it, and tina
somess one would unite the roll ant
read tie message
Every now and then Dick would
try to come up to where lay in the
circle, but it was only TO be met " I'll
, clods If earth that drove him off t.
try to find some friend who would
welcome him as OF old. But ever,
mans hand was against Dick tina
! night and after a long time word wa
passed around that Dick was gone
Nobod5 could see him at all events
But We had to wait for daylight tt
, make sure that the poor old boy wa
! not lying down Il little way from us
, waitin: for the dawn and the recogni
ton W. had never failed in giving hin
before.
, Daylight came at last Their
! every eye was strained to find Dick
But he was not there. And after tn,
field-g asses had searched in vain 70
him. there rose a cheer on the morn
ing ar that brought the Indians t
their feet anxiously scanning the
horizon all around for the cause.
'.Well. that little dog made his wa,
to the front, over the dark praries
and swimming the streams until. jus
after lay break. about the time W
were cheering him back there in camp
; he tro,ted up to the stable guard a
| one of the cavalry company's stables
tired out.
: We'll it wasn't long after tina
! that we saw our relief coming. AN
they brought, Dick with them. Ho,
we did pet him! But often wonder
ed what the little fellow thought tina
night after we had driven him of. a
he t'otted through the dark TO tn
5 fort! For OF course he don't kno,