Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-11-21

into frozen shadows at the flats, moan
ing and complaining around its warped
and sudden bends, desOlate as the sur
rounding desolation, deserted as the
Dead sea, it's banks repellent even to
such sharers of Dakota sOlitudes as the
coyote and the cottonwood, stunned of
man or beast or tree-a stream of silence
and gloom at the dawn of this December
day. and so cherries is its every sur
rounding, so appalling the unnatural
hush, that one would never dream of
life upon its blasted banks.
Yet, listen! Unseen, but dominant.
the sun has risen above the eastern hills,
and. as the light broadens even where it
cannot warm, there floats upon the air
from far away at the southwest, faint
and clear, a cavalry trumpet call; soft
at first, then crescendo, it ceases sud
denly in shrill high note. 1t thrills
through and through rare atmosphere
unruffied by the feeting wing of har-
diest bird Like the wistful call of scat
tered quail it seems to say, where are
your" And prompt, expectant of the
coming of faithful mate, listen againl
From the dim recesses to the north,
somewhere among these bare and des-
olate slopes, the answer rises, quick,
ringing, even imperative, and the signal
reads, ssThis way"
Cropping through the bitter darkness
of the December night a cavalry column
has sought and, just at the opening of
this cherries December day, has found
it's mate. The comrade battalions of
the Twelfth are within hail.
..Forwardr' rings the signal from the
southwest. Forward with them then,
around that point at the low bluff to our
| front, and in the ghostly, gathering
light the scene is before us, the tale Is
almost told.
There, thickly dotting the prairie and
covering the low ground, it's wigwams
smoke begrimed and dingy, lies an In
dian encanpment; but even in such
/ shelter as this the hostile horde has
Jared far better than, they who through
the long, freezing night have kept watch
and ward lest ag2in the wary chief
should slip through the meshes. 1t has
come at last The big warriors fanat-
ical braves have made their rush, Ber-
rien's men the tackle. Back flew the
signal with the setting sun. Up through
the night came Farquhar with ''the
| guards"
Here in front the four old troops we
know so well have shivered for hours
about the village. Here, alert and de-
termined, Rolfe and Hazlett, Thorpe and
Gorham, have chung to front, flank and
rear, we'll knowing that so--soon as the
colonel got the news he would not only
| speed the second battalion on its way,
but, gathering any other forces he could
find, would ride the long night through,
! if need were, to join his men.
Stern and silent Rolfe is standing at
the bank of the stream, wearied enough,
vet certain that there is no rest before
them On him as senior the command
has devolved in the absence of the be-
| loved major now being tenderly nursed
and comfortably trundled homeward in
the warm interior of a Pullman. No
excitement, no cheer attends the coming
of the column now at steady, soldlerly
gait winding into the shallow depression.
Rolfe knows that without Farquhar and
his re-enforcements attack upon or inter
ference with so formidable band would
be worse than desperation. He knows
that with Farquhar his own position will
be only that of subordinate, and that he
must obey. He knows how, were he SUI
preme, thousand troopers at his back,
he would conduct matters now. But
uuhar is soldier long accustomed
Goth to obedience and to command; Rolfe
is one to whom obedience comes with
laggard grace, to whom command is op
pertunity for lavish vent of his imperious
will.
Orders or no orders, if he had the
power he would deal death to the rabiC
renegades before him. Orders to bring
on the Indians, but not bring on fight,
to his thinking are orders like those
which should forbid mans going tt
water unit: he had learned to swim
Orders to ;sisarm but not modest are
simply something to be laughed to scorn
When were the Sioux ever known te
surrender those precious arms? Sucl
things when reported in years gone by
turned out to be as rusty shams as the
arms turned in. Ro,re was in mood a:
sullen as the morn, and the signs about
the now bustling village were not to his
liking Over among the tepees blanket
ed squaws were scurrying about, theil
shrill voices suppressed, but their blacl
eyes flashing hatred at the silent squads
of troopers, carbines ready in hand
watching every move within the guarded
lines. Young women and boys wer'
belaboring the gaunt and detected ponies
Eager gestures and low exclamation
called attention to the coming force, ant
in groups the warriors, shrouded TO thu
very lips in their heavy robes, stood q
| sat in council: but all the while, dartins
! | from point to point with fierce declam