Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-07-05


TO meet me-" she said. Il am Mrs.
Coloners sister. and wrote her that
l would arrive at the station yester-
day, but no one met me. These gentle
men, learned, were going to the fort,
and so | decided to join them"
1T is very long and tiresome ride,
miss" said the soldier, and you are
yet nearly 20 miles from the fort"
Il don't mind the ride" replied the
young lady, for l am very fond of
this sort of exercise"
The four started ON brisk trot.
and in few minutes the postman
dropped back with the private.
DO you think there is any danger
from the lndians?" he asked.
There's always danger from the
red devils when they get started"
answered tn" soldier. You know we
last heard of the Indians forty miles
north. That was day before yester-
day. By this time they may be max
ing for the settlement. and If so we
will probaly get distant sight Of
EN-"
Il shouldn't think they'd come near
us if they did," remarked the postman.
for we are riding straight for the
fort, and 1 don't think they want to
come near there"
They'd be safe enough" laughed
the private, "for In this cursed country
they could see a long way and could
see the cavalry was not near. They
might be even so bold as to come up
almost to the fort gates"
After awhile the girl joined the sol
der, and they talked of the life ON
the plains. She told him she had never
before been west of Omaha, and that
she thought she would enjoy the trip,
and she told him, too, how she had
not seen her sister for eight years;
that she had been in school when her
sister married and went west with
her husband; that their parents had
died, and that she intended making
her home with her only relative for
awhile at least.
ihr soldier enjoyed her conversation,
for the privateS in the ranks see so
little of women that one Is like an
angel fresh from heaven. In return he
told her of army life and the plains,
and the guard and the postman also
related anecdotes of their life on the
plains. For two hours they rode and
then the private refined in his horse
and raised his tieldglass toward what
appeared to be a cloud that was skim
ming along on the ground couple of
miles away.
Great God, it's the Indians. he
gaSped.
Without Il moments hesitancy they
spurred their horses forward AS If
the wind had blown to them danger
the four horses sprang forward. The
magnificent animal the soldier rode
could scarcely be held in. There was
no question but the keen eyes of that
band of murdererS and national pau
perS had seen the four for they were
bearing straight across the country,
and dozen had separated from the
main band and were riding furiously
north to head off the little party. The
trained eye of the private saw the
proposed play on the part of the In
dians. The girl was white, and her
lips were pressed close together She
realized the danger, though since the
exclamation of the private not a word
had passed the lips of the four All
but she realized why the Indians
gained; that their horses were young
and swift. The horse the private rode
tugged hard on the reins, took the bit
tight in his teeth, and every nerve
seemed to start and strain, showing
the great speed yet remaining in him.
The horse the girl rode was becoming
tagged. 1t was only poor beast, such
as you find in a frontier livery stable.
1t was old and weak. The postman
and guard crazed with fear, were urg-
ing their horses forward, and already
were fully half mile ahead. Sudden
ly the horse the girl rode began to
stagger and then the private, riding
close by her, lifted her from the sad
die and in front of him. His horse
felt the increased weight, but strug-
gled forward
The Indians gained steadily and
were now only about three-quarters Of
a mile away. A glance over his shout
der showed puffs Of smoke from the
foremost. Already they had begun
shooting, sizing the distance which lay
between them and the pursued. The
private saw this, and he understood
His eyes were starting but his lips
were pressed close together, aud then
he brought his horse to standstill
and jumped Off An agoniZed cry
burst from the girl, but he did not
notice it. A lariat, by fortunate
chance, hung from the poE1mel of his
saddle, and before she fully realized |
what he was doing he had taken the
coil OF rope off and was tying her to
the saddle and twisting the rope about
the body of the horse.
The animal seemed to know that
something unusual was Transporting,
for his master had to speak 10 lin
several timaS In n low GA I'm yoica ~