Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-12-27

hVouS, pitHNhpiy' ANu "pi' '"P
pose he really suspects Schramm, do
yon, Morgan?" But Morgan, grip
ping his stick, was already trudging
angrily away
That night the paymuster himself
arrived at Fort Ransom, leaving his
faithful clerk in conference with the
officials Of the town. Graves was soon
the center Of an eager gathering at
Rhett's quarters. by this time. too,
Curran was back, coming up on the nf-
ternoon freight. lie had gone down to
Alkali by the east-bound express the
previous evening. The escort Yves al
ready there, bivouacked for the night
at the edge Of the stream. They weri
up bctimes and had hot brealsfast all
ready for Graves, and were surprised
to sce the train shoot past instead o.
stopping to let him off. Not until the
engine sent out from Butte came steam
ing down at noon did they know what
Ind taken place at Minden. Then there
was nothing left him but to return by
the first opportunity. The sergeant
und detachment remained awaiting
orders, MS the paymaster might draw
funds from the bank at Butte and come
on ugain. Just as he was leaving on
the afternoon freight courier came
to Allsali with orders for the sergeant
and the messenger said that the bat
talon had reached Willow Springs and
was surprised to find no paymaster
there. News from the lower valley
was so threatening that Col Winthrop
had determined, after resting a couple
Of hours, to push on for Painted Lodge,
upon the superstition that the pnymas-
ter had missed No. o. The escort was or
dcred to wait for him until the next train
from the east, and then, whether he
came or not, to rejoin the battalion by
the shortest route, following down the
left bank, and bringing the extra am
munition shipped from Ransom.
Curran was utterly disguised with
the whole affair, Ten chances to
one" said he, them fellows will never
come back to the post, and III never
get n clint Of me money Curran, as
the party most interested, was persis-
tent in his cross-qucstioning Of the
major, who was eager enough to ex-
plain, but not to Curran. In brief, he
said he had brought in that solc-lenther
valise nearly twelve thousand dollars
with which to pay Winthrop's com
mand The rest Of his funds, sealed in
the little iron safe, We're turned over
to the express company to he forward
ed to Butte two days later on, by which
time he had expected to return 10 pay
the infantry at the fort aud then 20 on
to the outlying posts to the northwest
BY evening, too, Rhctt had received
Geographic orders to hold his little
battalion Of foot in readiness to take
train to Pawnee and thence march
across the range to the lower Mini Ska.
Although exaggerated, the reports of
rapine and murder were only too true.
The Sioux were indeed ut their devilish
work. In the subducd hustle of prep
uration the paymaster's excitement
md di tress Of mind created less SYM
patty than would ordinarily have been
the ease, Eagerly he was showing h.
dispatch to officer after officer, and
asking whether anyone would not have
acted just as he did under the circmn-
stances and on receipt of so genuine n
message, and gentlemen who under
other circumstances would unhesitat-
ingly have said yes were now
disposed to be bit conserva-
tive, to look judicial and suggest
inquiries. Wouldn't 1t have been bet.
ter to stop the train at Allsali and see
II the report were trucq The bridge
was only half mile from the station,
and somebody would have been sure to
know, These are times when every
body's backsight is so much better
than his foresight. Everybody could
see with half an eye that had the pay
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