Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-09-09

I driver, possessed or an ample Vocaoui-
AIRY, would grow more than ordinarily
emphatic and picturesque.
Ala o'clock Sykes, trim as any lady,
tall, straight and unbending, would
head the column; the companies would
wheel into their proper places; eacn
ambulance, strictly according to rank,
would solemnly take its place until the
Junior Second Lieutenants brought up
the rear.
Then far bacE. a sinuous, white un-
broken line, came the hundreds OF
heavy wagons. At noon . halt was
mad fore dinner, and soon the air was
murky and odorous with the smoking
fires of buffalo chips" and dubious
looking water was being cleanssd with
"prickly pear" leaves. An hours
siesta and again the bugle call TO
march. Night brought camp II there was
water; otherwise there would be night
march. Two miles an hour was the
regulation speed, and from Is TO 20
day the distance. Only once or twice
were we forced TO make an all-night
dry camp, which was most fortunate,
as the heat increased daily. We passed
the lonely, oas company post OF Larned
and the abandoned fort OF Zara-Where
800 KOwas and Comanches, ostensiblY
buffalo hunting, but not above scalps,
horses, mules and steers-made US
visit, and for many days thereafter
"camped on our trail" At Fort Lyon
We spent patriotic Fourth OF July, aud
were entertained in royal state by the
commandant of the garrlson-Captain
Gordon OF the Second Cavalry-and his
lovely wife. At the crossing OF the
Arkansas We found the turgid stream
bank full. There we camped two days
and two nights. while the leaky, rlckety
tub, called by courtesy boat, was
hauled out from its coche, mended and
prayed over by the eleven women whose
lives were to be placed In its keeping.
Lines were thrown across the river,
and with our fast filing craft handed
along from man TO man, we were plotted
across in safety, but thoroughly wet
and badly frightened. All day long
relays OF men held on to the ropes aud
chains, and by hard work, encouraging,
coaxng and absolutely magnificent
swearing, guided every horse and mule
through the muddy stream without the
loss OF a single head.
At evening we camped under the
green trees on the other side, and there
in the sand we buried one poor boy, to
whom the sun, the water aud unaccus-
toned hsrdships had proven too fierce
q battle. As retreat was sounding be
answered the Great Captains roll call.
Deep was the grave scooped out under
the giant cottonwood and sincere
the prayers of his comrades, rough
though they were ia daily life.
Somewhere in this long march to the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and ofteB-we
encountered herds OF buffalo, which
altogether knocks into smithereens the
statement al some writer In the Aduer-
tiSer of q few weeks ago. There are
several officers yet living and in active
service who can more readily remem Der
as they had no end OF sport chasing
the woolly brutes-the times and loca-
tions, but they were on the Kansas
plains and so late as '66. 0ne memor-
able hunt. when the trophy OF the day
was bleating 3-moEth-old calf, which
was presented TO me, having the men
agerie OF the "outfit," they camp dis
tiIctly recall from the fright we Sll had,
II nothing else.
II was after the first morning halt,
between and 10 o'clock, and the SKY
was as clear as crystal globe. Sud-
denly from out the earth or the mirage
hSdnted spaces around US came TO our
ears mutlled. ominous roar, unlike
anything we had heard before. Low,
continuous and rumbling, IL seemed TO
shake the earth. Sykes, ever on the
alert, sent out his scouts, while we all
strained our eyes for Indians, storm
clouds, water spOuts. simeon or earth
quake. An indefnable fear filed our
hearts. The mules grew restless, the
horses curyeted, laid back their ears
and shifted the air. The scouts were
seen galloping like mad over the prairie,
when an old plainsman OF few words
aud much wisdom came along the COL
umn TO where young officer was
vainIy trying to hold in his horse.
"Them's buffaler, Lieutenant, and 4
sight of 'em. Hope Sykes amt goin'
into camp. Damn sight safer moyin',
and that amt ssyin' much"
The subaltern reported TO his so perIor
officer. who at once ordered halt.
much to the old hunters disgust, and