Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-12-31
the direction of nome.

AS Joe rode forward through the
gloom of night he had no fear that he
would come out above or below the
forks. His only anxiety was that he
hight fail in finding the party. Sup
pose it had pushed ahead faster than he
had figured! Suppose it was still two or
three days away! Suppose the order to
set out had been countermanded!
The pony went forward through the
darkness at steady gait. seeming never
to tire, and after midnight the character
of the country began to change. Instinct
told the sc ut tnat he was approaching
the forks: f tie party We're there there
would be score of signs to show it be-
fore coming within rife range. At the
distance OF mile away Joe pulled his
horse dowr. to a walk and thus went
forward, listening with bated breath for
sumo sound to locate the camp.
The soft footsteps Of his horse alone
broke the mighty silence. Not SO much
as the chirp of a cricket came to him
from out the darkness.
When yet half a mile from the forks
Joe's heart sank within him. If there
was a camp near at hand his horse
should make some sign. The Indians
dog and pony are his sentinels as he
sleeps.
There was grove of cottonwoods at
the forks, and around and about was
grass in plenty. 1t was the spot for
camp, but there was no camp. The
scout advanced at a steady walk until
he reached the edge Of the grove I'M
challenged That settled it. The party
had not arrived. He almost cried out
in his disappointment, and for the next
few minutes he knew not what to do.
They may have passed here no longer
ego than noon" he finally argued with
himself, cor they may be only half
days march to the east | must wait
for daylight to determine.
He had no fear Of Indians here. Ev-
cry redslzin for fifty miles around had
been called in to make up the force now
besieging the train. The pony was wa
tered and staked out, and then the scout
penetrated the grove a short distance
and flung himself down to sleep. In
ten minutes he was sleeping like child.
Therein lies the secret of the endurance
of the plainmen. They drill themselves
in sleeping. No opportunity to sleep
for even a quarter of an hour is ever
neglected. In Clusters battles with the
red men his scouts slept in the deep
snow with the thermometer at zero
while waiting for daylight and the open
ing of the battle of Wichita.
Nothing occurred to create an alarm
or disturb the scouts slu1nbers, and
with the first signs of dawn he was on
his feet. A quarter of an hour later he
was beating back and forth for signs Of
the white party. Ten minutes search
satisfied him. 1t had not passed. No
one, white or red, had passed the forks
within three days. Joe had no food.
and as his rifle had been left behind the
prospect of procuring fresh meat was
anything but encouraging Anxiety
offsets hunger, however.
At the east end of the grove was a
tall cottonwood standing alone. Joe
mounted to its very top to make an Oh
servation. The country to the northeast
was rolling, with timber along 5he
course Of the river, but after scanning
the country as closely as possible the
scout descended with the conviction
that no considerable body of men was
within twenty miles of him. Had the
party from Fort Sully been within ff-
teen miles of him he could have detect
ed the smoke Of their morning camp
fires
Should he wait? No! His impotence
was too great He had left the belea-
guered wagon train feeling that the fate
of every man depended upon finding the
OF no fOy.1-c ho6 hoa71 n lo7oCr
long night to the men crouched down
behind the breastworks and expecting
an attack at any moment. Had an at
tack been made? Had they been strong
enough to repel it? If not, the morning
sun was looking upon their disfgured
corpses. If so, the horrors of thirst
were creeping in upon the defenders to
madden and disorganize them. Every
of meat and bread would but
add to their torments. Every hour
would render the heroes more desperate.
And every man left behind was de-
pending on the energy of the scout,
whose nerve had carried him out of the
fort to save the party from the horrible
fate which seemed in store for them
Joe realized this, and taking a deep
draft of the cold waters of the Caey-
enne he caught up his horse and mount
ed and held for the west, keeping the
right hand bank of the river and push
ing the gait as fast as he dared. He
had begun to believe that no party had
left Fort Sully, but he was riding .turi-
ously forward in that desperation which
makes men cling to straws in midocean.
CHAPTER VI.