Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-11

the Indians, but, by them, diverted to feed tho fire.
 There is a big circle of seething flame and rolling smoke here, too-a malodorous neighborhood, around which fatigue parties are working with avert ed heads, and among them some surly and unwilling Indians, driven to labor at the muzzle of threatening revolver or carbine, aid in dragging to the flames carcass after carcass of horse and mule, and i'll gathering together and throwing on the pyre an array of miscellaneous soldier garments, blouses, shirts and trousers, all more or less hacked and blood stained, all of no more use to mortal wearer.
 Out on the southern slopes, just where a rayine crowded with wild rose bushes opens into the valley, more than half the command is gathered, formed in rectangular lines about n number of shallow, elongated pits, in each of which there lies the stiffening form of q comrade who but yesterday joined in the battle cheer that burst upon the val ley with the setting sun. Silent and reverent they stand in their rough cam
 
 ''rests on arms;" the others bow their uncovered heads, and it is the voice of the veteran colonel that, in accents trembling with sympathy and emotion, renders the last tribute to fallen com rades and lifts to heaven the prayers for the dead. Then see! The mourning groups break away from the southern side, the brown rifles of. the escort arc lifted in air. the listening rocks resound to the sudden ring of the flashing vol ley. the soft, low. wailing goodby of the trumpets goes floating up the vale, and soon the burial parties are left alone to cover the once familiar faces with the earth to which the soldier must re- turn, and the comrades who are left, foot and dragoon, come marching, si- lent, back to camp.
 And when the old regiment begins its homewari journey, leaving the well won field to the fast arriving commands and bidding hearty soldier farewell to the cavalry comrades whose friendship they gained in the front of n savage foe, the company that was the first to land its fire in the fight goes back with di. unfinished numbers and under command
 
 Jerruld.
 There was a solemn little group around the campfire the night befor, they go. Frank Armitage, fiat on his back, with rife bullet through hi: thigh, but taking things very coolly fol [ all that, is having a quiet conference with his colonel Such of the wounded | of the entire command as are well enough to travel by easy stages to the railway go with Maynard and the regi. ment in the morning. and Sergeant Mo | LeOd, with his sabCr arm in a sling, Is one of these. But the captain of Com pany B must wait until the surgeons can lift him along ill an ambulance and all fear of fever has subsided. To the colo mel and Chester he hands the note which is all that is left to comfort pool Nina Beaubien. To them he reads aloud the note addressed to himself:
 You are right in saving that tho matter of my possession of that photo graph should be explained. 1 seek nc longer to palliatc my action. In making that puppisl bet with Sloat I did be lievC that could induce Miss Renwicl or her mother to let me have copy but was refused 50 positively that knew it was useless. This simply added to my desire to have one. The photog raphcr was the same that took the pic lures and furnished the albums for oul class at graduation. and l, more thaI any one, had been instrumental in get ting the order for him against very nc two opposition. He had always profesSet the greatest gratitude to me and a will ingncss to do anything for me l wrot, him ill strict confidence, told him of tn, intimate and close relations cXistin; between the colonel's family and me told him l wanted it to enlarge ant present to her mother on her approach ing birthday and promised him that would never reveal how I came by tn picture so long as I lived, and he sen me one-just i'll time. Have not pai' heavily for my sim"
 No one spoke for n moment. Cheste was the first to break the silence:
 Poor fellow! He kept his word l. the photographer, but what was it wortl to n woman:'
 There had been q week of wild anxi ety and excitement at Sibley. It wa known through the columns of tho pres that the regiment had hurried forwar' from the railway the instant it reaches the Colorado trail; that it could no hope to get through to the valley of tn Spirit Wolf without a fight, and tha the moment it succeeded ill joinin hands with the cavalry already there vigorous attack would be made on tn Indians. The news of the rescue of tn survivors of Thornton's command cam first, and with it the tidings that May hard and his regiment were met only 3 miles from the scene and were pushin forward. The next news came two day later. and wall went up even while me were shaking hands and rejoicing owe the gallant fight that had been made and women were weeping for joy an , thanking God that those whom they hel dearest were safe It was down anon the wives of the sergeants and othe veterans that the blow struck hardest { Siblcy, for the stricken officers weI unmarried men, while among the ran and flo tbCrU wcro several who nov, came back to tho little ones who boI , their name Company B had suffere l most, for the Indians had charged fierc, , ly on its deployed but steadfast lin' l Armitage almost choked and brol [ down when telling the colonel About ? that night as he lay under the willow Ut was the first smile had seen on h face since got back-that with whiC he looked up in my eyes and whispere goodby-and died, just after We droN : Nx&