The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-09-10
IN THE RANKS.

A stretch of dreary and desolato land
the plains. just as far as tho eye coul,
reach not a break on that ocean of cartl
could BIO seon, not n sign of human habl
10 tation, not particle of life and not
q trace of vegetation except tufts Of buncf
70 grass and sagebrush, and away on al
sides the sky and earth seemed to meet.
!, 1t twas like the dawn of creation, or rather
) after the end of the world when every liy
" ing thing has been swept from the earth
On that vast trceless, trackloss desert but
!! two objects could be seen-one man rid
: Ing slowly forward, and the other q bird
% that toated lazily along through the warm
/ air as If looking for a tree and not seeing
. ono 1T flew to the ground just in front OF
:, tho horscman and burst into u flood OF
+ sweetest melody
IL was In the early morning, and the
sun was just rising in the east and send.
4 ing his glorious light streaming over the
deSolatc waste, and though it was still the
dull darkness of dawn where the horscman
4 was and the skies wcre leaden he could
2 look away in the cast aud see tho day com
! ing and see the brilliant crimson sky Ho
was soldier and private You could
! tell that from the broad brimmed white
hat he wore, tho coarse wooden shirt and
the blue coat upon which there wero no
stripes TO show that ho Ind yet passed the
q RANKS. Ills lace was covered with u lux
:, triant beard, and when he took off his hat
and raised himself in the stirrups you
!, could see that his forehead and his big,
heavy hands were bronzcd from contact
with all kinds of weather,
: Officers and men in forts who have never
2 tod ha tisp
) thousand miles from nowhere to uso n
/, popular army phrase, know but littlo of
the trials of those hardy men away out in
:, the mountains or on the plains There
is nothing there to break tho monotony,
The same faces are seen every dny, and
the routine OF fort life becomes drearier
with each settling of the sun. Occasionally
friend of onU of tho officers or of their
wives comes ont, and the guest Is wei
coined ms u hcnediction from heaven, but
the lnclpin the ranks have no visitors, and
their lives become us monutunUus and tire
somc as the life of hermit.
The fort from which the private came
was located bnck of him 20miles and stood
alone on the plain which stretched away
from IL for apparently countless miles,
without even n pocket or a buffalo wal
low Ia break its levclness. But the fort
was excited now. A band of Indians, led
by Young Horse had broken away from
the agency and had started across country
with no special place for its destination,
wandering collection OF mllncrers and
plundcrers, seeking, 1kc a vulture, some,
thing to rob, kill, destroy, and the com
handing officer had sent out his scouts to
locate them, return and lead the cavalry
to where they were located The private
all ia
and listen, or he stood up in the saddle
and with his tleldgluss swept the plain for
sight of the red dcspcradocs.
IF thuse red devils go east, they will
surely strike the min trail for the fort, .
he said speaking alnud-a habit so many
frontlersmcn hay,,-"and if | am not mis-
taken sister of Mrs Colonel is coming
out to tho fort for u visit. But i don't
suppose size viii he along for Il week vet.
II Ii be tough luck ii she gets to the station
over on the railroad now while every
available man is cut after those cursed In.
dians "
IL was thought which troubled him,
for H. spok Of il To himself several times.
As the sun rnSc higher up in the heavens,
the semidarliness lifted, and tho bright
sunlight streaned over the bluuk plain
and in tho clear air objects were visible
many miles away. Standing up in his
saddle, thu private took his glass and
looked long way, and there saw three
objects moving rapidly along
Notwithstanding the great risk he was
mourning, he rode forward slowly, the OBJ
loet being not to tire his horse for tho an.
imal might have a long and hard run ahead
of him soon he was enabled to study the
three objects closer through his glass,
b,sr l,
said I'll bet Mrs Colonelts sister has
arrived and is making for the fort. and ono
of the men is the postmun and tho other n
guard. BY Jose, that's pluck for her To
start. !"
He sEurrpd his horse forward, but tho
others had seen him coming and were
resting, awaiting for him to come nm /
The woman was young and pretty, and as
the private came nm She launched fynyly
II suppose you have been sent out to
meet me- she said. i am Mrs. Colonel,s
sister, and ! wrote her that l would arrive
at the station Yesterday, hut no ono moi
me These gentlemen, l learned, wero go.
Ing to the fort, and so l decided to join /
them +"
1t is very long and tiresnme ride
miss said the soldier, sand you arc yet
nearly ~ miles from the fort. !"
don I mind the ride, +" replied tho
Young lady, for l am very fond OF this
sorl OF exercise.
me four started on brisk trot, and in
lew minutes tho postman dropped back
with the private,
10 yen think there Is any danger from
the lndlanaS he asked,
There's always danger from the red
deflls when they get started answered
XVt,= i4taf hIo ,,J