The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1894-10-13

nee Sud VlOAs was dShO4s
at Alkali?'' Butte didn't knoy a
heard. Pawnee explained that disss
patch for Paymaster Graves from Min
den met No. at Pawnee, and said
bridge was down at Alkali. TW0El
ranchmen from over Painted LodR
way rode into Pawnee at three q. nl.fs
and said hell was broke loose down th6fss
Mini Sioux scalping and burnine
everything in sight. Where were Coli
Winthrop and the cavalry? Butte am
swered: The colonel aud six companieA4
had marched for Painted Lodge tHea
DAYS before; couldn't be far from
Alkali now. Sioux wouldn't ~ dafS
come that far up the valley. WhoI
said the bridge was down and bn-nta;
Pawnee replied: Hold on a minntssi;
More refugees from valley are reporte6
hurrying to the railway, and Pawnee
wanted to see the ranchmen who first
came before they got good and drunh drum 8;
and couldn't talk reliably. Perhaps,
Minden could tell about the bridge ~;
Alkali. Butte called M:nden accord
inply. Minden said some of the caval>
nv had come up from Alkali an hour
before, said they'd been sent to AlkaM%
in the first place to meet the paymas-,
ter on No. 3, but they found the bridge
across the Mini S'Aa afire, so the ann
bulance, escort, etc. were all on tho
wav up to Minaen, and these two rodoi
ahead with dispatch for Maj. Graves;
explaining the situation and telling,
him to keep on and meet them here.
Minden sent it to Pawnee. and Pawneos
gave it to the porter of the sleeping.
car. That's all Minden knew aboutt
fire or anything else. Butteville was
the west end of the division, however,
and Butteville demanded further par
ticulars-told Minden to ask the caval-i
nv if any of the buildings at Alkani
were reported afre. Minden said watt
a minute, he'd find out: No. SIS head
light just coming around Buffalo
Bluff. The soldiers had gone out to-
meet the lieutenant as soon as assured
that the dispatch had been delivered to
No 3, and they were now watering
their horses at the creek. 1t was just
light enough to see them out there,
Then No. reached Minden, was duly
reported in and out, and then the wiresl
went down. No came into Butte
vile at breakfast on time and all right;
The division superintendent asked!
what was the matter at Alkali station,;
and the conductor replied, nothing
that he knew of. They had come live
ly down Antelope grade and struck the
Mini Ska valley, RAINING forty-five
miles an hour, which they didn't check,
as Mai Graves telegram said: Come
on to Minden." Had he seen the dis
patch? Why, certainly. 1t was all
right, signed by some lieutenant Or
other, commanding escort. Had he
seen no fire at Alkali? Oh, yes, over
on the bank of the stream five hundred
wards or so from the station there was
some fire. Thought it was only camp
fire or two There were two or three
men, soldiers, he thought, on the old
platform, but it was barely dawn, and
the engine left such a trail of smoker
and steam that the men were envel-i
oped in it, and he couldn't make them
out distinctly No. {: dropped the major!
and his clerk at Minden, where otherE
soldiers met him. and then hurried on!
| ssWhat's the trouble?'' ''Well,' said the!
superintendent, ''since the moments
you pulled out from Minden to this
moment, MIR. Hart, we have been cut
off. Not a word can we get from the
east
By the time the express pushed ON
for the west again a couple OF hand-l
cars had been dispatched eastward IN!
the vain hope of finding the break neasa
town, and these were overhauled ten
| miles ont by the engine and caboose
sent scouting down the valley. Not
until they were within a mile of Min
den did they find the gap, and along
there the wires had been clipped in
| half dozen places. The snperintend-
emit gathered the particulars while his
men were patching. Here at the sta
ton, surrounded by a knot Of excited
| ranchmen and settlers were Maj.
| Graves and his clerk, but all they had
to show was the telegram. 1t read
plainly enough:
"MINDEN STATION, June 3. 3:O5 O.. N. Mai.
| Graves, u. S. army, on No. 3, Pawnee station.
Bridge down at AlkaH. Cannot cross Mini Ska.
| Come on to Minden; escort meet you there.
EDWARDS, Lieutenant Commanding. y
Never suspecting anything wrong,
| Maj. Graves sent his clerk to notify the
conductor and show him the dispatch.
The porter made them coffee and
a light breakfast at the buffet,
| so as to enable them to start at
| once for the longer ride that their GO
ing on to A1inden would necessitate.
They were met as they jumped off the
car by couple Of troopers in over
coats thimble belts and the SLOUGH hat
then much affected by the cavalry on
! campaigns. ''This way, SIR said one;
1.-The lieutenant says the escorts ready
| to start the moment the major is" He.
made a move to take the yalise, but in,
stinctively the major held on. The
train pulled out as they stepped around
to the rear Of the depot. Graves could
| see little knot of horsemen close to-
| the stream. ''The boys will be glad to,
| see you, sir, and we've a long ride
| ahead of us" said his conductor, and
| in another moment Graves was tripped,
thrown heavily to the ground, bound
and gagged, and there he lay helpless,
while his clerk WAS similarly han11a1