Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-12-27


which was a failure. It was found that
beyond certain serious casualties the
damages were mainly at the hands Of
Jack Frost to the feet and fingers OF
the foemen, though several officers
were declared to have suffered in mind.
body, and estate, and others in reputa-
ton. which was odd, in view of the
fact, as shown before the court, that
the accused had no reputation to lose.
Morgan, happily, was spared all partic-
ipation in this hapless campaign, be-
ing retained at the fort because of re-
cent hereaVernentS and his InOtherlesS
children. He was made colnmissary to
help him out of trouble, and thereby,
was plunged into worse. When the
command went out in midwinter he
would have been glad to go and never
return, but, as has been said, for those
little faces at home. Another column
was sent out in May. and others fol-
lowed that in June, and still Morgan
was held at the fort on cOlnmiSSary
duty until later the direful tidingS
flashed in over the wires that Custer
and his pet troops were wiped out; then
everybody had to go. Morgan strained
''1itt1e mother" to his heart, praying
God to guard and bless the babies and
bring him back to them in safety. Mrs.
Warren, their next-door neighbor,
promised they should be the objects of
her tender care. They had old NANNY
with them still, but the nurse had fit
ted eastward months before one good
riddauce at least, and by the end of
July Morgan was serving out groceries
and taking in money as field commits
sary. A column on frontier campaign
with only the clothes it had on and
with never wagon could hardly be
expected to be burdened with safe in
which to secure the commissary's
funds. Uncle Sam has a simple
way of reimbursing himself in the
event of loss: he stops the cOmmisSary'S
pay until the amount is covered, and
the commissary may stop the hungry
mouths at home meanwhile as best he
can-that isn't Uncle Sans business.
Morgan had over seven hundred and
fifty dollars in ''greenbaclzs' in the lin
ing of his canvas hunting-coat when
they reached the southern hills in Oc-
tober, and not a cent of it when they
marched out on the 18th. The cam
paign being virtually over, all danger,
hardship, work and heavy responsible
ity at an end, a staff captain came by
and stores Of the line lieutenant and
charge up to him every cents worth
that had leaked or dribbled from the
mule-paclzs, a species of charging that
differed from that expected of lines
man, in that it involved none of the
perils, yet promised greater reward.
You may be assured this gentleman
did not come without a safe. Morgan,
1iGiT1C from tho hiuo11ac tn tho
station, a mile away, the very evening
of his successors arrival, was lassoed
on his horse in Cinnabar canyon,
gagged, bound, robbed of his package
of greenbacks, all in the flash of
| bulIs-eye. Picked up, stunned, ten
minutes thereafter, he could not de-
scribe bis assailants, but certain hard
characters with the command, some Of
the precious gang Of recruits just ar
rived, made off that night with their
horses, equipments and everything.
! Certain civil officials gave chase. There
was still hope they might be over
| hauled and the money captured before
they could reach the mining towns.
| Meantime, Morgan, not severely hurt,
was ordered to join his troop. 1t was
Gods mercy that only an hour before
the robbery he had counted out every
cent for which he was accountable in
the presence of Old Tintop and his ad-
| jutant, otherwise he would have had
to stagger under the accusation of hav-
ing made away with the money and
made up the story.
In vain the rough old eampaigner
had sought to cheer Morgan by assur-
ances that the party sent out in chase
couldn't help gathering in the robbers,
who, with one exception, were
strangers to the frontier. Morgan
groaned in spirit. mo, colonel, it is
useless. Luck has been dead against
me ever since we furled the Wolverine
guidons and 1 joined the regulars.
That money will never be found, and
am eight hundred dollars more in debt
than was a month ago, when it was
Gil I could stagger under. It's only
worse and more of it." And here this
forty-year-old fatalist turned away and
buried his bearded face in his hands.
And now, few weeks later, with a
hole in his shoulder and fever in his
veins, Mr.. Morgan was being borne
along homeward in a mule-Htter, hope
less and sick at heart, totally uncon
scious of the fact that one man at least
in the long dusty column looked up te
him with an enthusiastic gratitude
even while looking down on him from
the saddle. Schramm's right leg ha6
been shot through midway between
ankle and knee, but the fracture wa: