The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-03
CHAPTER XVII.

uB Ill uay III inc uerCe rays Vi INC slul-
ner sun, little column of infantry is
winging steadily gouthward. Long
md toilsome has been the march; hot,
lusty and parching the day. Halts have
been few and far between, and every
nan, from the colonel down, is coated
With gray mask Of powdered alkaii,
the contribution Of two hours tramp
through Dead Mans canyon just before
Ehe sun went down. Now, however,
they are climbing the range. The NOR
row will bring them to the broad and
beautiful valley Of tho Spirit Wolf, and
shere they must have news. Officers and
men are footsore and weary, but no one
begs for rest. Colonel Maynard, riding
ahead on q sorry hack he picked up at
the station two days long march behind
them, is eager to reach the springs at
Forest Glade before ordering bivouac
for the night. A week agone no one
who saw him at SaSlon would have
thought the colonel fit for a march like
this, but he seems rejuvenate. His head
is high, his eye as bright, his bearing
as full Of spirit as mans could possibly
be at 60, and tho whole regiment cheered
him when he caught the column at
Omaha. A talk with Chester and Ar.
mitage seemed to have made new man
of him, and tonight he is full Of an en-
ergy that inspires the entire command.
Though they were farther away than
many other troops ordered to the scene,
the fact that their station was on the
railway, and that they could be sent by
special trains to Omaha and thence to
the west, enabled them to begin their
rescue march ahead Of all the other foot
troops and behind only the powerful
command of cavalry that was whirled
to the scene the moment the authorities
woke up to the fact that it should have
been sent in the first place. Old May
nard would give his very ears to get to
Thornton's corral ahead of them, but
the cavalry has 86 hours start and four
legs to two. Every moment he looks
ahead expectant of tidings from the
front that shall tell him the --th
were there and the remnant rescued
Even then, he knows, he and his long
springfelds will be needed The cavalry
can fight their way in to the succor of
the besieged, but once there will be
themselves surrounded and too few in
numbers to begin aggressive move
ments. He and his will indeed be well
come re-enforcements and SO they
trudge ahead.
The moon is up, and it is nearly 10
o'clock when, high up on the rolling
divide, tho springs are reached, and,
barely waiting to quench their thirst in
the cooling waters, the wearied men roll
themselves in their blankets under the
giant trees, and guarded by q few out
lying pickets are soon asleep. Most Of
the officers have sprawled around lit.
tie fire and are burning their boot
leather thereat. The colonel, his adju.
tant and the doctor are curled up under
tent fly that serves by day as wrap
for the rations and cooking kit they
carry on pack mule Two company
COMMUNICATIVE Alpha and Omega Of
the 10, as Major Sloat dubbed them
the senior and junior in rank, Chester
and Armitage by name, have rolled
themselves in their blankets under an.
other tent fly and are chatting in low
tones before dropping off to sleep. They
have been inseparable OIL the journey
thus far, and the colonel has had two OF
three long talks with them, but who
knows what the morrow may bring
forth? There is still much to settle. One
officer, he Of the guard, is still afoot
and trudging about among the trees,
looking after his sentries. Another Off
Ger, also alone, is sitting in silence
smoking pipe. 1t is Mr.. Jerrold
Cleared though he is Of the charges
originally brought against him in the
minds of his colonel and Captain Ches
ter, he has lost caste with his fellows
and with them. Only two or three mel
have been made aware Of the statement
which acquitted him, but every one
knows instinctively that he was saved
by Nina Beaubien, and that in accept
ing his release at her hands he had pu
her to cruel expense. Every mar
among his brother officers knows il
some way that he has been acquitted o.
having compromised Alice Renwick's
fair fame only by an alibi that CORE
spondingly harmed another The fac
now generally known-that they wert
betrothed and that the engagement was
openly announced-made no difference
Without being able to analyze hi
conduct, the regiment was satisfied thai
it had been selfish and contemptible
and that was enough to warrant giving
him the cold shoulder. He was quicl
to see and take the hint and in bite
distress Of mind to withdraw himself
from their companionship. He hat
hoped and expected that his eagernes'
to go with them on the wild and sudder
campaign would reinstate him in theil
good graces, but it failed utterly. "Any
man would seek that, was the verdic
Of She informal council held by the off
GERS. "Ho would have been poltroor
If he hadn't sought to go, but while hi
isn't a poltroon he has done q contempt
ible thing" And so it stood. Rollins
had cut him dead, refused his hand ant
denied him chance 10 explain. "Tel
him he can't explain" was the savag,
reply he sent by the adjutant, who con
sented to carry Jerrold's message il
order that he might have fair play
He knows, without explanation, thu
wrong he has done to more than one.
won't have anything to do with him. !"
Others avoided him and only coldly
spoke to him when speech was neces
sary. Chester treated him with marked
aversion the colonel would not look a
him; only Arrnitage-his captain-haC
decent word for him at any time, ant
even he was stern and cold. The mos
envied and careless of tho entire com
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