Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-02-07
CHAPTER VII.

were sent back from Bear Fork.
CHAPTER VIII
It was on Wednesday morning that
Old Tintop marched away from Ran
som. 1t was on Friday morning a
dawn that the robbery occurred at
Minden, Friday at guard-mounting
that Schultz and Schramm reached the
post, Friday noon that the new
of the robbery came to Major Rhett, by
which time the two couriers were
again up and away, going, as we have
seen, to have a quiet dinner by them
selves in the town before starting to
return to their detachment Tanning,
proprietor of the Empire stables, said
they had unsaddled in his corral about
half-past twelve, had told him to feed
at four, as they purposed starting in
| the cool of the evening; but they came
back hurriedly just before three, sad
| died up, paid their reckoning and left.
| He knew Schultz well; the other was a
| stranger, twenty years younger. Con-
way, keeper of the thriving restaurant,
said the sergeant and his friend came
| in about one. He knew Schultz well
! also, and Schultz ordered a good din
ner to be served, with a bottle Of Rhine
were shown to the curtained alcove at
the rear end of the house, farthest
from the bar, and were waited upon by
| the Monaghan combination cook and
waiter. Meantime, everybody coming
| into the bar was talking of the rob-
berry, and finally about half-past two
Conway went himself to the box occu-
| pied by the Germans, and told them
the news. They got up at once, left
! their wine and coffee unfinished. and
fastened out to get further particulars.
| A few minutes after three they were
seen riding briskly away on the Min
| den road, north of the river. 1t was
Saturday morning when the sheriff's
officers were sent in pursuit, one party
going by rail to Pawnee, as has been
said, then taking horses and riding
over to the lower valley of the Ska;
the other followed the trail. On Sun
day evening members of both parties
met near Painted Lodge one coming
| back from the command to report that
| Schultz and Schramm were not there
and hadn't been there, the other riding
eastward hard as they could to catch
| the malefactors whom they believed
still ahead off them. Between the two
the Germans had slipped out some
| WnGrO ana gone none COu1o Say WHlUn0T
When Monday evening came there
| was news indeed. Tintop, by forced
march, had jumped between the Sioux
raiding parties and the agency, whittier
| the renegades We're now returning,
and there had been a battle to the
death. The fight had come off some
where among the breaks on the north
side Of the Ska Sunday afternoon, nine
ty miles from the agency and ahun-
| dred from the nearest railway station.
| The news came from Indian sources en-
| tirely, but neither agent, interpreter,
| mission priests nor soldier guards could
| tell by what means they got the til
dings, and no Indian or half-breed would
tell. That they believed it authentic
| was evident from the walls and lamen-
| tatiOns of certain bereaved SquawS-
All the agent could telegraph was that
a collision had occurred and the losses
were heavy on both sides. Tuesday
| morning dawned with no further par
ticulars worthy of credence. But when
| No. 3 came in for breakfast at Butte,
Col. Rand, inspector general of the de-
partment, stepped brisl>ly off and in
quired for dispatches at the Office of
the hotel. Receiving several he was
shown at once to Maj. Graves room.
| WIN the paymdSIer at the moment
were the sheriff and brace of report
ers- Mr.. Lacy was away on some
mysterious GRAND which was to result,
so it was said, in the recovery OF a large
portion of the stolen funds He
had been gone since Sunday night.
Rand thoughtfully read his kilograms
as he mounted the stairs. The bell
boys rap was answered % the sheriff,
who was seated nearest the door, a
proceeding at which Graves Redeemed;
it smaclked of proprictorship, an indie
Unable air of authority and possession
on the part of the sheriff having be-
come more and more noticeable to the
paymaster ever since their visit to Ran
som. 1t CALLED him, yet was manifest
ed in SO intangible a way he knew
not how to resent it. The fact of the
matter was, Graves didn't know how