Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-01-10

foot hills, tumbling sea of spctless
green, shimmered in the unclouded
rays. Far as the eye could reach,
northeast, east, southeastward again, a
glorious stretch Of upland prairie, Of
wind-swept, woodless turf, once the
roaming ground of countless thousands
of the wild cattle of the western world,
the now annihilated buffalo. Far
away to the southeast, dim and indis-
tinct, dark winding fringe told
where the Mini Ska rolled smoothly
through it's wide and open valley.
Far away to the northeast,
among rounded bluffs and palisaded
buttes, q shining blue ribbon turned
and twisted, dove out Of sight under
grass-grown walls, only to come gleam-
ing into view again still farther on, the
Wakpa Wakon-Spirit river curling
through the heart of the reservation,
the sacred lands of the Sioux. There,
somewhere to the north, sheltered
from the fierce wintry gales by the
grand curtain Of bearded mountain to
it's west and north, hidden from sight
by its surrounding citadels of bluff, lay
the substantial settlement Of the
agency, long days march away.
There in every deep sequestered valley,
along every babbling stream, lay the
lodges OF the pampered tribe-old men
and children, old women and young,
living indolently and in plenty at their
guarded homes, while the sons and
brothers and braves, the war-chiefs
and the turbulent young men, swarmed
into the forbidden grazing-grounds Of
the settlers, far beyond the treaty line,
and in rude and bloody foray found
their soul content. The trail the
cavalry squad had followed in the
early morning along the windings of o
feeble tributary of the Mini Ska had
left the broad valley thirty miles away
to the south, and, bursting through a
dividing ridge by way of Wagon gap,
left the old beaten roads at the springs
where they made their monday halt,
plunged into the timbered ascent close
to the backbone of the ridge, while the
road, by sweep or detour to the east,
climbed gradually to the level of the
upland and could be family seen In
places five or six miles away like dun
colored ribbon gathering the green
carpet of the prairie. To their left and
rear frowning gorge in the heart Of
the range opened the narrow way
that led to the basin or cove among
the pine-covered hills-the Slaughter
cove the guide had pointed out at
noon. To their right, therefore, all
was bold, open, undulating, smiling in
unclouded sunshine; to the left-the
west--all was dark, frowning and for
bidding; and yet the one was the path
of death and danger, the other the only
line of escape.
by Jove, what magnificent viewl"
Is Thornton's exclamation after mo-
nient's gaze. "What did you see, SER
geant? You looked as though some
thing lively was up. Any sight OF the
chaser"
But LETTERS, crouching low and point
inS over along the slope not quarter
Of mile away, simply said: Look
there, SIR"
Two 1.-THE, painted objects, crawling
slowly on all-fours, with feathered
war bonnets trailing along their bare
red backs, were rapidly nearing
third, who, bareheaded, seemed peer
ing over the ridge In his front at some
other objects in the ravine beyond, at
something out Of sight from where the
troopers lay. Behind the two crawl
ing creatures first seen came, at ten or
twelve yards distance, others Of their
Kind, eagerly gesticulating and signal
ing to others still. All, on sudden
three or four ponies, placidly cropping
the turf down the slope behind their
masters, pricked up their ears
and glanced nervously around, and in
a moment there rode into view, full
tilt, one after another, half a dozen
more wild warriors in the full panoply
of their craft. Audit was his first |
he was only boy-Perry
Thornton's heart leaped up in his
throat, for the sunshiny, breezy, bil-
lowy upland was simply alive with war
parties Of Sioux.
II am willing to do my share of fight
fight double my weight of Indians,
the guide was saying a
later. God only knows what's
set them on to us, but the whole Sioux
nations coming up from the Mini Ska,
and we're cut off. Ican't fight all h,
neither can you. The one chance Of get
ting out Of this is by way of Slaughter
cove. There's q game trail over the
range back oft. They amt seen us yet.
Now is our time"
Whom have they seen? What are
they watching over there?" asked
his lip trembling bit de-,
spite himself.
II know without waiting to see. It's
vour fellows coming back from their
,hase after the road agents. They
lave either got the money or they
haven't got it. In either case it'll be
# no earthly use to them in ten min
ties. Those Indians are laying to lay
EN- out as they climb the trail. See?"
See? 1t was plain enough now. Creep
ng like panthers, the 1.-THE, sinewy fell
ows were scurrying up to line the