The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-02

aU The moment, ssto take a couple OF men
| ana ma out what you can III the settle
| ment yonder of what has been going on
this morning. Then l need first-rate
rlaer TO go at the gallop to Trooper Greek,
Then he turned and bowed to the appeal
| ing face peering our at him from under its
mood OF fur SO close at his side. LET me
put, an end to your anxiety, Miss fenton,"
o say ns' reaSSsurlngly: your orotneI, tne
| as soon as he gets those dispatches. So you
ana MISS Ormsby can breakfast IN peace
and comfort
But Wayne, for once in his life, revealed
no more than was his actual intention.
touring forth her voluble song OF thanks
| giving, Lucretia talked steady flow until
once more he raised his cap to her at her
door, and then, turning. suddenly away,
hastened to the Office before she could
recover from her astonishment at this I'M
usually precipitate move. She had de-
prlved herself of all opportunity OF asking
lot particulars or for learning what wayne
himself was now to do. Hearing from his
| lips that her brother would soon be on
ms homeward way, she placed no other
Interpretation upon the news than that the
regiment would be coming with him, that
the war was over and their troubles at an
end.
But could she have seen Wayne's face
as ne FASTENED to his quarters babe his
orderly pack his field kit at once and then
get the horses, she would have known that
serious matter was in hand. From his
own door the major hurried back to the
office again, wrote three Geographic mes
sages and summoned the orderly trumpeter.
'G1ve my compliments to the post sur
geon, and ask him if he will meet me at
my quarters at once" he said. Then, dl-
rectlng the clerk to have the messages
rushed, he fastened across the parade,
and, ringing at the Farrars' door, begged
to see Mrs. Daunton moment. AS
luck would have it, DR.. Gibson himself
in the parlor and he looked up with
marked interest as Wayne was ushered in.
The major read the inquiry in the doc
tors eyes. He greeted Mrs. Daunton with
brief courtesy, and then spoke. "Yes.
He's. ordered in-relieved-and I'm or
dered out. It's only another instance of
the old story. | go in ten minutes, and
have no idea at this moment of what has
been going on at the front--no more idea
| than FenIon has of what has been going
on at the rear. If there's been fight,
| cowboy and Indian, as is probable, and
| the band has slipped away to the noun
talns, then we will have to follow. and
probably take up a fight we had nothing
! to do with at first and did our best TO pre-
vent. | came, Mrs. Daunton," said he
gravely, ito ask for Mrs. Farrar and Miss
Ellis, as Will will be anxious to know, and
| fear it will be some time before he can
hope to see them again
g That is what his mother feared, major,
and 1T is that we have to contend with
now. Miss Farrar is somewhat better, as
the doctor will tell you, but of course, she
is very weak, and knows nothing of the
excltements of last night. Bnt what am |
to tell Mrs. Farrar?" she continued with
trimming eyes. "The servants have been
saying in the kitchen that there has been
q hatf1a Int ha Of M orJ Il
clared to us that the regiment could be
seen coming home, and / have comforted
her with that, and now"
q And now | fear III have to say it is
only some little detachment conveying
prisoners" answered Wayne, " but the
command itself will have to push on in
pursuit. Tell her, though, there is no like
lihood of our having any serious fighting,
and that I'll watch over VIII and care for
him as though he were my own boy"
g wish she could hear you," pleaded
Helen, but l made her go back to her
bed while ago, and you must start"
Il must go at once" he answered,
gravely. us there anything | can take
for you or for her2''
''She is sleeping, | hope," said Helen, in
| reply, "for all night long she has hardly
closed her eyes, but there will be other
messengers, probably, during the day, will
| there not?"
LES, ScNSidjj oouDtiSoSJ SSpeCldlly dllGE
the detachment gets In"
We'll, then, l have one-packet; l
hardly like to burden you with it, ma jor,
yet ought not, perhaps, intrust it to any
one else. 1t can be readyi in five minutes"
"Then will call for it," he answered
promptly, and, taking the doctor with
him, retraced his steps TO his own door,
Fifteen minutes after a motley little pro-
cession began struggling across the Platte.
and heading for the post. A small party
OF troopers escorting bevy of Indians,
some PROSTATE on travels, some astride of
scraggly ponies, some shutting along
afoot, some few big-eyed, solemn little
pappooses on their mothers backs, and
with them came the first tidings of the
night gone by.
Long before Big Roads party had begun
to reach the appointed rendezvous on
Trooper Creek there had been hostile
demonstrations from white men put out
on the bluffs to the front and on their righr
flank; that is, to the north and east. There
had been firing during the night. Now
came serious action with the break of day
These men wore fur caps and gloves,
soldiers winter overcoats just like the reg
ulars-and why shouldn't they. since
Bunko Jim and his associates had long
driven thriving trade buying UP such
ards from the post? They formed along
the hillsides afar off. keeping up the SEM
blance of cavalry skfrmish order and evil
IDENTIFY striving to harass or delay the
movement of the Indians as much as pos
sible and yet to keep well out of harms
way. There was also evident desire to
convince the fleeing village that its as
sailants were cavalry from Fort Frayne,
but even before the few young
braves, riding valiantly out to in
terpose between their women and
children and old folks and these,
their aggressors, sent in word that no sol
dlers were among the enemy-that it was
all cowboy croWd-the older men who
remained had discovered the fact and dis
patched runners to Big Road with the
news. That redoubtable chief was still
drunk, but the sound of firing had van
quished the Supplying effect of his pota-
tons, and, though two or three of his
| chosen followers were helplessly gone, he
| appeared with the first peep of day, ag-
gressively hostile and eager to fight any
thing or anybody. Galloping forward, reel
ing in saddle, but hanging on as only an
Indian can, he had marshaled and led his
people. and the next thing the cowboys
knew old Big Road had turned on them
like baited bull. Within half an hour
after dawn the bluffs along Trooper Greek
were ringing to the music of warwhoop and