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

been fired by the Twelfth, even in response
| to sometimes CALLING fusillade from the
Indians. By that time several men had
been endorsed and two or three wounded,
and the thing was getting exasperating,
| yet was it worth keeping up, for Bat and
other scouts declared the fleeing village
to be less than three miles ahead now, and
| with that overhauled the warriors could
be brought to bay we'll south of the noun
| tains, and to the accomplishment OF this
without sacrificing men or horses to any
| great extent Fenton was bending every
energy when overtaken by the first courier
from Frayne.
Wayne had marked the dispatches in the
order in which they should be read, but
the only ones which much concerned him
now were from department headquarters.
A new king who knew not Joseph, a new
general with whom Fenton had never
CHANGED to serve, was there in command,
and he coming a comparative stranger to
the community, knew little of the merits
of the politicians by whom he was speedily
besieged. They were present in force,
armed with letters and dispatches by the
score, from so-called prominent citizens
resident along the Platte, and Fenton was
practically unrepresented. 1t was in no
spirit of unkindness, but rather that Fen
ton might have opportunity to come
thither and confront, and confound if he
could, his accusers, that the general had is-
W
should immediately, escort BigI Road
and his people back to the agency. and
then report to these headquarters for con.
sultation." That dispatch, if delivered
would have ruined all the plans of the
plainsmen, and the wires were clipped the
beyond the old sub-station on the laramie
until after the repairs were made. but
other dispatches were wired back from no
low the breaks, alleging first, that so far
from Fenton's doing as ordered. he wasan-
parently bent on driving Big Roads peo-
PIE up the river or into the open field /:
then, that he had done so. and that the
Indians were now raiding the scattaraS
ranches and driving the cattle into the
!ootnlIls, while the settlers were fleeino
IN terror. Fenton's dispatches. wired he.
lore Big Roads escapade, had of course
! Deen received, but his report of the situa.
.ioh was at utter variance with that from
the agency and those from the Thorne
/ party. Gross mismanagementa and General
incompetency were the principal allega
lions against Fenton, though the ast,3te
| nustlers" did not forget to add drnnkan
ness to the list as one which the nnhIi,
Moula accept without question, he being ar
army omeer, and when the Governor him
| sen was induced to add his comnIaint IN
those OF his enterprising people the oen.
eral yielded. The dispatches sent by cour.
ier Caiied Tor an explanation of the CHARGES
Iaue py the agent and civilians. intimated
oouot as to the wisdom of Fenton's course
OF the accuracy OF his information, and
WOUND up with the significant clause. "Do
tnethlng to provoke hostilities or arouse the
i h OF the Indians" and here he mad
long day.
osung to the quick Fenton, nevertheless,
pressed vigorously on. The result would
Justiiy MIN, and he could wait for his vim
ITl nc until the campaign was over.
Inc Inc village at sundown could not be more
Ina tnan three miles away, said his scouts, and
ene energy OF Big Roads defensive meas
ures was redoubled. Instructions to do
hothlng to provoke hostilities were dead
letters now that hostiiities had actually
peen provoked-not by him or his people,
put, between them, by Big Road and the
cowboys. There was only one course for