The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-03-22
CHAPTER YIY

And the morrow has come. Down
in deep and bluff Swallowed valley,
hung all around with picturesque crags
and pine crested heights, under a cloud
less September sun, whose warmth is
tempered by the mountain breeze. a
thousand rough looking, bronzed and
bearded and powder blackened men are
resting after battle.
Here and there on distant ridge and
point the cavalry yidettes keep vigilant
watch against surprise or renewed at
tack. Down along the banks Of clear,
purling stream & sentry PAGES slowly by
the brown line Of rifles, swivel stacked
in the sunshine. Men by the dozen are
washing their blistered feet and grimy
hands and faces in the cool, refreshing
water; men by the dozen lie soundly
sleeping, some in the broad glare, some
in the shade of the little clump of viii
lows, all needless Of the Fostering
swarms of flies. Out On the broad,
grassy slopes, side lined and watched
by keen eyed guards. the herds of cav
airy horses are quietly grazing, forget
full of the wild excitement of yester-
even. Every now and then some one of
them lifts his head, pricks up his ears
and snorts and stamps suspiciously as
he shifts at the pufTs OF smoke that come
drifting up the valley from the fires a
mile away, The waking men, too, be-
stow an occasional comment on the odor
which greets their nostrils. Down
stream, where the fires are burning, are
the blackened remnants of a wagon
train. Tires, bolts and axles are lying
about, but all woodwork is in gmolder-
ing ashes; so, too, is all that remains Of
several hundredweight of stores and
supplies destined originally to nourish
the Indians, but, by them, diverted to
feed the fire.
There is a big circle Of seething
fame and rolling smoke here, too-a
malodorous neighborhood, around which
fatigue parties are working with avert
ed heads, and among them some surly
and unwilling Indians, driven to labor
at the muzzle Of threatening revolver or
carbine, aid in dragging to the flames
carcass after carcass Of horse and mule,
and in gathering together and throwing
on the pyTe an array Of miscellaneous
soldier garments, blouses, shirts and
trousers, all more or less hacked and
blood stained. all Of no more use to
mortal wearer.
Out on the southern slopes, just
where a ravine crowded with wild rose
bushes opens into the valley, more than
half the command is gathered, formed
in rectangular lines about a number Of
shallow, elongated pits, in each of
which there lies the stiffening form Of
a comrade who but yesterday Joined in
the battle cheer that burst upon the val
ley with the setting sun. Silent and
reverent they stand in their rough cam
paign garh The escort Of infantry
rests ON arms" the others bow their
uncovered heads, and it is the voice OF
the veteran colonel that IN accents
trembling with sympathy and emotion.
renders the last tribute to fallen con-
rades and lifts to heaven the prayerafar
the dead. Then seel The mou1nihg
groups break away from the southern
side, the brown rides of the escort ara.
lifted in air, the listening rocks resoand
to the sudden ring Of the flashing vol
ley, the soft low ysailing geodby OF
the trumpets goes floating up the vale,
aRd soon the burial parties are leftalone
to cover the ones familiar faces with
the earth to which the soldier must re.
tnfn, and the comrades who are left,
foot and dragon, come marching. 81
lent, back TO camp.
And when theosd regiment begins It's
hefaeEzagd Journey ll:eFing tha we'll