Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-03-07
CHAPTER xu.-CoNT1NUED.
1893. by J. B. Lippincott co.


Such was the official report which
5had followed Rhett'S command back to
Ransom and brought CLEAN of sun
shine through all the gloom. The
death of Capt. Manning, an officer of
Sterling worth, and that of SO many
good men and true, three of whom had
families at the post, could not but
weigh heavily on the spirits of one and
ALI. The homecoming of the wounded,
however, called for the active services
of many hands as well as the liveliest
sympathy of every heart, for the jour
.ney by field and rail had been trying
ordeal in the fierce heat which for
seven days after Winthrop's fight had
seemed to hard-bake the broad valley
of the Ska even to the westward
mountains. Then the grief aroused
by the casualties in the main
engagement had been supplemented
by keen anxiety as to the fate of
Perry Thornton and his party. Rhett
was a cool-headed fellow and had done
about the right thing; even Edwards
and other cavalry cranks were ready to
admit that. Aroused soon after mid
night by his officer of the day and the
-demora1ized deputy he had little time
to think. Orders required him with
his battalion to march back to Pawnee
AS escort for the wounded. Communi-
cation with department headquarters
in the dead OF night would have in
-volved hours of delay. The deputy
might be lying, yet the chances were
in favor of the truth of his stories.
Rhett knew the bulk of the Indians
must have scampered for home in order
to show up at the muster sure to be
made, SO as to convince the agency Of
fcials at least of their presence, and
that they therefore could have no part
in the recent outrages. The genera
had taken the field, going cross coun-
try after Winthrop, and was now far
beyond telegraphic reach. If the
Sioux had surrounded Thornton near
slaughter cove the sooner help was
ssent the better. Fenton, always ready
for anything, and lzeenly relishing the
idea of footmen marching to the relief
of cavalry, was promptly told TO take
his own company and Company E and
-'get there" The cooks we're up, coffee
boiling and bacon sizzling before the
order was fairly out of the majors
mouth, and the command marched
away towards the gap in the far blue
hills under the twinkling pole-star
within the hour.
God speed you, old man! Send us
word quick as you can said Rhett, as
the dusky little column went swinging
away out of camp. ''Give 'em a lick
for me, Mickey" called Private Toohey
to chum in 1uclzier company than
his own. And that was the last heard
of them for twenty-nine hours. Then
two of the lately-besieged troopers,
Fritz and Reuter-, came trotting in
among the travois just as the convoy
broke camp at the mouth of Pawnee
gorge, twenty miles nearer home
Leaving the cove at dark the previous
evening, thev had ridden all night
with the news of the rescue, had rout-
ed out the telegraph operator at Ska
Bridge and sent away certain dispatches
with which they were charged, had
learned that the major and his com
mand had passed on about nine a. m
and would be found somewhere to the
south along Pawnee Fork, and Their
pushed ahead with the glad tidings
Everybody, therefore, at Ransom knew
the main facts long before Rhett anG
the wounded got home. Every
body mourned for Schultz,
veteran of nearly twenty years
service in the regiment, and re