Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-02-14
CHAPTER VIII.-CoNT1NuED.
1893. by ]. 2. Lipplncott Co.


''Smoke?" he said. rendering the
bunch to the sheriff, who pulled one
forth in his pudgy fingers while Graves
was presenting Messrs. So-and-So, of
such and such papers, to both of whom
Rand extended cordial greeting and
his cigar case, then took Graves by the
arm, nodded cheerily a good-day to the
party, and popped the paymaster
through a side door. For an instant,
only, they were too surprised to act.
Then, with ''well, I'll be d-!'' the
sheriff jumped to the door. There at
the side entrance stood Fanning's best
bay team and open buggy, Graves just
being hoisted in. Rand sprang lightly
after him, and, without vestige of
triumph on his face, blithely waved
his hand to the party at the door, and
away went the bays and the buggy.
''Well,' said the sheriff, eff he isn't
a cool one may I be-double damned!'
Not until afternoon could he, or any
one else, for that matter, get at either
Rand or Graves. Making long cir
cult, and keeping him in constant chat,
the colonel drove the unhappy pay
master out over the hard prairie roads,
and towards noon refined up at the fort,
where the team was turned over to an
orderly, and the two staff officers were
welcomed by Morgan and RECALLED with
lunch. Rand swore the canned lobster
and cOmmissary crackers and cheese,
washed down with Budweiser, the
most delicious things he ever tasted,
and was full of sympathy with Morgan
in his anxiety about Connie.
Here's what you've got to do, old
fellow" said he. ''You must let that
I'd
visit. Send Lot and Billy, too. I've
got great big house, and my wife
will be only too glad to hear child
voices in it again. I like Connie
She's brick. I'll send passes for the
whole party, and the change will do
her good. Now, speaking about
1Schramm; had he ever told her about
his antecedents?"
No, Morgan knew he hadn't. So later
Rand went down to see Mrs. Hinkel,
and thus it happened that he was still
at the fort when along about three p.
m. the wires began to warm up with
other and graver matter. Rand was
wanted at the instrument if by chance
he was still at the fort, for it was nee
ressary that he should be placed in inn
mediate communication with the gen.
eral, who was at department head
quarters, and presently the soldier OPP
orators cheek began to pale, as he
checked off and jotted down, name
after name, the list of the killed and
wounded in Tintop's daring fight
against the combined war parties of
the reservations. The gallant old dra-
coon himself was safe, but Morgan
-captaincy had come. The flag went
down to half-staff unrebulzed by the
lonely officer in command, for brave
Manning, his longtime troop-leader
and friend. had fallen fighting hard.
The list of the dead, though large, was
exceeded by that of the wounded, and
supplemented by that of party OF
whose fate no man could hazard more
than mere conjecture. In addition to
the names of Schultz and Schramm
were those of ten other troopers re-
ported among the missing. It was the
roster of a little detachment sent out
on the trail of alleged road agents or
robbers. They had started only a few
hours before the fight, and were under
the leadership of Lieut.. Thornton.
CHAPTER TX.
A special engine and car took Rand.
khe doctor and certain h0Spital at