Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1895-01-03

up the eastern SKY anu faInuly pIcJur-
ing the bluff bordered valley, the
scene was one Of calm and placid re-
pose. Fenton, the officer OF the day,
could not held remarking upon it, as he
went trudging out over the grassy slope
for midnight visit to his pickets.
They had been talking OF the strange
and successful scheme by which the
outlaws had lured the paymaster on to
Minden and there robbed him, for the
theory of the civil authorities that
cavalrymen alone were the perpetra-
tors had received something Of set
back when these gentlemen from Ran
som met the wounded and the guards
from Tintop's command and learned
that the only absentees at the time OF
the robbery were Schultz and
Schramm, who could hardly have eff
fected it by themselves; and what OPP
portunity had they had OF learning the
paymaster's movements? True, the
sheriff's people, unable to find out what
had become of the two, forbidden to
invade the confines Of another terri
tory, which they would do If they fol-
lowed the cavalry, afraid to linger in
the valley after the cavalry had gone.
and utterly averse to searching among
the Sioux trails for their prey, had re-
turned to the railway. Among the
wounded was Lieut.. Edwards, the pay
masters friend, and no one was more
interested about this affair in which
his name had been SO recklessly and
effectively misused than Edwards him
self. The young doctor with the
wounded told him he mustn't talk so
much, but Edwards was bound to find
out all he could, and so it happened
that this very night, catching sight of
the officer of the day as he started out
on his rounds, Edwards feebly hailed
him, on the shallow pretense that he
had something to tell.
"Say, cap, wanted to ask you II
you knew we were just about opposite
the gap that Thornton and his fellows
took to pursue those road-agents?"
Certainly. They went up right over
yonder," said Fenton, pointing to
where, dim and shadowy, ravine
seemed to pierce, wedge-like, the bar
rier of the northward range. "But
what do You mean by lying awake and
asking conundrums when you ought
to be asleep"
Because I'm id sight more In
terested in old Graves predicament
than am in our own, though may
yet have to convince vigilant treas
ury that some other fellow, not /, sent
that dispatch. We were only twenty
miles east OF here when that courier
caught us with the news of the thing
and the statement that the gang had
scattered, some coming our way. The
courier himself saw two Of them, he said,
rs he came across the bridge, far up
acre IS the prairie, riding for Wagon
gap for all they were worth. Then he
sueaked over and struck the trail and
said that not two, but six at least, had
gone to the gap. That's how Thornton
came to be sent back with orders topur-
sue and punish, capture, recover, and all
manner Of things that Tintop knew
perfectly well he couldn't do, yet had
to order him in compliance with his
own instructions. He must have ridden
right across the line of fight of the
Sioux we whipped on Sunday, and II
so, God help him and hist There's moth
Ing left of 'em buS wolf-bait now"
"Oh, you're little used up, Ed
wards. They'll squeeze through all
right, think. Quit your talking and
20 to Sleep
81 can't sleep. 'Tisn't that this hole
hurts me so, or that I'm SO thirsty, but
can't get t atonfounded business
tut Of my head, and I'm worried about
Thornton"
SWELL, shut up" said the captain.
Listen" And he stood holding out
hand.
What do you hear9" asked Edwards,
PRESENTLY.
Il can't hear anything, thanks to
'our clatter. thought heard avhal-
enge way up stream where our picket
S. DO be quiet now"
Both men listened with strained
ars. Over at the edge Of the bench to
he northeast where the drowsy ami
aals were scattered, slowly-pacing
entry had halted, turned about, and,