The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-07


All the morning it had been threaten
ing snow, and now 1t was sitting slowly
down, but presently the flakes fell,
thicker and thicker, and h in a dense
cloud that soon shut out even the crest
ahead of them. Captain Leale, a calm,
thoughtful battalion commander, picked
out certain l~evel-headed sergeants and
sent them, with a few men each, out to
the right and left front and flank, so as
TO guard against surprise. and then as
the men danced about in the snow and
spared or wrestled. la~ughingly, many
and many were the conjectures as to
the cause of the halt and delay. What
are we waiting for? Why don't we
pitch in?" were the queries that passed
from lip to lip. and many were the in
curing glances toward the little group
of officers smoking and talking and
chatting Ormsby at the head of the
column. With an Indian village bare
~ a mile away. an Indian fight prob
ably not an hour ahead, the Twelfth
was taking things as coolly as befitted
the season. and Ormsby, after looking
once more to the chamber of his re-
volver and trying the breech block Of
lis ilSiiSlu CdfDlIle, JOlIlGQ III the
chat with all the GOODNESS he could COM
mand, and strove to appear more in
terested in what was being said than in
the immediate business at hand.
And yet when the adjutant came rid
ing rapidly Jack from the ridge there
was instant movement to meet him..
What's the trouble, Jimmy?' was the
query on many a tongue. what are
we waiting for?"
They're going regularly into camp
putting up their tepees." was the
answer 1T looks as though they were
waiting to palaver with the pursuit.
The Colonel thinks they're willing to
come to terms rather than march further
in such weather. I suppose the Eleventh
can't be very far behind them, and as
yet don't suspect we're over here at all.
Luckily for us. too." said he, gravely.
'for it's two to one in their favor. if
I'm any judge at ALL"
THE devil you say! How many
lodges are there?'
BAT says nigh onto seventy, though
they're not all up yet, and you can't
see a thing now for the snow. The old
rip must have been reinforced heavily.
InSfe Seems 10 De TWO or three DdnQS
rolled into one. What L can't under
stand is how the Eleventh happens to
be so far behind. We thought they were
right at their heels. / hate to think how
the settlers down the Dry Fork must
have suffered"
"Seen or heard anything Of them or of
any refugees"
Yes; two outfits passed up the valley
going for all they were worth this morn
ing. Bat and Chaska saw them from
the ridge wonder To the south Tho
scouts say they abandoned their wagons
n took to their horses"
Even as they. were speaking there
came indications of some unusual object
off to the right rear column One or
two officers and men were seen to ride
off in that direction, and were quickly
swallowed up in the snow cloud. A
sergeant coming I'D from the rear
saluted Captain Leale and said: Capt.
Amory's compliments, sir; and there are
some mounted men coming in who seem
about played out. He thinks they're set
tiers seeking protection"
And presently this proved to be the
case. Out from the feecy clouds there
soon came in sight four or five horse
men slowly escorting one or two riders
on broken down n exhausted quadru-
pedS. and there was a general move
ment on the part of half the men of
the Twelfth to leave their linked horses
n gather about these new arrivals
There were two men, rough-bearded,
typical lTOlIl6TSInRn, RdlDGQ In the
toughest of plains wear. men with faces
SO drawn and haggard with terror and
suffering that they did not brighten
even with the joy of reaching the pro-
lection of a strong force of cavalry.
There was a third. a man heavily
bearded like his associates, but with
dress of ~costlier make, with features
that told of gentler birth than they, but
whose eyes, shifting, restless, filled with
a dread as great as theirs, gave no
symptom of reinsurance. Like ship
wrecked mariners on the broad ocean,
they had sought the succor of the first
craft that came in sight, but even now
seemed to dread the storm and no doubt
the stability, the safety of the rescuing
ship. How many men have you?" they
had eagerly asked, and, when told 220,
had wrung their hands and implored the
first rescuers not to dare confront the
Indians, who were at least a thousand
strong. They have wiped out every
thing in the valley below, fired every
ranch, murdered every man. They've
got a dozen of our women prisoners now
III that very camp. and the first thing
they'll do will be to butcher them If you
attack. For the love of God come
away" they implored. land let them
by. The troops in pursuit must be fifty
miles behind"
Thus eagerly, incoherently, the two
ranchmen said their say. The third was
strangely silent. yet seemed to be full
as eager to get away.
AAo va wa ~ Ills
the young lieutenant who had ridden
out to bring them i'm.
It's all Gods TRUTH" was the answer.
You'll be wiped off the face of the
earth if you attack. Give us some pro-
visions-hardtack, bacon-anything, and
some grain for our horses and let us CO..
We'll, you'll have to come in and see
the commanding officer first" was the
short reply. Hell decide after hearing
your story"
What's his name?" asked the
stranger.
Colonel Farrar."
'Farrar. Is this the Twelfth Cavalry?
/ thought they were ordered to Ari-
IONA"
I'VE were. but this DEVILS work of
the ghost lance keeps us here. Now fol-
low and We'll get you something to eat"
But the stranger said that he would
go no further to the front. Tn too
near that cursed band now" he pro- |
tested, shaking his fist through the
wintry air. GO you. Mullen, and see
the colonel. Get what help you can.
I'm too weak TO ride until / can have