The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1896-04-02

as autumn came on, and his troops
were alert to take advantage of the
conditions to run the Indians down
and onto their reservations at Forts
Sill and Reno, or into the Cheyenne
agency.
The troops were encamped on the
Wichita river, near the Tooth merid-
ian, and in a couple of days march of
Llano Estacado, or the great Staked
Plains of Texas. Near midday, while
the command were in their September
cantonment, the whole camp was sud
denly aroused from the apathy of
waiting, like Micawber. for something
to turn up by something turning up.
Two scouts rode into camp-lOng-hair-
ed, weather-beaten, ~Sun-dried, II
strangers to all the scouts, buffalo
hunters and soldiers of the command.
They were two gentlemen from Tex
as and declared it with typical unc-
ton; and then went on to say they
| were from Lieut.. Col. BuelIs COM
mand of the Ninth United States cav
airy, which was in hot pursuit of Il
big band of Indians cOursing over the
country fifty miles west of the camp
on the Wichita.
The news stirred the camp up like
al col VA NJ SlictN. II oooll hAotA
| one of the command suddenly as sick
rs if he had swallowed a seismic cpl
| demic as big as Mount P~opocatapetl.
Gen. Miles yelled to the lieutenant
of his staff and administered the dose
by telling him to prepare for a ride to
| Adobe Walls, 100 miles away, up on
on the Canadian river, not far distant
| from the New Mexico boundary line of
the Texas Panhandle.
when, general! was asked.
"Nowi at Once!"
And the lieutenant walked away to
look at the trimmings of his armory,
get a plug of tobacco from the COM
missary and put a can or two of sar-
dimes in his haversack.
Returning to the generals tent, he
complacently asked: what sized de-
| tachment shall l take?'
And the general pointed TO a single
individual, a scout called "Prairie
Dog Dave Dave CampbelD. laconi-
| cally remarked: Hell go with you
But, general" the lieutenant had
the temerity to interpose, cant !
| have ten men, at least!'
"No. You would make too, broad a
| trail, and two of you can better get
| through, if you do (consolingly), than
if ten were sent out"
And then he explained the contents
| of q paper he handed the lieutenant,
| saying that a body of 800 to 800 In
| dams were being hunted by Col. Buell.
| between his fhe Wichita) camp and
Col. Compton's camp at Adobe Walls,
and that the lieutenant's orders were
TO ride over to Adobe Walls tonlE 12O
| miles away and give Col. Compton
word of the chance to distinguish him
self and command.
But, general" TREMENDOUSLY inter
| posed the lieutenant again, Il ought
| to have a good horse; mines played
out"
you can have the best in the com
mand-"
"I1l take your black horse eagerly
spoken.
"All right"
Mounted on 'the best horse in the
| command" the lieutenant set out OF
| the ride at high noon. followed cheer
| ingly'' by the caution. BE careful not
| to run into the Indians and it was
moodily remembered there were 800
of them, and only the scout and him
self if he did happen "to run into
EN-"
i'oS b"NV "dS h' II
| guide for this expedition. He had
hunted buffalo all over this country
for their hides and by indiscriminate
daughter of them had helped the In
lians into the war, which the lieuten-
mt, his companion, wished then and
here might have been aVerted.
The trail from the camp led up the
Wichita until the river ran ont or
nded in n LOT of little rayineS. which
" easy ascent led up to a divide"
! )ver this the two had to cross a roll
ne prairie, on which "hunch grass
nd tumble weeds" were magnified
nto buffalo herds and then bands of
indians by the lieutenant. "Prairic
Dog Dave knew better. though he
topped twice and borrowed the lieu
enant's field glasses to scan the hori-
on The divide curved down all of a
udden into "a break" that led down
nto Elk creek. For Il mile Il tortuouS
rath was followed until the bottom
and of Elk creek was attained-and
more picturesque sight was never
photographed on the mind of men than
vas then impressed upon prairie
}og" Dave and comrade.
On emerging from "the creek or
title canyon, canyOncitO, onto the bot
ON lands both felt as if they had
,ome "over the divide into paradise
hunters paradise. There We're deer.
bucks. does and fawns, by the score
II sight, feeding on succulent grasses,
md as the ride across the valley was
made hundreds of wild turkeys took
o wing and Il dozen or more elk