Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-10-01

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prairie.
"Tiey'ro On to Us. bv the eternal!'
cried the adiutant. who loved the Jack
soniau form of expletive. listen
Bat no one listened more than III instant.
Even through the muf1iing coverlet Of
snow the rumble and rush OF hun
dred rouv hoofs. like low, distant thun-
der, told If the instant flight of Big
Reads brave. i'll answer ia the signal.
Wavne was ahlaze in a second.
Close up on the head of column"
he shouted TO the troop leaders. Come
on. now. mon, for ali yon re worth.
| There isn't a second 20 spare.
And az the amazed and wearied
| horses gave answer to the spur and
broke into numbering eailop far over a:
the west the rocks began tn ring Ia the
| crackle of muske,ry. farwell and the
Sioux hau c!inchad ON the bluffs 10 the
south OF the springs and We're fighting
| in the dark for the night of way.
Ten miles away. 1T Allison's ranch.
| weari.d with the sleepless toll Of II
| hours, too weary IL be kept awake even
by the exasperating sense of his wrongs.
| the colonel was just rolling into his
blankets fer "a much needed rest before
setting forth with the rising sun on his
| homewsrd road. Fifty miles away over
the white expanse of prairie, under the
cold and glittering skies. Marjorie Far
rar sat by the bedside Of her beloved
daughter, praying ccasalessly for the
/ safety Of an equally beloved son now
riding for the first time i'll his brave
Young life to prove his worthiness to
bear the fathers name il headlong fight
with savage and skillfCl foe.
And if ever 4 young fellow, wearer
Of the army blue. realized to the full
extent the hopes and faith and fondness
centered in him this night of nights. it
was VIII Fairar. Barely arrived at
mans estate. not Yet year out of the
cadet coatee. with his mother, his sis
ter, his sweetheart. all there at the old
fort so long associated with his father
name, with that name to maintain, and
not only that. bat with Malcolm Leale's
old troop as one man looking up to him
Is their leader, yet competent, down to
the very last man. 10 note the faintest
flaw should he fail them, the Junior
subaltern Of the Twelfth. the ''plebe"
lieutenant. rs his elders laughingly
spoke 81 him, found himself. as though
some special providence had swept fror.
his path every possible barrier TO danger
and distinction. lifted suddenly to a
command that seldom falls to army
subalterns today even within a dozen
years and hidden here and now to win
his spurs for the honor of the old troop,
the honor Of the Twelfth, the honor of
the name his father made famous and
that he must maintain or die in trying
to. All this, and God alone knows how
much more besides, went thrilling
through his very soul as, on Farwell g
left and in utter silence. he rode swiftly
onward at the head Of the column
Leaving to his own first lieutenant the
command of the grays, Captain Farwell
had tcld him to follow close in the
tracks OF Farrar's men and, with only
one Of the Indian company to aid and
no other guide of any kind but his
senses and the stars. had placed himself
III the lead and pushed forth into the
night
Swing we'll cut TO the west" were
FentCn's last orders. Keep dark, as
you know how. Head for the hills a.
soon as you re sure you're far beyond
hearing and try to strike those bluffs q
coaple Of miles at least back of the
mouth of the canyon. You ought to get
there ahead of the village. Halt it with
few men down in the gorge but hold
your main body on the bluffs. Well
Seep Big Road busy"
Luckily tie stars were brilliant in the
wiutry sky and the consultations out
IN all their glory. The pole star glowed
high aloft and held them to their course
Ont III the advance. lashing his horse
with Indian whip To keep him to his
speed, rode Brave Bear. a corporal Of
the Ogalalia company. side BY side
with Sergeant Brcmmer Whenever the
drifts were deep III the ravincs. one of
them would halt and warn the column
to swerve TO the right or left. Only a
yard or two behind the two officers
Farwell, grizzled and stout. Farrar. fai,
and slcnder-came Looping or trotting
the leading four, and, though it was
not his accustomed place, there rode
Terry RorEe, where, as he had explain.
Il TO the satisfaction of the sergeant.
he could he close to ''Masther Will. -
The prairie was bread and open and
fairly level. There was 10 need of di.
minishing front. A platoon could have
ridden abreast and found 10 serious OBJ.
stacle. except the snowdrifrs in the deer
coulees. Two miles to the west they
: sped, moving cautiously at first 20 as &c
give 10 mixing of their intent. and, for
the first time, almost doubling back up.
on their tracks. So as to keep well away
from the Indian rear guard.
Then, IL long curve. Farwell led them
toward the low. rolling hills, now dim.
" visible against the armament. and
presently the ravines began to grow
deeper but farther apart, the slopes
more abrupt. ard the westward hill.
. ioomed closer in their path. and still the
snowy expanse showed unbroken. and
Bear. bending low over his pony's neck
and watching for signs. declared that nc
Indians had crossed as vet into the hill.
and tha5 tie entrance TO Elk guIch WA.
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