Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-12-24
CHAPTER XVI.

June had come, a radiant June. and
all at Frayne was joyous anticipation,
despite the momentous fact that the
Platte had overleapcd its bounds and
was raging like some mad mountain
torrent far as the eye could see. The
fats to the west of the post were one
broad, muddy lake. The grassy bench
beneath tho bluffs to the east was par
TALLY torn away. Part of Bunko Jim's
frontier stronghold still clung to the
opposite bank. but some Of it was dis
tributed in driftwood long leagues down
stream. Across the river, at point
half a mile above the ruin Of the ferry
house, a troop of cavalry, caught on re-
turn from scout, had pitched its tents
and picketed its horses aud was waiting
for the falling Of the waters to enable
it to return to its station, and with that
troop, the maddest man in all Wyo
ming, was Lieutenant Will Farrar.
Six or seven weeks previously an Or
der had come to Fenton to send two
troops to scout the western slopes Of the
Big Horn and keep the peace between
the settlers and tho Shoshones Time
was when these latter rarely ventured
across the Big Horn river, partly
through fear of the Sioux, who claimed
sovereignty over all the lands east Of the
Shoshone preserves in the Wind river
valley, partly through regard for the Or
ders Of their loyal old chief, Washakie,
who for long. long years Of his life had
kept faith with the great white father,
held his people in check and suffered
the inevitable consequences of poverty
and neglect, the policy Of the Indian
bureau being 70 loud with favors only
those Of it's wards who defy it and deal
death to the whites. Settlers seldom
oncsoacn upon tho Sioux, Jnuse gentry
being abundantly able and more than
willing to take care of themselves, but
the Shoshones had known long years Of
encrvating peace and, being held in
subjection by their chief, became the
natural prey Of the whites, who mistook
subord ination for subservience, as Is
natural to freeborn Americans and as
easily adopted by fellow citizens Of for
eign birth and who soon began to en-
croach on their own account, stealing
Shoshone crops and cattle and promptly
accusing the army officer OH duty as
agent Of cattle stealing and all around
rascality when he reseized the captured
stock
Then, while this badgered official was
defending himself in court, the Sho-
shones had to defend themselves in the
field, and that peripatetic buffer between
the oppressor and the oppressed, the
corporations and the cranks, the law
and the lawless-the much bedeviled
army-was sent out as usual to receive
tho slings and arrows Of outrageous for
tune aud Of both parties. Finding 1t
difficult to swindle the Shohones SO long
as their new agent-the army agent
remained in power, the obvious thing
was to down him by misrepresentation
at Washington and, if that didn't work,
by deft manipulation Of the local law.
OF course they didn't expect to prove
him guilty of anything, but there was
no law against lying, and they could
compel him to come into court and
prove himself innocent and leave his un.
armed wards ut the mercy Of the settler
in the meantime, and SO it happened
that there were high jinks up the Wind
river valley and along those wonderful
ranges in the wild valleys of the Gray
Bull, the Meeyero, the Meeteetsee, north
Of the Owl Greek mountains, and, the
cavalry having long since been with.
drawn from that section, that was how
the detail fell on old Fort Frayne.
"You can straighten matters out III
month, said the commanding officer
to Major Wayne, who had fastened
back from tho east to take command,
and when it came to selecting the troops
to 60 even though it lacked less than
two months to his wedding day, Will
Farrar gloried in the fact that his was
one of them. 1t is hard to conceive Of q
lot in which spirited, soldierly fellow
of 81 could possibly be happier than
commanding troop of cavalry ON M
expedition through so glorious coun'
try. Amory's troop and Leale's were
designated, and, the latter captain being
still in Berlin and the senior subaltern
on staff duty in the east, Farrar was hi
own captain and troop commander and
despite the troubles OF the Christmat
season, long since buried SO far as he
was concerned, just about the happies1
fellow that wore the army blue.
The expedition had proved even Ion
ger than was planned, but at last, while
Wayne, with Amory and the recaptured
cattle and rounded up Shoshones, wen'
over the Owl Greek mountains to render
account of his stewardship at For
Washakie, Will was told to make thu
best of his way homeward with his owl
command, and, marching leisurely
along in the radiant spring morning.
through a country unmatched for wllt
beauty in all America, shooting, fish
ing, plunging in mountain streams
sleeping dreamlessly in the open air b.
night, they reached the valley OF tn
Platte toward mid-June. The blessed
landmark Of the Eagle buttes came II
sight one peerless morning. The blu
SUBMITS of the Medicine Bow loomed d.
across the horizon to the southeast Th'