The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-01-01

rode NOur INST pony AZ t-AC ~
the Missouri. You know well wouldn't |
try to deceive YOU. | can't think the !
Twelfth is to bear the brunt OF tins
business. They don't belong IN that de-
partment at all. They are only bor-
T,oyyed from here. and surely there are
troops enough there, more than enough,
to overawe that pestilent gang. All that
is necessary will be to surround the In
3ians. let them see what a force we
have, and they'll knuckle down. Don't
cry SO. Mrs. Thorpe; don't cry, my
child. Let me take You over home now.
Just get the little ones around you to-
night. and I'll bring over some famous
oranges that came today, and-why,
don't believe the Twelfth will have TO
null another trigger. Think how many
other regiments and commands there are
there"
L do. do, and pray and pray, but
no comfort comes. Did YOU ever know
a time when they yere not in the thick
of the fight: Did you ever hear OF any
time when the loss did not fall heaviest
on u.s.
Don't think OF that now, he pleaded.
Don't borrow trouble from either past
or future. Come, let me take you home,
there's a good girl. l tell you if that
hand hasn't surrendered they've scat
tered all over creation, and you can no
flere catch them than you can-than
Won can--a newspaper lie. That's the
strongest simile can think OF. Did yen
Il, oh
rien and Brewster he queried, eager 10
divert her thoughts from her own
misery.
i did. Isn't it cruel? But Major
Berrien has his wife and Winnie with
him. and they're bringing him home;
but if poor George is shot, what can
! do"
DO? Why, you shall go right 10 him
II have to give myself a seven days
leave and take you" And so, soothing,
| comforting as best he knew how, the
veteran major led her home TO her Won
dering brood, to the laughing, growing
baby leaping in the nurses arms, de-
| lighted to see the little mother again, TO
the JOYOUS children romping in the fire
Sight, snnocent OF care or fear, and then
striving for their sake 70 still her sobs,
to dry her tears, he left her to put the
little ones TO bed, to clasp their folded
| hands in hers as the wee, white gowned
girlies knelt at her side echoing-God
only knew with what piteous entreaty-
the lisping prayer for his divine protec-
ton for the loved father, the devoted
husband, the gallant soldier who that
very day had fought his last fight and
lay Iifeless on the frozen sod.
Over the eastward bluffs, cold and
gray. the morning light had slowly crrpt
to the zenith. Over the sky was spread
one limitless pail OF cloHd, cherries and
repellcnt-a pail so dense that not one
| friendly star had peeped, not one rift Of
| sunshine now could force its way. All
below, bleak, frowning and sullen, Il
bare and blasted landscape; low hills
and ridges east and west, low lying shall
low and swale between, cherries, tree
less. shrubless, not even 4 veil Of snow
to hide Its nakedness, to lend one pity
ing touch to break the dull. dead monot-
oay Of its wintry desolatiOn: sweeps
and slopes rolling away unbroken to the
frowuing horizon az the west, ste-ner,
harsher lines among the bluffs across
the tortuous stream bed, between whose
ragged banks an icy, lonely and dismal
rivulet is curdling now, spreading out
into frozen shadows at the flats, moan
ing and complaining around its warped
and sudden bends. desolate rs the sur
rounding desolation, deserted as the
Dead sea. its banks repel!eIt even &c
such sharers Of Dakota solitudes As the
coyote and the cottonwood. stunned OF
man or beast or tree-a stream Of silence
and gloom at the dawn OF this December
day, and so cherries Is Its every sur
rounding. so appalling the unnatural
hush, that one would never dream OF
life uDoa its blasted hanks.
Yet. listen! Unseen, hat dominant
the sun has Yisea above the eastern hills,
and, IS the light broadens even where ii
cannot warm. there floats upon the an
from FAR away at the southwest. faint
and clear, a cavalry trumpet call: soft
ST first. then crescondo, il ceases sud
denly in shrill high note. Ii thrills
through and through a rare atmosphere
unruffied Icy the feeting wing Of har-
diest bird. Like the wistful call Of scat
tered quail it seems TO say, Where are
youY' And prompt, expectant Of tho
co.aing of faithful mate, listen again
From tbs dim recesSes 10 the north
somewhere among these bare and deS
olate slopes. the answer rises, quick
ringing. even imperative. and the sigma
reads. This way"
Cropping through the bitter darkness.
Of the December night 4 cavalry colCmI
has sought ard, just at the opening o
tLis cheerleSs December day, has foun,
its mate. The comrade battahons o
the Twelfth are within hail.
Forward" rings the signal from th'
southwest. Forward with them. then
around that point at the low bluff 10 oul
front, and IN the ghostly. gathering
light the scene is before Us. the tale l.
almost told.
There, thickly dOtting the prairie ans
covering the low ground, its wigwami
smoke begTimed and dingy. lies an In
dian encampment; but even in sucl
shelter rs this the hostile horde ha:
Jared far better than they who through
the long. freezing night have kept watcl
and ward lest again the wary chiei
should slip through the meshes. Ii la.
come at last. The big warriors fanat
ical braves have made their rush, Ber
rie,'s Inea the tackle. Back few thu
signal with the setting sun. Up through
the nigh. came Farquhar with ''th,
guards"
Here in front the four old troops W,
know 50 well have shiyered for hour.
about the village. Here. alert AID &c
ter1ninel. Rolfc and Hazlett, Thorpe ant
GorhaIn, have clung TO front, flank anC
rea-, wei knowing that so soon as The
colonel got the news he would not only
speed the second battalion on its way
but, gathering any other forces he could
find. would ride the long night through
if need were, 10 join his men.
Stern and silent Rolfe is standing a
the bank of the stream, wearied enough
yet certain that there is no rest befor,
them. On him as senior the command
has deFolved in the absence OF The be
loved maior now being tenderly nlrset