Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-12-23
FORT FRA ATN{HH ME.
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
Author the Ranks "Foes in Ambush "a Soldier
Secret" "The Deserter," can Army Portia,' Etc.

Farrar gloried in the fact that his was
one of them. It is hard to conceive OF q
lot in which spirited, soldierly fellow
Of 81 could possibly be happier than
commanding troop Of cavalry on an
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 his
own captain and troop commander and,
despitesthe troubles Of the Christmas
season, long since buried so far as he
was concerned, just about the happiest
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 aud rounded up Shoshones, went
over the Owl Greek mountains to render
account of his stewardship at Fort
Washakie, Will was told to make the
best Of his way homeward with his own
command, and, marching leisurely
along in the radiant spring mornings
through country unmatched for wild
beauty in all America, shooting, fish
ing, plunging in mountain streams,
sleeping dreamlessly in the open air by
night, they reached the valley Of the
Platte toward mid-June. The blessed
landmark of the Eagle buttes came in
sight one peerless morning. The blue
SUBMITS Of the Medicine Bow loomed up
across the horizon to the southeast. The
flag tipped bluffs of old Fort Frayne
would greet their eyes before the close
Of tomorrow's march, and so they did,
but with raging torrent tearing at
their base, and this was Monday and
less than 48 hours Cf Wills wedding
day.
Meanwhile there had been partial
reunion within the walls of the fort,
and already joyous bevy CT army folk
had gathered in anticipation of the June
wedding, with Kitty Ormsby as the CEN
ter of attraction, since she was the colo
nel's niece and he was to give her
away, and Wayne was to be best man
by order of the bride, provided he didn't
get things mixed in his own inimitable
way and turn up unexpectedly at some
one else's affair, as he did the night Of
the Willetts' dinner to Captain and
Mrs. Billy Ray of the -th, where,
with army bonhomie, a seat was squeez-
ed in close beside that Of the winsome
guest of the evening, and where he was
charmingly welcomed and made at
home despite the fact. which dawned
upon him only with the champagne,
that he was due at the Amorys', where
similar function was being held in
honor of the Truscotts Of the same regi-
ment, then on the march from Kansas
to Montana.
you'll rue it, Kitty, that ever you
insisted on my having Wayne for best
man," wrote poor Will, with prophetic
but unavailing protest. "Wayne saved
my Willy" was the positive rejoinder,
and no one but Wayne would do. Gall
right" said WILL "if you find years
later that there's been some fatal flaw
in the proceedings, don't blame me-"
But here, on this glad June morning,
all sunshine and serenity aloft, all per-
turbation at the post, all raging river
about it, it looked as though the pro-
ceedings themselves would be delayed
and that instead Of military wedding
in the post chapel at high noon, with
every body en- grande tenue, there would
be no wedding at all, even though Will.
like modern Leander, swam this wild
western Hellespont in search Of his
bride. Far away to the east the floods
had SWEPT their battering ram of logs
and trees and dashed it against the
bridge abutments at the railway, and,
though the Farrars were safely here and
had been for several days, Kitty's train,
that which bore her and Jack on their
westward way, had been brought up
standing long miles toward Cheyenne,
and there was no telling when the pas
sengers could be transferred to the wait
ing cars upon the hither shore. And 40,
believing the other in waiting at the
post, bride and groom elect woke to
their wedding morn to rail at fate. 1t
would have been some comfort could
they have known that, though miles
apart, they were at least on the sam
side of the stream that swept between
them and the altar of their hopes.
And there was deep anxiety under
the roof where once again the Farrars
were installed, for the mother was pos
sessed with the fear that Willy would
be mad enough to try to swim the
stream, and, though Fenton had had his
signalmen out forbidding any such at
tempt, no acknowledgment had been
received to the effect that the repeated
message was understood. An Indian
who thought he could cross at Casper
rocks, several miles up stream, was
swept from his pony and only saved by
the strength of his horsehair lariat. A
scow that was launched at the bend was
battered to flinders, and bottle after
bottle, corked and slung long yards out
into the stream, went bobbing derisive-
ly away, carrying their penciled con-
tents with them. Arrows, with silken
strings attached, dropped hclplessly in
the stream. Bullets, similarly tethered,
snapped their frail attachments and
whistled over the opposite shore and
told no tale other than that Of anxiety.
Every fieldglass at the post, when
brought to bear, revealed Farrar at 9
O'Clock Of his bridal morning striding
and probably swearing up and down the
bank, tugging at his tiny mustache and
sprouting beard and possibly threaten
ing self destruction. 1t was thrilling
scene.
Then, many other people seemed bur-
dened with troubles of their own. Ellis