Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-20
VOL. 43.
CHAPTER XIV.
INNOCENT OR GUILTY?


The provost sergeant at Fort Robin
son is man who has seen and heard
great deal in the course of his army
life, and who has the enviable faculty
Of knowing everything that Is going on
around him without appearing tc
know anything at all. 1t had been his
duty, day or two previous, to expel
from the limits of the reservation q
rascally pack of gamblers, species OF
two legged prairie wolf that in the
rough old days on the frontier followed
every movement of the army paymas'
ters and lured and trapped the soldiers
until every cent of their money was
gone. In point Of number the gamblers
we're strong enough to take care OF
themselves in case of Indian attack, yet
rarely did they venture far from the
protection of the nearest troops. Driven
ont of post and forbidden to return,
the y had simply camped with their
whole "outfit" at the lower edge of the
military reservation, where the laws OF
the state of Nebraska and not the orders
of Uncle Sam took precedence. And
here they "set up shop" again and had
a game going in full blast this very
sunshiny Sunday morning, and the
provost sergeant knew all about it. He
also knew by 10 o'clock that Sergeant
Dawson and Private Patsy Donovan OF
Charlton's troop, with some adventur-
ous spirits from the garrison, were
down there "bucking their luck'
against the tricks of these skilled prac-
titioners, and it was not hard to predict
what the result would be.
"Shall I take a file of the guard and
fetch them back, sir?" he asked the
colonel commanding, and that gentle
man glanced inquiringly at his cavalry
friend.
How say you, captain?" Charlton
reflected a moment and then replied:
"No, colonel. l should say let them
have all the rope they choose to take. ]
can get them when they are needed.
You are sure about their whereabouts
on Tuesday and Wednesday nights"
he asked, turning to the sergeant.
Perfectly, sir, and just what they
lost and how much they owed the quar-
termaster's gang when they left"
"Just see where they are at noon,
then, and let me know" And the provost
sergeant went his way, leaving the
officers in consultation.
At noon the soldier telegrapher came
hurrying to the colonel and handed him
dispatch.
81 feared as much" said the old SOL
dier as he handed the paper to Captain
Charlton. "This means work for you at
once. Let us 90 to the Office. There will
be dispatches from Omaha presently.
Isn't it strange that no one at Sidney
should have heard of the Indians get.
ting over the Platter
At 3 o'clock Charlton's troop was in
saddle, with only three familiar faces
missing from the line. In the new ex-
citement the men had ceased to speak
of Trumpeter Fred. What puzzled them
now was the absence of Dawson and
Donovan. A sergeant sent into the gar
rison to warn them that the troop was
to march at once came back to say that
he had searched every stable and corral.
The horses were nowhere about the post
or the agency stores. and men on guard
said that they had seen the two troopers
riding away down White river soon aft
er / O'Clock, and they had not come
back. And when Graham reported them
absent to Captain Charlton, as the lat
ter in his familiar scouting costume
rode out to take command, the whole
troop was amazed that their leader
seemed to treat 1t us matter of no con-
sequence whatever. He returned the
sergeant's salute and inquired:
EVERY horse fed and watered?"
"Yes, SIR"
every man got two days. hard bread
and bacon?"
eyes, sir
"How much ammunition?"
Eighty rounds carbine per man-2C
revolver, sir.
every good, sergeant" And, this
brief colloquy ended, the sergeant reined
about and rode to the right flank. "Pre
pare to mount-mount!" ordered the
captain. "Form ranksp' and without
further delay, "Fours right-marchr
And away they went up the lonely val
ley, along the winding water, breaking
into columns Of twos and riding "at
ease" the moment they had passed the
point where the post commander and q
little knot of officers had assembled to
bid them godspeed. Captain Charlton
bent down from his saddle to grasp the
colonel's extended hand and whisper Q
few words in his ear. The colonel nod
ded appreciatively. "They can't es,
cape" he answered low, and then,
watched by friendly eyes in that little
group until out of sight and by fierce
and lurking spies until darkness shroud.
ed them from view, the troop rode
jauntily on its mission, Charlton and
Blunt in murmured consultation in the
lead and 48 stalwart troopers confident.
ly and unquestioningly following II
their tracks. Who cared that all all
night ride through Indian haunted
wilds was before them? 1t was al old,
old story to every man.
Were there "ghost lights" on the
Niobrara that night? The Indian spies
could swear by the deeds of their all,
cestors that the troop soon climbed out
of the valley of the White river and
rode briskly southwark by the Sidney
trail, and that every man was III his
place in column when they wound
down in the Running Water flats at