The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-01-28
CHAPTER XVI.

Platte had oyerlcaped it's bounds and
wis raging like some mad mountain
torrent far as tho eyo could SEQ. The
flats to the west Of tho post wero ono
broad, muddy lukc. The grassy bench
beneath tho bl!iffs to the cast was par
TALLY torn away. Part Of BunkO Jim q
frontier stronghold still clung to the
opposite bank, but somo of it was dis
tributed III driftwood long leagues down
stream. Across tho river, at q point
half milo above tho ruin Of the ferry
house, troop of cavalry, caught OH re-
turn from scout, had pitched it's tents
and pickctcd its horses aud was waiting
for the falling of the waters to enablo
it to return to it's station, and with that
troop, tho maddest man in all Wyo-
ming, was Lieutenant Will Farrar
Six or seven weeks previously an or
dor had como to Fenton TO send two
troops to scout tho western slopes of tho
Big Horn ana keep tho peace between
tho settlers and tho Shoshoncs. Timo
was when these latter rarely venturcd
across tho Big Horn river, partly
through fear of the Sioux, who claimed
sovereignty over all tho lands east of tho
Shoshonc preserves in tho Wind river
valley, partly through regard for tho or
dcrs of their loyal old chief, Washakic,
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, tho policy Of the Indian
bureau being to load with favors only
those Of it's wards who defy it and deal
death to tho whites. Settlers seldom
encroach upon tho Sioux, those gentry
being abundantly able and moro than
willing to take care Cf themselves, but
tho Shoshones had known long years Of
encrvating peace and, being held in
subjection by their chief, became tho
natural prey Of the whites, who mistook
subordination for subscrvicnce, rs is
natural to treeborn Americans and as
easily adopted by fellow citizens of for
eign birth and who soon began to ell
croach Oh their own account, stealing
Shoshono crops and cattlo and promptly
accusing the army officer on duty as
agent of cattle stealing and all around
rascality when he rcscized the captured
stock.
. Then, while this badgcrcd official was
defending himself III court the Sho-
shones had to defend themselves in tho
field, and that peripatctic buffer between
tho opprcssor and the oppressed, the
corporations and the cranks, tho law
and tho lawless--thc much bcdevilcd
army-was sent out as usual to receive
the slings and arrows Of outrageous for
tune and Of both parties. Finding it
difficult to swindle tho Shohones so long
rs their now agent-tho army agent
remained i'll power, tho obvious thing
was to down him by misrepresentation
at Washington and, if that didn't work,
by dcft manipulation Of tho 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 como into court and
provo himself innocent and leave his un.
armed wards at tho morcy of tho settler
in the meantime, and SO it happened
that thcro were high jinks up the Wind
river valley and along those wonderful
ranges in tho wild valleys Of the Gray
Bull, tho Mccyero, tho Mcetcetscc, north
of the Owl Creek mountaii9s, and, tho
cavalry having long sine" "bcen with.
drawn from that section, that was how
the detail fell on old Fort Eraync.
"You can straighten matters out in
a month";" said the commanding officer
to Major Wayne, who had hastened
back from tho cast to take command,
and when it came to selecting tho troops
to 60, even though it lacked less than
two months to his wedding day, Will
FarTar gloricd il4 the fact that his was
ono of them. 1t is hard to conceive of
lot in which IL spirited, soldierly fellow
of 81 could possibly be happier than
commanding q troop of cavalry Oh an
expedition through SO glorious coun-
try. AmOry's troop and LCalo's were
designated, and, the latter captain being
Still in Berlin and tho senior subaltcrn
OH staff duty in the east, Farrar was his
own captain and troop commander and,
despite tho troubles Of the Christmas
season, long since buried so far as ho
was concerned, just about tho happiest
fellow that woro tho army bluo.
Tho expedition had proved even Ion
ger than was PLANNED but at last, while
K wayne, with Amory and tho rcoapturcd
cattle and rounded up Shoshoncs, went
ovor tho Owl Greek mountains to render
account of KS stewardship at Fort
Washakic, Will was told to mako tho
best Of his way homeward with his own
command, and, marching leisurcly
along in the radiant spring mornings
through q country unmatched for wild
beauty III oil America, shooting, fish
ing, plunging in mountain streams,
sleeping dreamlessly in the open air by
night, thcy reached the valley Of tho
Plato toward midJunc. Tho blessed
landmark of tho Eagle buttcs eamc in
sight ono peerless morning. The blue
summits of tho Medicine Bow loomcd up
across tho horizon to tho southeast. Tho
flag tipped bluffs Of old Fort Frayno
would greet their eyes before the close
Of tomorrow's march, and SO they did,
but with q raging torrent tearing at
their base, and this was Monday and
less than 48 houls OF Wits wc1dIno
day.
Meanwhile thcro had been partial
reunion wNnin the walls OF the fort
and already joyous bovy cf army folk