Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-16
CHAPTER XII.

It was Saturday night that, from far
ND the Platte, the news came to Captain
wallace of the dash made b. the Sioux
for the Sidney road. For two days pre-
vious be had been hunting Indians up
stream toward the Rawhide and had
found perfect network Of pony tracks
and had had some very distant glimpses
of fitting warriors. His scouts had
told him that the Sioux and Cheyennes
were swarming over the country to the
northwest of him, and that none had
appeared to the east. 1t was his busi-
ness, therefore, to move against them,
and move he did, trusting that Forrest
and the Grays would be alert along the
southern verge Of the reservations, that
no formidable parties could slip south
ward in his absence.
But this was simply part and parcel
of the Indian scheme. Having lured
him two days march away from the
Sidney crossing, these enterprising war
riors kept him occupied, while their
oonfederates, making wide detour
around Forrest, slipped across the Platte
and swooped down upon the poor fell
lows with the freight wagons. Only
one Of their number managed to escape,
and be, madly riding westward, came
upon some herdsmen, who promptly
Joined him in his fight. They had seen
the cavalry going up the north bank a
day or two before, and they never drew
rein until they found them.
Wallace at once sent courlers west.
ward to Fort Laramie with the news,
and at break of day started down stream
with his whole troop. They had not
marched FIVE miles befo1 they came
upon the hoof prints Of single horse,
and just beyond the point where these
hoof prints crossed their trail the tracks
Of half dozen Indian ponies met their
eager eyes. One old sergeant, refining
out of column to the right, followed the
shod tracks over to the river bank, and
a lieutenant spurred out and Joined him
when he signaled with his broad brim-
med scouting hat. The rest Of the troop
moved stolidly ahead.
Presently the young officer overlook
the column and reined in beside his cap
tain.
"Where did they go, Park?"
"Straight into the stream, sir, and
evidently to the other side. Sergeant
Brooks says twas a troop horse with a
light rider and that he had to swim
across. The river is six feet deep out
there, but it was his only way of es.
cape. The Indians couldn't have been
far behind, and yet they didn't follow.
Their tracks turn down the bank on
this side. Brooks is following them
now."
"Who on earth could have come
through here at such time? Why, the
country has been running over with In
dams"
"That's what puzzles me, sir, but
Brooks says there is no mistake. It's
the cavalry shoe. Of course. It's just aft
er pay day at Robinson. Gould it have
been deserter?"
"No man in his senses would have
dared such thing" is the impatient
answer. "It may be some other Internal
trick to get us away from our legltl-
mate business. What we've got to do is
reach that Sidney road by sunset. By
Jove, if I'm court martialed for this
business it went surprise me!' And
the captains horse evidently felt the
sudden grip of the knees, for he took u
sudden squirt and set most Of the troop
at the nerve wearing jog trot. Mr.. Park
said nothing more. but for the life of
him he could not help thinking Of those
lone hoof prints and of that solitary
rider. VINO could he be?
1t is time we got back to him. Only
one man or boy, known to US at least,
could have come that way. 1t was
Trumpeter Fred.
Daybreak Friday had found him a
few miles south Of the Niobrara, and
close to the Laramie road. At noon Fri
day he had halted at the Rawhide to
rest his horse and take bite of lunch
con, but all his young soul was athrill
with eagerness; every faculty was alert.
Warned of the recent presence Of In
dams on every side, he was yet seeking
to gain the Platte before nightfall,
cross to the south bank, where there
was comparative safety, ride southeast
ward until his horse was exhausted,
picket him where grass and water were
near at hand, sleep till dawn again,
and then push en-. He must reach the
Sidney road before Sunday morning
and strike it far below the river.
But here, as he neared the valley, a
sight had met his eyes which made his
young heart leap. The banks Of the
Rawhide were dotted here and there by
fresh pony tracks, and, coming from
the distant ridges to the east, they had
gone in as though to water, and then
turned down toward the Platte, the
very way he wanted to 20. An hour after,
with his horse hidden behind him in a
shallow ravine, Fred Waller was lying
prone upon the ground and peering
over ridge into the low, level wastes
stretching far to the southeast, border
ing the Platte to the very horizon. What
most attracted his gaze was little dust
cloud, miles away down stream, into
which tiny black dots were moving