The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-11-28
CHAPTER VIII.

them, the party went racing out over
the turf and came in full view of the
scene of the fight. Five hundred yards
further down stream was deep bend
in the Laramie. Close to the waters
edge two horses lay stretched upon the
ground, stone dead. Out on the open
prairie lay an Indian pony still kicking
in his dying agony and as the SOL
diers came sweeping into view two
men rose up from behind the low bank
Of the stream and swung their hats
Hal Folsom and one of his hands safe,
unwounded. yet with a look in their
gray faces that told of recent mortal
peril.
Were all right! Go on after them.
They've run off a dozen of my best
horses" said Folsom, land I'm afraid
they cut off Jake
mo! Jake reached the ranch all right
-leastwise somebody did said
Shaughnessy. That's how we got the
news. They got somebody or else
they were only bluhing when they
waved that scalp. How many were
there?"
"At least a dozer-too many for you
to tackle Where's the rest of the
troop"
CLOSE at their heels. The lieutenant
led them right over the ridge. Listen"
Yes, far up in the foothills, faint ana
clear, the sounds of the chase could
now be heard. Deans men were clos
ing on the fleeing warriors for every
little while the silence of the range
was broken by the crack of rife or car
bine. Shaughnessy's fellows began to
fidget and look eagerly thither, and he
read their wish 1.-TWO of you stay
with Mr.. Folsom" he said, land the
rest come with me. There's nothing
we can do here, is there? Sure you're
not hit?"
mo, go on! Give 'em he'll and get
back my horses. I'd so with you, but
they've killed what horses they couldn't
drive All safe at the rancho
Shaughnessy nodded as he spurred
away. "We'H be gettin' the lieutenant
a brevet for this said he, iii we can
only close up with those blackguards."
And these were the words Folsom car
ried back with him, as, mounting a
willing troopers horse, he galloped
homeward to reassure his wife, thank
ing God for the opportune coming of
the little command, yet swearing with
close compressed lips at the ill-starred
work of the day. Thus far he had
striven to keep from her all knowledge
of the threats of the Ogallallas, al
though he knew she must have heard
of them. He had believed himself Sc
cure so far back from the Platte. He
had done everything in his power to
placate Red Cloud and the chiefs-to
convince his former friends that he had
never enticed poor Lizette, as Bap-
tiste had called the child, from her
home and people. They held he should
never have left her, though she had
accused him of no wrong. Burning
Star, in his jealous rage, hated him,
because he believed that but for love
of the pale face Lizette would have
listened to his wooing, and Folsom's
conscience could not acquit him of
having seen her preference and of lead
ing her on. He could not speak of
her to his wife without shame and re-
morse. He had no idea what could
have been her fate, for the poor girl
had disappeared from the face of the
earth, and now, at last, this day had
proved to him the threats of her lover
and her brothers were not idle. He
had had so narrow squeak for his
life, so sharp and sudden and hard a
fight for it that, now that the peril
was over, his nerve began to give way,
his strong hands to tremble. Armed
with breechloaders, he and his two
friends had been able to stand off the
attacking party, killing two ponies and
win fol two
but little by little the Indians were
working around their position and
would have crawled upon them within
an hour or two but for Jake's daring
ride for help and the blessed coming of
the bluecoats in the nick of time. Fol-
som swore he'd never forget their
services this day.
And as he cantered homeward he
could still hear the distant firing dy-
ing away in the mountains to the
north. "Give 'em hell, Deanr' he NUT
tered through his set teeth. They're
showing fight even when you've got
them on the run. I wonder what that
means?"
Not until another day was he to
know. Late on the evening of the at
tack, while he was seated with his
wife by Jake's bedside, half a dozen
troopers, two of them wounded and
all with WORKOUT horses. came drift
ing back to camp. Twice, said they
had the fleeing Indians made stand
to cover the slow retreat of one or two
evidently Sorely stricken, but so close
ly were they pressed that at last they
had been forced to abandon one of
their number, who died, sending his
last vengeful shot through the lieuten-
ants hunting shirt yet only grazing
the skin. Dean, with most of the men,
pushed on in pursuit, determined never
to desist so long as there was light
but these who returned could not keep
up.
Leaving the dead body of the young
brave where it lay among the rocks
they slowly journeyed back to camp
No further tidings came, and at day
break Folsom, with two ranchmen and
trooper, rode out on the trail to
round up the horses the Indians had
been compelled to drop. Mrs. Hal
clung sobbing to him, unable to con-
troll her fears, but he chided her gently
and babe her see that Jake lacked no
care or comfort. The brave fellow
was sure and feverish, but in no great
danger now. Five miles out in the
foothills they came upon the horses
wandering placidly back to the valley,
but Folsom kept on. Four miles fur
Their he and a single ranchman with
him ceme upon three troopers limping
along afoot, their horses killed in the
running fight, and one of these, CRATE
full for a long pull at Folsom's flask,
turned back and showed them the body
of the fallen brave. One look was
enough for Hal and the comrade with
him. Don't let my wife know-who
1t was" he had muttered to his friend.
1T would only make her more nerv-
ous.' There lay Chaska, Lizette's eld-
est brother, and well Hal Folsom knew