Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-13
~Couriers in front OF Captain wallac


tempting to 60 that way.
The second was from the office Of the
department commander himself:
"Indians in force south Of Platte, on
Sidney road. If Colonel Gaines and
Captain Cross have started, send oou'
riers at once to recall them"
The majors face was dark with dis
may
"They have been gone nearly four
hours" he exclaimed. Even if had
swift riders ready. who could catch them
In timer
1--WE been trooper all my life, sir, "
came sudden answer "Give me horse
and carbine and let me go"
The major might have known twas
Sergeant Waller
True to his word and arranging with
the officers of the court martial to return
in case his further testimony was re-
quired, Captain Charlton set forth at
daybreak on Saturday, intending to push
straight through to Red Cloud as fast as
mules could drag or horses bear him.
To the Niobrara crossing the road was
hard and smooth when once they cleared
the sandy wastes of the Platte bottom.
He had a capital team, light ambu-
lance and a little squad Of seasoned
troopers to 90 with him as escort 1t
was q drive of nearly 80 miles, but be
proposed resting his animals an hour at
the Niobrara, another hour at sunset,
feeding and watering carefully each
time, and so keeping on to the old
agency until he reached his troop late
at night
No danger was to be apprehended un-
til the party got beyond the Rawhide
and not very much until they were
across the Niobrara, but Charlton and
his half dozen troopers had been over
each inch of the ground time and again,
and very little did they dread the Sioux.
After midday the little party had
halted close beside the spot where
Blunt's detachment had made their
bivouac so short a time before. Here
were the ashes Of their cook fires and
the countless hoof prints Of the horses
Here, too, was the trail In double file,
leading away northward across the
prairie, short cut to the Red Cloud
road. Charlton followed it with his
keen eyes and noted with smile how
straight line its young leader must
have made for the dip" in the grassy
ridge a mile away, through which ran
the hard, beaten track. Blunt prided
himself on these little points Of soldier
ship, as the captain we'll remembered,
and when charged with guiding at the
head of column was pretty sure to fix
his eyes on some distant landmark and
steer for that, with little regard for
what might be going on at the rear.
The ambulance mules, tethered about
the tongue, were busily crunching their
liberal measure Of oats Each cavalry
horse, too. buried his nose deep in the
shimmering pile his rider had carefully
poured for him upon the dry side Of the
saddle blanket. The men were content
edly eating their hard tack and bacon
and drinking their coffee from huge tin
cups with the relish Of old frontiers
men One trooper, few yards away
out on the prairie, kept vigilant watch.
Pondering deeply over the strange and
unaccountable charge that had been
laid at his young trumpeter's door, the
captain was slowly pacing down the
bank. putting away at the brier root
pipe that was the constant companion
of his scouting days Suddenly he heard
the sentry call, and. turning, saw him
pointing to the ground at his feet.
What Is it, Horton?" he asked, 60.
ing over toward him
PONY tracks, sir. The Indians have
been nosing around here since our men
left. -
There were the prints Of some half a
dozen little. unshod hoofs dotting the
sandy hollows in the low ground near
the stream and easily traceable among
the clumps of buffalo grass beyond
Charlton could see where they had
gathered in one spot. as though their
riders were then in consultation, and
then scattered once more along the
bank. Two hundred yards away stood
the lonely log cabin. all that was left
Of what had been the ranch, and follow
ing the trail the captain presently
found himself nearing it. Two tracks
seemed to lead straight thither, and be-
fore he reached it were Joined by sever
al more. Close to the abandoned hut the
ground was worn smooth and hard. yet
in the hollows were accumulntions of
dust blown from the roadway up the
stream. Around here the pony tracks
were thick, and just within the gaping
doorway were footprints in the dust,
some Of spurred boot heels and broad
soles one still more recent Of Sioux
mocoasins Through the solid log walls
two small square windows had been cut
and narrow slits for rifles, In the days
when the occupants had frequent occa-
sion to defend their prairie castle The
opening to the subterranean keep"
was yawning under the eastern wall. Its
wooden cover having long since been
broken up for fuel Charlton stood for
a moment within the blaokened and
dusty doorway and glanced curiously
around him.
Except for the new footprints it look
ed very much as it did when he had
first taken occasion to inspect the inte-
rior, earlier In the summer There was
nothing left that any one could carry
away, and be wondered why the Indi-
ans should have troubled themselves to
dismount and prowl about An Indian
hates house on general principles, and
enters one only when he expects &c