Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-10-13
CHAPTER Will
LOYAL FRIENDS
VOL. 43.


It was on Friday morning at day
break that the desertion Of Trumpeter
Waller was reported to Lieutenant
Blunt. 1t was Friday night that the
kilograms were sent to Laramie and
that Charlton's letter left by stage 1t
was Saturday afternoon just before pa
rade that the mail was distributed at
Fort Sanders, and that very evening,
before Major Edwards had received and
had time to read his letter from the
west. the sergeant had started on bis
long and fatiguing journey All night
long in sleepless misery he sat in cor
ner Of the caboose, occasionally rising
and trsmping unsteadily to and fro At
Cheyenne delay of half an hour oc-
Cured. and he left the train and paced
restlessly up and down the platform
under the freight sheds He dared not
20 down to the lighted Offices and the
crowded passenger station just below
him. 1t seemed as though every one
knew of Fred's story by this time He
could see the CLEAN Of forage cap orna-
ments and the CLINT of army buttons
among the people at the depot and knew
there were several officers and soldiers
there Never before had he known what
it was to shrink from facing any man
on earth, but tonight, though he almost
starved for further news from his boy.
he could not bring himself to meet
them and ask.
Along toward morning. at Pine
Bluffs, herdsman got aboard, and
what he had to say was of startling in
terest Hitherto the Indian war parties
had kept we'll to the north Of the Platte,
"But." said he. lever since Friday the
Sidney road has been swarmng with
them, both sides Of the river. and they
are killing everything white they can
lay their hands on. "
my Godr' thought Waller. And
Fred must he in the very midst of them !
Better so," he added, "if indeed be can
be guilty The herder had evidently
been sorely frightened by all he heard,
and he was hurrying to Sidney to join
q party of cattlemen who were camping
there He had been drinking, too, and
took more and more as the night wore
on and became maudlin in his talk It
was O'Clock on Sunday morning when
they reached Sidney station. and the
first thing that old Waller saw was a
strong concord wagon, with four mule
team and an army driver. Two in
fantry soldiers. with their rifles and girt
with cartridge belts, were standing
close at hand. Two officers were stow
ing their rifles inside the wagon, and
an orderly was strapping the tarpaulin
over the light luggage in the "boot. |"
One of the officers the sergeant knew
instantly. an aid-de-camp Of the COM
manding general The other was older
in years and bore on his cap the insig-
mia of the staff The younger officer saw
him before he could step into the Office,
and Sergeant Waller knew it-knew,
too. with the quiokness Of thought,
that he had heard Of Fred's disappear
ance and presumable crime He could
have shrunk from meeting his superiors
in the shadow of this bitter sorrow and
disgrace Even while he could not ao.
cept the belief that his boy was actu-
ally a deserter and a thief, he knew
full we'll what other men must think.
But Captain Cross was a cavalryman
himself and had known old Waller for
years He dropped his rife. came
straight forward and took him by the
hand
Sergeant. don believe it Of your
boy I've known his father too long, ;"
was all he said as he pressed the veter
ans hand. Poor old Waller, worn with
anguish. long vigil and utter lack Of
food of any kind, was now so weak that
he could only, with the utmost Difficult
ty, choke back the sobs that shook his
frame. Speak he dare not He would
have broken down Cross led him to the
lunchroom at the station and made him
swallow a cup OF coffee. then gently
questioned him as to what he knew.
1--WE 90 at once to Red Cloud-Colonel
Gaines and land maybe on the road l
shall hear something Of him. Sergeant,
rest assured your son shall have fair
play" said the aid-de-camp as he was
about to turn away.
"But, captain-I beg pardon, sir"
broke in Waller hurriedly In almost the
first words he had spoken. "Where is
your escort? Surely you won't take this
route without one2''
There isn't trooper at Sidney, SER
geant We have a couple of infantrymen
In the wagon and another on a mule.
That's the best we can do, and we've
got no time to spare. We must be at
Red Cloud tomorrow, and this is the
shortest line"
'But, sir, haven't you heard? The
Sioux are out in force and all along the
road, both above and below the Platte.
There's berder Oh the train who told
u.s. He got aboard at Pine Bluffs this
morning"
"Ican hardly believe that, answered
Cross Captain Forrest with the Grays
Is scouting south of Red Cloud Captain
Wallace was ordered to watch the fords
along the Platte OH this line Captain
Charlton is out, or at least the whole
troop has been, and there are three
more Surely Major Edwards would
know over at the barracks if the Indians
were anywhere between us and the
river-we'll get an escort from Captain
Wallace the other side-but he has no,
heard word
"But beg the captain to hear what
the man says, sir. urged Sergeant
Waller Hes been drinking, but he
tells the same story practically that he