The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-01-14

bear tho fathers name in hcadlong fight
with q savage and skillful foe
| And II over ayOung follow, wcaYcr
OF tho army blue, realized to tho full
extent tho hopes and faith and fondncss
centercd in him this night of nights, it
was Will Earrar. Barely arrived at
mans estate not yet year out Of tho
cadet coatcc, with his mother, his sis
ter, his sweetheart, all there ut the old
| fort so long associated with his fathers
name, with that namo to maintain, and
not only that, but with Malcolm Lcalcs
Old troop rs ono man looking up to him
as their Leader, yet competent, down to
tho very last man, to noto tho faintcst
flaw should he fail them, tho junior
subaltcrn Of tho Twelfth, the "plebe"
lieutenant, as his elders lauyhingly
spoke Of him, found himself, as though
somo special providence had swept from
his path every possible barrier TO danger
and distinction, lifted suddenly to q
command that seldom falls to army
subalterns today even within Il dozen
years and biddCn here and now to win
his spurs for tho honor Of tho old troop.
tho honor Of tho Twelfth, tho honor Of
the namo his father ma(o famous and
that he must maintain or die in TRYING
to. All this, and God alone knows how
much moro besides, went thrinin"
through his very soul as, Oh Farwcu'S
left and in utter 81 lcncc, he rode swiftly
onward at tho head Of the column.
Leaving to his own first licutcnaut the
command of tho grays, Captain Farwcll
had told him to follow close in the
tracks Of Tarrar's mon and, with only
one of tho Indian company to aid and
no other guido of any kind but his
senses and tho stars. had placed himself
IN tho lead and pushed forth into tho
night.
"Swing well out to tho west" were
Fonton's last orders. "Nccp dark, as
you know how. Head for the hills as
soon as you're suro you're far beyond
hearing and try to strike those bluffs a
couple Of miles at least back of the
mouth Of the canyon. You ought to ret
shcro ahead of tho village Halt it with
Il few mon down i'll tho gorge, but hold
your main body OH tho bluffs WcIl
keep Big Road busy"
Luckily tho stars were brilliant in the
wintry sky and tho consultations ont
III all their glory. Tho pole star glowcd
high aloft and held them to their course.
Out III the advance, lashing his horse
with Indian whip to keep him to his
speed. rode Bravo Bear, corporal of
the Ogalalla company, sido by side
with Sergeant Brcmmcr Whenever the
drifts were deep i'll tho ravincs, ono Of
them would halt and warn the column
to swervo to the right or left. Only u
yard or two behind tho two officcr.a--
Farwell, grIzZlcd and stout, Farrar, fair
and slendcr--camo loping or tro,tIng
the leading four, and, though it was
not his accustomed place, thero rodo
Terry Rorke, where, as he had explain
ed to tho satisfaction Of tho sergeant,
ho could he close to "Masthcr Will"
Ihe prairie was broad and open and
fairly level There was no need Of III
m1nlshing front. A platoon could have
ridden abreast and found 10 serious OBJ
staclc, except tho snowdrifts III the dccp
coulecs. Two miles to tho west thoy
sped, moving cautiously at first so rs to
give no inkling of their intent. and, for
the first time, almost doubling back up-
on their tracks, SO as to keep well away
from the Indian rear guard.
Then, in long curve, Farwcll led them
toward tho low, rolling hills, now DIM
ly visible against tho firlnamont, and
presently the ravincs began to grow
deeper but farther apart, tho slopes
moro abrupt, and the westward hills
loomcd closer in their path, and still the
snowy expanse showed unbroken, and
Bear, bending low over his pony's neck
and watching for signs, declared that no
Indians had crossed as yet into tho hills
and that the entrance to Elk gulch was
now not moro than milo to tho north.
And hero tho hills rolled higher, both
to their front and toward the west, but
Farwell rodo Oh up q gradual ascent un-
til the slope began to grow steep, then,
dlsmounting, led tho way afoot, the
whole column rolling out Of saddle and
towing its horses in his track.
Up, up they climbed until breathing
hard now, but pushing rclcntlcsSly on,
tho captain reached the crest, and faint
and dim in tho starlight, dotted here
and there with little cllmps Of spruce
or cedar, tho rolling, billowy surface
Of glistcning snow. Leading on until
tho whole command had time to reach
tho top, he motioncd Will to halt, while
he, with Bear and Sergeant RrcM!mu
pushed q fow yards farther on The
column took q breathing spoil and
waited.
Far out to tho eastward and below
them an occasional flash as of rifle or
revolver sparkled through tho night,
and tho faint report was presently borno
to their listening cars. Big Road was
still barring tho way Of tho column
then, and that meant that all the vii
lagc was not yet safely within the grim
walls Of tho canyon. Northward tho
snowy slopes rolled higher still, but it
was northwcstward, among tho clumps
of trees, that tho leaders had gono. The
steam from tho horses nostrils and from
their hcaving nanks roso OH the keen
air, and tho blood raced and tingled in
the veins Of tho men. Not q whisper Of
mountain breeze was astir. Tho night
was asstill rs tho voicclcss skies. Three,