The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1897-02-11
FORT FRAYNE.
(CONTINUED.)

Wearied with the sleepless toll of "a
hours, too weary to be kept awake even
by the exasperating sense Of his wrongs,
the colonel was just rolling into his
blankets for much needed rest before
setting forth with the rising sun on his
homeward road. Fifty miles away over
the white expanse Of prairie, under the
cold and glittering skies, Marjorie Far
rar sat by the bedside of her beloved
daughter, praying ceaselessly for the
safety of an equally beloved son now
young life to prove his worthiness to
bear the fathers name in headlong fight
with savage and skillful foe
And if ever young fellow, wearer
OF the army blue, realized to the full
extent the hopes and faith and fondness
conferred in him this night Of nights, it
was Viii; Farrar. Barely arrived at
cadet coatee, with his mother, his Sis
ter, his sweetheart, all there at the old
fort SO long associated with his fathers
name, with that name to maintain, and
not only that, but with Malcolm Lea]e's
old troop as one man looking up to him
as their leader, yet competent, down to
the very last man, to note the faintest
flaw should he fail them, the junior
subaltern of the Twelfth, the ''plebe''
lieutenant, as his elders laughingly
spoke of him, found himself, as though
some special providence had swept from
his path every possible barrier to danger
and distinction, lifted suddenly to
command that seldom falls to army
subalterns today even within dozen
years and hidden here and now to win
his spurs for the honor of the old troop,
the honor of the Twelfth, the honor Of
the name his father made famous and
that he must maintain or die in trying
to. All this, and God alone knows how
much more besides, went thrilling
through his very soul as, on Farwell's
left and in utter silence, he rode swiftly
onward at the head of the column.
Leaving to his own first lieutenant the
command Of the grays, Captain Farwell
had told him to follow close in the
tracks of Farrar's men and, with only
one Of the Indian company to aid and
no other guide of any kind but his
senses and the stars, had placed himself
in the lead and pushed forth into the
night.
"Swing we'll out to the west, were
Fenton's last orders. keep dark, as
you know how. Head for the hills as
soon as you're sure 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 get
there ahead Of the village. Halt it with
a few men down in the gorge, but hold
your main body on the bluffs. Well
keep Big Road busy
Luckily the stars were brilliant in the
wintry sky and the consultations out
in all their glory. The pole star glowed
high aloft and held them to their course.
Out in the advance, lashing his horse
with Indian whip to keep him to his
speed, rode Brave Bear, corporal Of
the Ogalalla company, side by side
with Sergeant Bremmer. Whenever the
drifts were deep in the ravines, one of
them would halt and warn the column
to swerve to the right or left. Only
yard or two behind the two officers
Farwell, grizzled and stout, Farrar, fair
and slender-came Looping or trottiEg
the leading four, and, though it was
not his accustomed place, there rode
Terry Rorke, where, as he had explain
ed to the satisfaction of the sergeant,
he could be close to ''Masther Will. -
The prairie was bread and open ara
fairly level. vas no need of di-
minishing front. A platoon could have
ridden abreast and found no serious OBJ
stacle, except the snowdrifts in the deep
coulees. Two miles to the west they
give no inkling of their intent. and, for
the first time, almost doubling back up
On their tracks, so as to keep well away
rom the Indian rear guard. .-.-
Then, in long curve, Farwell led them
toward the low, rolling hills, now dim
~ visible against the armament, and
presently the ravines began to grow
deeper but farther apart, the slopes
more abrupt, and the westward hills
doomed 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 the hills
| and that the entrance to Elk gulch was
| now not more than mile to the north.
And here the hills rolled higher. both
to their front and toward the west, but
Farwell rode on up gradual ascent un
til the slope began - grow steep, then,
dismounting, led me way afoot, the
whole column roll; y out of saddle and
towing its horses i'll his track.
Up, up they clint bed until, breathing
hard now, but pushing relentlessly on,
/ the captain reached the crest, and faint
and dim in the starlight, dotted here
and there with little clumps of spruce
or cedar, the rolling, billowy surface
lay before hip, shrouded in its mantle
Of glistening snow. Leading on until
| the whole command had time to reach
the top, he motioned Will to halt, while
he, with Bear and Sergeant Bremmer,
/ pushed a few yards farther on. The