Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-03-05
copyright. 1894. by J. B. Llppneo.t csmpany.l

two hundred of 'em. They've got that
stage load long before now, escort and
all. The whole things over with. If
there were any women 'twould be diff
ferent; every man of us would go then
to try to rescue them; but there were
only men. I'm as sorry for Col. Sweet
as you can be; but we can get his body
when the Indians have gone. We can't
efford to lose any more of our people"
The speaker was the captain of n
party of Texas frontiersmcn-range
they were afterwards called, when
their organization was more complete;
but these We're the days when the Lone
Star state was uninvaded by railways
and when to its very heart-far as the
capital = the savage Kiowas and
Comanches often raided in full force,
ravaging the scattered settlements far
and wide. Lieut.. Lambert, his duty fin
ished with his testimony In the case OF
the deserter Riggs, had obtained permits
sion 10 delay his return few days and
taken stage to Lampasas, where Floyd
Walton was stationed with his troop.
Lambert would not willingly return
without seeing him and delivering i'll
prepared at the new home. Then, too.
there was no man in the army in whom
the young officer now felt so deep an in
terest. Was he not Katesie's brother,
and might not that brother have some
influence over that obdurate heart?
1t was not the porter of the hotel who
went for these packages. 1t was Lam
bert himself, hoping, of course, to see
the young lady whom he had so sue
cessfully tormented the evening previ-
Gus; but his scheme had been check
mated in most nbsurdly unromantic
fashion. The New Orleans evening
paper among its military items con-
tanned brief paragraph to the effect
that Lieut.. Lambert was ordered over
to Austin rs witness before n court
martial there in session, but would re-
turn to the barracks in week or ten
days, and this paper he had been care
less enough to leave on the vcranda.
Katesie had gone miserably to her
room, Esther had lit upon the para
graph, and in ten minutes Lamberts
mclodramatic scheme was exploded.
Never would he forget the saucy lnerri-
ment in her pretty face when he APP
peared upon the scene that morning.
hoping and expecting to find her peni-
tent, piteous, and mutely begging to be
forgiven before he went away. He had
come prepared to be grave, sorrowful,
dignifed, and then to be disarmed by
her distress, to lead her away under the
rnagnolias to the shaded recesses of the
old southern garden, there to assure
her that she was pardoned, and then
to tell her how she was loved. A charm
ing chateau en- Espagne was that which
the boy had builded; sweet, sad, bliss
full, ecstatic parting was it all to be as
q result of his skillful use of his "sud-
den orders to Texas" but, like many
another well-laid plan, it went ludi-
crously aglee. She was there on the
veranda, romping with her kitten.
when he came and never made the
slightest reference to his departure.
He alluded gloomily to the fact that the
boat would be along in less than an
hour, and she cheerfully responded:
Eyes; All thought All huhd Its whistle
just moment ago." and raced pussy
10 the far end of the gallery. He triec
other announcements with no better
success, and was bewildered and de
| feated and stung by her apparent
heartiessness and Indifference when al
last he had to go, and went away mis-
erably jealous and wretchcdly in love
fairly beaten at his own game.
So gloomy and unlike himself was
Lambert that the two or three class
mates who happened to be at Austin
were much surprised, and 80 absorbed
was he in his own woes and pangs thai
not until he reached Lampasas did he
learn that the soldierlylooliing mar
with him was no loss person thar
the Brevet Lieut.. Col. Sweet of whom
he had heard SO much at Tugnloo, anG
who, promoted to the rank of major
was now on his way to report for duty
at frontier post. The stage with the
colonel rumbled away on it's journey
for supper. Lambert went on out Il
camp, only to find that Corporal Wal
ton with four men had gone as escor'
to that very stage, as there were ru
mors that the Comanches and Lipan
We're on the warmth again. 1t nigh
be four days before they returned. L
would he two before stage went bacl
to Austin, and it was now nine O'Clock
at night.
The very next morning brought dire
full news. A big band of hostiles hat
swooped down on the stage station a
the crossing of the Caliente, so miles
to the northwest, mastered everybody
and run off the stock. The cavalr,
troop in camp Mt Lampasas was mile
away by the time the tidings reached
Lambert at the tavern in town. Tho,
came worse news. A settler rod'
squirting in from the Concho trail tt
say that he had seen the Indians whel
they attacked the stage with overpow
ering numbers, and had just managed
TO escape with his own life. lie be
lieved that not one soul was left Il
tell the tale. There We're many gnllan
spirits among the Texans Of the from
tier-men who were accustomed t
fight at the drop of the hat, and who
in defense of home and friends, wer
indomitable. Yet even these well hney
the hopelessness of the situation as de
scribed. They were far too few il
number to undertake the pursuit an'
attack of such u band as this. More
over, .heir own wives and children
would be left in danger were they t.
take the field. 1t was even impossibl
to persuade two or three of their nun
her to ride nost.haste ON the trnil O