Evening star., 1898-07-23


and neither mans wind was as good in
the days or early campaigns So 1t hap
pened that. after half an hours fierce fight
Ing. when both were bloody, and both more
full of wrath than ever. they fell together
and rolled in the trampled snow. too
blown to spring up. Healy had the upper
hoi1. and ne criea in Fin Straits ear:
back an swear yell lave the wildly be!'
Fin gasped sturdy fierce defiance. and
Healy's hand IVES raised over him, when
there came faintg thfflling over the snow
the first clear note OF a bugle. Healys
hand dropped harmlessly and he raised his
head and pricked his ears like a dog at the
call of the mast6r. More loudly rang the
sitting in the snow. listening intently.
Clear and shrilplat last, loud, command
Ing, blood burning. out sang the bugle
boldly, SO that the cold air thrilled through
on the plain stood still to listen. Ere the
trumpeter was half through with the call.
the disciplined soldiers were on their feet,
as they would have struggled to their feet
the body of each. All love and jealousy
and hate must wait when thus the trumpets
call.
'Tfs boots an saadlesv cried Fin. AN
me not at the stabIesp'
With that each seized his coat. and, all
regardless of their bruised faces and blood
stained shirts, they ran swiftly to the
post There was rushing Of men to the
ScAlais, tlic SHARP CO1HHtiLuS oi .,
the click of revolvers as they were hastily
loaded, sadding of horses, curses of men
belated, hasty issuing of ammunition and
at last the cool, clear voice of the captain
of the troop:
Prepare to mount! Mount! Form
ranksp'
The corporal and the farrier were in
their accustomed places breathing hard,
flushed and bloody, but ready-ready as
any lance corporal there, the pride of a
first sergeants heart Then a whisper
passed from man TO man down the line of
hCrsemen.
There's an outbreak on the Suckeriver
reserve. They've killed the agent and the
reds have massacred ranchman and his
family"
The moon had disappeared. Great gray
clouds had been blown up by the gather
ing wind. and once more the snow fell but
now more fiercely, more heavily than ever
before. Through it the little bluecoated
column proceeded at a determined trot to
the place some twenty miles away, where
the upEisen Indians were supposed to be
gathered together. plainsman, who had
brought the news of the massacre and the
regular government scout attached to the
post. led the way. As ranking corporal,
Healy rode the right of the first set OF
fours; the farrier was back in the column.
so that for a time the rivals were ef-
fectually separated But this midnight ex-
pedition, although it thrilled the hearts of
younger men, troubled the minds of the
two veterans little. They rode on as a
matter of duty, just as they would, II or.
dered, have gone through the manual OF
arms. The unfinished fight had left them
with heated brains too full of jealousy and
disappointment and hate to do more than
brood over the fanced treachery Of each
Gone now were all memories of stirrup
to stirrup charges, of friendly frolics. Of
pains and pleasures shared together. true
comrades once they were bitter foes now.
Faster and faster the snow drove in their
faces, deeper and deeper it lay the TRAIL
+o J,a ipl, h,-t tIs1 1ah hnripp feet nf
the horses. To right and TO left, one yard
away from the column, nothing could be
distinguished; trooper could but family
see the man in front of him. Only the half
breed guide and the trained plainsman
could devise an unerring path through that
storm. In their hands the captain had to
leave his troop and himself There was no
pause, for revenge on the tribe must be
swift to be sure At every clearer space,
where the freezing wind had swept the
trail clean of drifts the guide turned to the
captain, and he raised his hand, pressing
his knees to his horse. when at once the
troop broke into gallop, with jingling of
bride and clash of steel and thunder Of
hoofs. So they rode, each man grimly ST.
lent swiftly through the night and the
storm.
They reached the place before daylight,
seeing nothing before them, but all at once
they heard the yapping of dogs and the
shrill voices of sduaws, and the chant and
yells of bood-frenZied savages In the
1anCleO security OF the storm, the TeuS IN
their tepees were celebrating their hideous
triumph to the smonotonous beat Of the
drum and the shrill song Of the warriors
and the dance of the warpath.
The grim captain halted his column and
gave his orders, and in minute every man
was tense, revolver at the ready, his bride
hand firm. The guide had reconnoitered in
front and came back whispering. Then
lowly on the whistling wind came the soft
along the line:
Forward march! Trot, march! Gallon,
And loud and clear there followed the stir
ring yell, "Chargen and the clean-cut note
of the trumpet, that one long heart-thump- |
ing note that sends a man to death as will
fngly as to the dance. Down they went on
the camp, into the blackness of the night,
into the whrl of the blizzard, and at once
it was impossible to see ones right-hand
man or keep aligned 1t was each man for
himself, with the thought of a murdered
woman and child to steel his heart and
nerve his hand and direct his aim. The In
dams We're not all unready. Their arms
were at hand and very quickly they real
lied that the white had braved even
the blizzard to seek revenge, and were upon
them In a tumult of yells and hasty or
ders the chiefs sprang to repel the attack
In moment all was a corner of hell
Shout and curse and dying yell, continuous
crack Of rifle and revolver, screech of
squaw, bark of dog and crash of falling
tepee as some headlong trooper charged
madly into it. Over 1t ALL round it all, the
deadly wind shrieked and the snow fell un-
ceasingly
In the midst of it, right in the center of
the camp, two men came crash together,
and in that instant recognized each other
In neithers mind was even that charge the
uppermost thing. With a sudden mutual
curse their rage was let loose. Healy ex-
tended his arm and fired, not two Yards
from his old comrade. Old Fin, the farrier,
gave terrible scream. and Healy saw
him drop. But even in falling the veteran
sought revenge, and his pistol was dis
charged. The corporal felt sting In his
side; the noise all suddely ceased. and he
also dropped inanimate from his horse.
In a little separate room In the post hos
pital the old campagner came out of the
fever, out of the delirium, weeks after the
fight on the Snake river. The doctor was
with him. and a stiffiy upright and martial
attendant.
You've the constitution of q horse,
Healy,' said the doctor. You ought to
have died, you know. Take this and go to
sleep, and don't bother about the widow
you've been raving over for two weeks. A
man of your age ought to know better
Never mind, il you'll keep quiet, you can
go % see her, whoever she is, before very
long"
They left the veteran alone in sep,id.rl