The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-09

| energy.
eff Mr.. Folsom says there is need
| Of cavalry guard at the Laramie, it is
| because he breads another Indian visit,
colonel. have nine men in good
shape. Our horses are fresh. or will be
| after a few hours rest. May 1 push
| on tonight?"
And to the young soldiers surprise
| the elder placed trembling hand upon
| his shoulder and looked him earnestly
into the eyes. Dean, my boy, it's my
| belief you cannot start too soon. DO
| you know who Lizette is?"
I've heard the story" said Marshall
| briefly. "She must have been lowering
| about there for some time"
Eyes, and now her people know it,
| and it will rekindle their hatred. The
| moment heard of this L sent old Bat
| to watch the crossing at La Bonte.
| Not an hour ago this came in by the
| hand Of his boy" and the colonel held
| out a scrap of paper. 1t was a rude
| Photograph q rough sketch, map-like.
| of a winding river-another and small
| er one separated from the first by
| chain of mountains. The larger one
| was decorated by flag-pole with stars
| and stripes at the top and hgure
| with musket and bayonet at the bot
| tom. The smaller one by a little house,
with smoke issuing from the chimney.
| and a woman beside it. Above all, it's
| head over the mountains pointing to-
| ward the house. it's tail extending north
| Of the bigger stream, was comet-thc
| totem" or sign Of the Ogallalla lover
| of Lizette The story was told at
| glance. Burning Star was already
| south of the Platte and lurking IN the
mountains near Folsoms ranch.
That night. toward 10 o'clock, an anX
| jous council was held. Halbert Folsom.
| fevered by his severe wound, was lying
| half-unconscioUs on his bed, his IN
| happy wife wandering aimlessly about
| at times Wringing her hands ana
weeping, evidently unbalanced by the
| terrors that had beset her of late and
| the tidings of that awful Indian re-
venge along the Big Horn. Silent,
| helpful, almost commanding, Elinof
| spent the hours sometimes at her
| brothers bedside, then at that Of her
| sister-in-law when the poor creature
| could be induced to lie still a moment.
| The burly little son and heir. long since
| sound asleep in his cradle. was watched
| over by Jessie, whose heart fiuttered
| in dread she dare not say of what.
| Twice that afternoon she had seen
whispered conferences between old Fol
som and Lannion. She knew that for
some better reason than that he was
overpersuaded by PappoOse. Mr.. Fol
som had not carried out his project
of sending them back to Gate City.
She saw that he made frequent visits
to the cellar and had changed the ar
rangement Of the air ports. She noted
that the few ranch hands hung about
the premises all day, their rifles ever
within reach, and that often Mr. Fol
som took the glasses and searched the
road to Frayne. She saw that earth
was being heaped up in places against
the ranch where the walls were thin
7
water and provisions were being Stored
in the cellar, and she knew that it could
mean only one thing-that the Indians
were again in force in the neighbor-
hood, and that an Indian siege was
imminent.
And all this time Pappoose, though
very brave, was so still and so intent
| upon her duties. Even when supper
was served for the ranch people in the
kitchen that evening, as the sun went
down, Jess noted that two Of the men
kept constantly in saddle, riding round
the buildings and anxiously scanning
the open prairie on every side There
were only six men, all told now, in
Guiding Folsom (of course not count
ing Hal, who was defenseless), alto
gether too small a number to success
fully protect so large a knot of build
ingS against an insidious and power
were two who seemed so unstrung by
tidings of the massacre as to be nearly
nerveless.
Darkness settled down upon the val
ley, and, though calm and collected
Folsom seemed oppressed by the deep
est anxiety. Every now and then he
would step forth into the night and
make circuit Of the buildings, ex-
change word in low tone with some
invisible guardian. for, heavily armed,
the employees were gathered at the main
building, and the wife and children Of
the chief nerdsman were assigned to
a room under it's roof. Particularly
did Folsom pet and encourage the dogs,
two of them splendid mastiffs in whom
Hal took unusual pride. Then he
would return to his sons bedside, bend
anNiously over him and lay a loving
hand on Pappoose's lustrous hair. 1t
| must have been 10 o'clock and a night
wind was rising, making the occasional
cry Of the coyotes even more weird
and Guerulous, when they heard the
sudden, fierce challenge of Trooper, the
keenest. finest Of the mastiffs. and in
SANITY his bark was echoed by the
rush and scurry of every canine on the
place. The men on the porch sprang
| to their feet and Folsom FASTENED out
| to join them. The dogs had charged in
| the darkness toward the northeast, and
somewhere out In that direction were
now all furiously barking. Aloft the
skies We're heavily clouded. The moon
was banked and not glimmer of light
shone on earth or heaven. Suddenly,
afar out over the prairie, beyond where
the dogs were challenging, there was
| heard the sound of pony's neigh an
| eager appeal for welcome and shelter,
and Folsom sprang confidently for
| ward, his powerful tones calling off the
dogs. They came back, growing, sniff
ing, only half-satisfied. still bristling at
the unseen visitor War ponies never
neigh" said Folsom. "Who are you.
Observation-Disclosures" he called. in the
Sioux tongue, and a faint voice an