Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-10-01

|
ing door. Again the snow drifted in as
Martin Revell answered the knock, and
again snow bespattered orderly enter
ed. This time it was the orderly trum-
peter from the sergeant majors office.
"Sorry to disturb you, Mrs. Revell, ="
he said. "Order from the adjutant's Of
flee, sergeant.
"Hellor' shouted the sergeant, read
ing the order. "Paymaster coming up
from Fort Nickerson, Healy."
"Its time," growled the corporal
"It's stony I am"
Mother, I'm in charge Of the escort
to meet him at Wolf creek-start right
away-meet him tomorrow noon. That
breaks up our party"
"Awl" the farrier cried. 1.-THE SER
geant major don't know how to run
roster. It's not your turn"
Junior sergeant heads the list, said
the orderly briefly. "Thank you, Mrs.
Revell-your health. My word Wine?
You're tony"
"I'll report at the office with my men
and escort wagon in half an hour, " said
the sergeant. "Good night, mother" "
"It's bitter cold night for escort du-
ty," said Mother Revell anxiously.
"Wear all your furs, Martin, and take
as many blankets as you can manage
for camp. Wait. I'll fill flask of the
majors port. "
"She knows it ALL" Fin Strait MUIR
INJURED admiringly, toasting lis toes at
the stove. "She's an old warhorse, is
your mother, Martin. Goodby. Well
finish the wine drinkin- Good luck to
you.
Mother Revell let her tall boy out,
kissin him good night, and returned
with 5, Shiver to the fire.
"Mam," said the farrier softly. II
beg your pardon for that slip about his
father forgot"
"Hrshy" said Mother Revell, paling.
"There's only you and Healy and the
major left that know the truth of it.
The boy need never know. Come,
you've all given toasts but me. Here's
mine: The new sergeantl May he never
know trouble.
There was tear in her eye as she
slipped the wine.
The harness of the six mule team
shook merrily in the moonlight, but the
wheels of the escort wagon were almost
souudless in the deep SNOW. The wind
tossed Up great drifts, through which
the mules plunged with snorting breath
breath that passed out Oh the freez-
ing air in white clouds. Round and
round. all about, west where the foot
hills cuddled close to the mountains,
north, east and south, there was moth
| ing to lie seen but the soft, white moon
light, falling upon the bolder white OF
the fiat and snowy plains. The escort,
not yet appcased at their fortune Ill be-
ing turned out for such duty on SO cold
a night, growled within the canvas COW
ering Of the wagon or tried to sleep.
The night passed thus monoton0usly,
and it was nearly dawn when the junior
sergeant awoke and was softly called by
the teamster in front. They We're ford
| ing an icy stream at bend, where the
creek split and broke about wooded IS
land, a bushy strip of land some 20
yards broad. The gray bearded citizen
driver jerked his fur hat toward the isle.
Dye mind, Martin, when ye wu7
kid at the post school, an the pay
masters clerk was brought i'll dead an
the money gone: Twas here they done
| it-Wild Horse bend. "
Il remember something of it, Mar
| tin answered, 40 or - years back.
One Of them WAS shot There's never
been any trouble up here since, has
therc?"
Mop" said the teamster yawning.
All day they made camp and rested
their mules AT Wolf creek. They built
fire and ate steaks from an antelope
| a lucky shot had gathered in. At noon
there dashed up, with clatter of har-
ness and u cloud of crisp SNOW, the pay
| masters ambulance, and, behind 1t, the
| escort from Fort Nickerson. The impa-
tient officer, anxious to get on, announc-
ed his intention of resting just long
enough to feed and refresh his team and
then riding through the night and pay
| ing off next day.
Once more the escort climbed into
their wagon shortly before sunset, but
now they had to dispense with the can-
vas shelter and keep broadly awake,
following closely the paymastcrs light
er ambulance precious with the treas
ure of two months pay for 400 men.
The moonlight was gone. Gray clouds
had sullcnly been driven up by the
scourging wind The snow drifted SO
thickly that the air looked as in q SNOW
storm. BY 10 at night, when they came
to Wild Horse bend, the teamsters were
pressing forward their teams and think
| ing of blizZards. The escort was so
wards behind when the ambulance mules
| slowed down and began to ford the
stream at the island The soldiers sore
eyes were weary, facing the wind and
| piercing the darkness, aud the tcamster
was too cold to swear much as he urged
his wagon after the lighter vehicle.
They were but a few yards behind,
when from the bushes of the isle sound
ed the quick crack of q rifle and tho am
bulance driver gave first a cry OF pain
N<,t~-