Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1899-03-18

her hand 10 ner eur, crleu uarh' aho
hastened to the window.
Far out across the still, starlit level OF
the parade trumpeter was sounding
officers call.
CHAPTER X.
That night the riHers, seven COM
panies, were whirled away by special
train TO the rescue of the railway
shops and roundhouses at Cimmaron
Springs, a hundred miles to the north.
One OF those unaccountable manias that
prompt men to appropriate other peo-
pies property had seized upon the en-
ployes Of the road. The Valley division
had been forced to abandon all trains,
aud it was only question Of time, said
the ringleaders, when the Mountain d.
vision would follow suit. Passenger
and cattle, fruit and freight trains were
blockaded. The mails, sent through at
first with a single car, were presently
belated, then blocked entirely, and
Uncle Sam. who had been showing his
teeth for twenty-four inches, now
showed his hand. In the old days OF
Sedgwick It was the cavalry that was
perpetually being hustled of on the
warpath, leaving the infantry to hold
the fort, but of late the Indians had
kept the peace and the cavalry the post.
Then came the sudden outbreak Of
trouble on an eastern road, the swift
assurance Of sympathy from brethren
in the west, and then q strike that
speedily established the fact that there
were still savages In the valley Of the
Bravo. for men who tried to stand to
their duty were kicked and battered
into pulp. and helpless women and chill.
dren were burned out of house and
home.
The colonel was in no wise eager to
90 on any such mission. He kept ut
the metaphorical front, but the actual
rear, Of his men, secure In the pre-
caution that cool-beaded Capt. Hayne
was forward on the pilot Of the en-
CINE. II the trestle work were sawed
away or bridges burned at inconvenient
points, Hayne would not be apt to let
the train stumble into the pitfall. 1t
was nearly dawn before the special
reached Santa Fe Junction, but the
riflers marched thither soon after mid
night, leaving many weeping wives at
home. They had not the stoicism OF
those women long schooled in such
calamities-the ladies' of the cavalry.
Buxton succeeded to the command OF
the post and Its garrison, now made up
Of one big squadron Of the til, four
troops, and Capt. Blinker's battery of
mounted artillery, and what fairly pes
tered Buxton was why the colonel
should have sent for Mr.. Merriam with
in ten minutes after the dispatches be
gan coming in just after retreat, and
Merriam wouldn't tell.
The first dispatch was from depart
ment headquarters, and babe the
colonel hold his entire regiment ready
for instant duty and a journey by rail.
Bux was with him when 1t came, and
together they had gone to the office.
Then was handed In another, which the
colonel read but did not pass over to
his second in command. On the con-
trary he thought q bit and sent for
Mr.. Merriam, and took him to one side
and had q conversation with him OF
five minutes duration that was inaudi-
BILE to everybody else. Bux did catch
q word or two, but could make OF 1t
nothing that did not stimulate his curl
osity. "Killed," "Mescalero noun
tains," written MISUNDERSTANDING
only 90" were some Of them, ana
when he took the commanding officers
desk the next day he ransacked 1t to
find that dispatch, supposing 1t to be
something official. 1t was only semi
official, said the operator. 1t came
from department headquarters, but
was addressed to the colonel personal
", not in his capacity as post COM
mander, consequently 1t was not fiied'
and Bux couldn't find It.
The guard had to be reduced, and
buxton gave orders accordingly-a ser
eeant, three corporals, 10 sentries for
four posts, and the inevitable and In
dispensable orderly for the command
ing officer being oil now authorized
since both battery and troop command
ers had to keep up their stable guards
But Buxton insisted on lieutenant a
officer Of the guard. and, a. luck would
have Il, the man directed to relieve the
infantry SUB starting on with his regi-
ment was Randolph Merriam.
He had FASTENED home to let Florence
know It WINS the riflers, not the cav
airy. that were summoned this time,
and instead Of finding her somewhat
tranuuillized was distressed to see
traces of continued, II not greater,
agitation. Mrs. Hnyne, Of course, had
been hurried home. Florence had left
the sofa and was nervously pacing the
little room. He heard her rapid foot
steps rs he let himself in at the door
below, but rs he bounded up the stairs
she hurried to the window and stood
leaning against the sash, her back TO
ward him rs he entered.
Closing the door and Fastening q
her, Merriam took her In his arms and
turned her face to his. It was hot and
flushed. The eyes were still red with
weeping. the lids swollen and dishguren
IFo IN cos,EIHunD.1
m.rs..,. o.aI,tr Of s.Is.ReIiasss.