The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-01-12
CHAPTER X.


panies, were whrled away by special
train to the rescue of the railway
shops and roundhouses at Cimmaron
Springs. hundred miles to the north.
One Of those unnccountable manias that
prompt men to appropriate other peo-
pies property had seized upon the en-
pioyes Of the road The Valley division
had been forced TO abandon all trains.
and it was only question of time, said
the ringleaders, when the Mountain di-
vision would follow suit Passenger
and cattle, fruit and freight trains were
biockaded. The mails. sent through at
first with single car, were presently
be!ated, then blocked entirely, and
Uncle Sam. who had been showing his
teeth for twenty--four hours, now
showed his hand. In the old days of
Sedgwick it was the cavalry that was
perpetually being hustled off 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 a 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
go on any such mission. He kept at
the metaphorical front, but the actual
rear, OF his men, secure in the pre-
caution that cool-headed Capt. IIayne
was forward on the pilot of the en-
CINE. If the trestle work were sawed
away or bridges burned at inconvenient
points, l!aync 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 -th, 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, end babe the
colonel hold his entire regiment ready
for instant duty and jour ncy by rail.
BuN was with him when it 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 bit and sent for
Mr.. Merriam, and took him to one side
and had conversation with him of
five minutes duration that was inaudi-
BILE to everybody else. Bux did catch
word or two, but could make of it
nothing that did not stimulate his curl
osity. Killed" "Mescalcro noun
tains," written decentralization
only 49," were some OF them, and
desk the next day he ransaclscd it to
find that dispatch, supposing it to be
something official. 1t was only semi
official, said the operator. 1t came
from department headquarters, but
was addressed to the colonel personal
ly, not in his capacity as post COM
mnnder, consequently it was not filed,
and BuX couldn't find IT.
The guard had to be reduced, and
Buxton gave orders accordingly-n SER
geant, three corpornls, 10 sentries for
four posts, and the inevitable and in
dispensable orderly for the command
ing officer being all now authorized,
since both battery and troop command
ers had to keep up their stable guards.
But Buxton insisted on n lieutenant ms
officer of the guard. and. as luck would
have 1t. the man directed to relieve the
infantry sub starting off with his regi-
ment was Randolph Merriam.
He had FASTENED home to let Florence
know it was the riflers, not the cav
airy, that We're summoned this time.
and instead of finding her somewhat
tranquillized was distressed to see
traces of continued, if not greater. |
agitation. Mrs. Hayne, of course, had |
been hurried home. Florence had left |
the sofa and was nervously pacing the
little room. He heard her rapid foot
steps us he let himself in at the door |
below, but as he bounded up the stairs |
she hurried to the window and stood |
leaning against the sash, her back to- |
ward him as he entered.
Closing the door and fastening to |
her, Merriam took her in his arms and |
turned her face to his. 1t was hot and /
flushed. The eyes were still red with !
weeping, the lids swollen and disfig- |
AIRED.
why, Florence, dear" he began, in
ZONES of mingled reproof and distress.
what eau have happened to so dis
trrb your We do not go. 1t is only
the riflers this time"
For one moment there was silence.
then sudden outburst:
Il wish we did so. wish to heaven
| had never again seen this hateful.
hateful post-or else that she had not"
"She! Florence? Who?"
The woman you went to see when /
was out of the way after parade this
svening-and dare not tell me-"
Florence! Florence!" he cried. in
utter amaze and distress. Listen to
me, dear" he pleaded, for she was