The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-04-11


his preposterous story and would have
nothing to do with him until he with
drew the outrageous accusations against
both his wife and Loring.
ssThat woman 8 million times too
good for you," said Folsom.
Then Nevins concluded he must have
talk with Loring, and on his message
being conveyed that officer, the bearer,
was hidden to say that Mr.. Loring re- s
fused to have anything whatever to do
with him, whereat the captive ex-cap-
tain ground his teeth with rage and
made the isilyard ring with maledic-
ton.
Events succeeded each other with
marvellous rapidly. Folsom visit was
early the morning after the capture, and
by noon he was bowling along on 20
mile ride to the ranch in the Laramie
valley, hurried thither by the news that
Birdsall's gang had run Off many of his
son. best horses and that Hal Folsom
himself was missing.
Loring galloped by the side Of the
ambulance several miles, comforting
with the old frontiersman all the way,
then turned back to resume his work at
| the depot. Eagerly he wired dispatches
to the general, which were forwarded
from Cheyenne to the Platte, telling Of
his important capture smiling quietly
as he wrote.
Had he not promised to produce the
mysterious Newhall himself? Admira-
BILE service, indeed, had the young e.
gineer rendered. The testimony of Fol-
som, Loring, Jimmy Peters and one or
two wakeful citizens all proved that
there must have been dozen of Bird
Sails gang in town that night
There could be only one explanation,
man. They had come with "Newhall"
and the key straight from some distant
lair is the Black Hills Of Wyoming, the
big shouldered range that stretches from
the Laramie near its junction with the
Platte southwark to Colorado. They
were bent on a sudden rush upon the
corral in the dead of night, the forcing
of the gate and the office door, then
with "Newhall" to unlock the safe they
would be up and away like the wind,
with money enough to keep them all in
lar was gambled or guzzled.
Loring's suspicious had proved exact.
ly correct. Loring's precautions in hav-
ing the office brightly lighted and
show of armed men about had held the
would be robbers at bay during the
early hours of the night, and then his
prompt action in hurling himself on the
mysterious stranger who came stealthily
in at Folsom's back gate had finally and
totally blocked the game.
But, just in proportion as Loring
turned out to be right, old Peoksniff
turned out to be wrong, for he had re-
fused a guard for the depot, and there
fore was it now Pecksniff's bounden
duty to himself to poohpooh the precau-
tions of the engineer and belittle the
danger. Not for moment would he
admit that armed desperadoes had come
at Nevins' back. AS for the key in his.
possession, with all respect to the state
ments of Mr.. Loring, the story of the
unfortunate captain was just as plausi
BILE. and that key should have been de-
livered to him, the commander at Fort
Emory, instead Of being taken posses
sion of by the engineer.
True Nevins had been dismissed in
disgrace and in question of veracity
between the two men there was little
doubt that Loring' s would prevail. But
very peppery, fidgety. unhappy old
man was Colonel Stevens for many
days, prating about this independence
Of action of stripping officers right un-
der his nose.
But the worst came on the day when
the little troop of cavalry at Fort Emory
was still further depleted by the de-
tachnlent of sergeant two corporala
and eight troopers, ordered to report
with pack mule and ten days rations to
Lieutenant Loring of the engineers,
and Colonel Stevens had dot been con-
suited again
The senior colonel in the department.,
he had seen his command cut down
company by company until only bare
squad. said he, remained to guard the
most important post in Wyoming.
(Which it wasn't by any means, but he
had been led to think SOL And now
young ppersnappers just out of West
Point We're running away with his men.
right under his nose
But Loring's orders came to him di.
rect from Omaha. He had need of every
precaution. He was now goi on q
mission that demanded the us4nost Sc
crecy, and the colonel could no more
conceal a movement than a sieve could
water.
Quitting the quartermaster' depot
one summer night at IL, the little de-
tachment rode silently out across the
southwark prairie, swung round to the
east when the dim lights of town were
mile behind, took the trot over the
hard, bounding turf, and at dawn were
heading straight for the breaks of the
Laramie. Hating for rest and coffee
when the sun was an hour high, they
again pushed on until noon, when they
unsaddled in a grove of leafy cotton