The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1899-04-07

Colonel Stepens himself had met him on
u771Dal.
&c Fort Emory, had wired to depart
ment headquarters.
An expert ssafe opener was ordered
out from Chicago, and right in the
midst of all the turmoil there suddenly
appeared upon the scene blue eyed
young man. with pale features, clear
cut and strong, light brown mustache
that shaded his mouth, and, though he
wore no uniform. the rumor went round
that this was Lieutenant Loring of the
engineers. Infantry and cavalry, com
missaries and quartermasters. doctors
and suffers, tnu den,zens of Gate City
we'll knew as attachments of the army.
But what the mischief was an engineer?
Loring put up at Gate City's new ho-
tel, simply registering as from Omaha,
but that he bore credentials and was
man Of mark Gate City learned from
the fact that Colonel Stevens himself
had met him on arrival and wished to
take him out to the fort, and was ill
pleased when Mr.. Loring explained that
his business would be best performed
in town. Gate City followed the young
man with eager eyes, confident that en-
gineer must be the army name for de-
tective. He studied the hotel register.
He ouriously examined all relics Of the
late lamented Newhall, who disappeared
before Bur.eigh. He questioned the
clerks at the corral, accommodated the
eighborhood, asked what were their
means of defense, turned inside out
worn yet shapely boot that had been the
captain S, babe man after man to de-
scribe that worthy and finally walked
away from the depot. having picked up
lots Of, information and impaired none.
He spent some time at Folsom's that
evening. He drove out to the fort in the
afternoon, "and what do you think he
wanted?" said old Pecksniff, whose
command had been cut down to one
company and the band. "Wanted me
to post strong guard over the quarter
master depot lest that dashed maraud-
ing gang of Birdsall's should gallop in
some night with Earleigh's safe key
and get away with the funds. asked
him if those were the general s orders.
and he said no. l asked him if they
were anybody's ORDERS and be said no.
l asked him il it was anybody's idea
but his own, and he said no, and then I
told him, by CAD, hadn't men enough
to guard the public property here at the
post. The quartermaster's depot was
responsible for most Of them being
away. Let them take care of their own. :"
Gate City hotel was alive with
loungers that night, waiting for the en-
gineer. At $50 he had come from the
quartermaster' corral and after few
minutes had gone away with Mr.. Fol
som, who drove up in his carriage. He
was up at the old mans now, said the
impatient ones. fooling away the time
with the girls when he ought to be
there answering their questions and APP
peasing their curiosity. The talk turned
on the probable whereabouts of Bur-
leigh and his pal" So had the mighty
fallen that the lately fawning admirers
now spoke Of the fugitive as criminal.
He couldn't follow the Union Pacific
east. Everybody knew him, and by this
time officers were on the lookout for
him all along the road. He had reached
Chey that was known, and had
driven away from there up the valley
of Crow creek with two companions.
Loring himself had ascertained this in
Cheyenne, but it was the sheriff who
gave out the information.
He was in hiding, declared the know
ing ones, in some of the haunts OF
Birdsall's fellows, east of Laramie City,
a growing town of whose prowess at
poker and keno Gate City was profess
sionally aware and keenly jealous. He
might hide there day or two and then
get out Of the country by way of Sweet.
water along the old stage route to Salt
Lake, Or skip southwark and make fol
Denver. Northward he dare not go.
There were the army posts along the
Platte, beyond them the armed hosts
of Indians, far more to be dreaded than
all the sheriifs' posses on the plains.
Ten-thirty came and still no Loring,
and the rounds Of drinks were getting
monotonous. Judge Pardee, bibulout
and oracular limb Of the law, had beer
chosen inquisitor general. with powers
to call for all the news that was slowed
away in that secretive knowledge box
on the shoulders of the engineer. Gate
City had resolved and "lowed" that 8
man reputed to know SO much should
be held up and compelled to part witt
at least little Jimmy Peters, the
landlord S boy, scouting out to Folsom g
came back on the run, breathless from
three-quarters of mile Of painting
through that rare atmosphere, to say
that he had just seen a couple of officers
ride away to the fort, and old man Fol
som, with "the engineer Teller, = wa
coming out the front gate. They'd b.
along in a few minutes.
T be Continued