Waterbury Democrat., 1900-10-27
CHAPTER VIII.

Obedlcnt to his orders tho 'Arlso sergeant, with a little squad at his heels, had kept straight on. few minutes later, rounding the bluff at the gallop, eyes flashing over the field in front of them, the party went rac- ing out over the turf and came in full view of the scene of the fight. Five hundred yards further down stream was a deep bend in the Lar annie. Close to the waters edge two horses lay stretched upon the ground, stone dead. Out on the open prairie lay sn Indian pony still kicking in his dying agony, and as the soldiers came sweeping into view two men rose up from behind the low bank of the stream and swung their hats-Hal Folsom and one of his hands safe, unwoundcd, yet with look in their gray faces that told of recent mortal peril.
 Were all rightl Go on after them. They've run off dozen of my best horses" said Folsom, "and I'm afraid they cut off ynke."
 "No! Jake reached the ranch all right-leastwisc somebody did," said Shanghncssy. That's how we got the
 sws. They got somebody. or else they were only bluffing when they waved that scalp. How many were lnere?"
 At least q dozen-too many for you to tackle. Where's the rest of the troop?"
 "Close at their heels. The ieuten- ant led them right over the ridge. Listen!"
 3, {I4 fa,v and clear, the sounds of the chase could now be heard Deans men were closing on the fleeing warriors, for every little while the silence of the range was broken by the crack of rifle or carbine. Shaughnessy's fel- lows began to fidget and look eager ly thither, and he read their wish. 1.-Two of you stay with MT. Folsom" he said, "and the rest come with me. There's nothing we can do here, Is there? Sure you're not hit?"
 No, go on! Give 'em hell and get back my horses. I'd go with you, but they've killed what horses they couldn't drive. All safe at the ranch?'
 >shaughnessy nodded as he spurred away. wen be gettin' the ieuten- ant brevet for this," said he, Eff we can only close up with those black guards And these were the words Folsom carried back with him. as, mounting a willing troopers horse, he galloped homeward to reassure his wife, thanking God for the opportune coming of he little command, yet swearing with close-conpressed lips at the ill-starred work of the day. Thus far he had striven to keep from her all knowledge of the threats of the Ogallallas, although he knew she must have heard of them. He had believed himself secure so far back from the Platte. He had done every thing in his power to placate Red Cloud and the chiefs-to convince his former friends that he had never en- ticed poor Lizette, as Baptiste had called the child, from her home and people. They held he should never have left her, though she had ac- cused him of no wrong. Burning Star, in his jealous rage, hated him, be- cause he believed that but for love of the paleface Lizette would have lis tened to his wooing, and Folsom's con- science could not acquit him of having seen her preference and of leading her on. He could not speak of her to his wife without shame and remorse. He had no idea what could have been her fate, for the poor girl had disappeared from the face of the earth, and now, at last, this day had proved to him the threats of her lover and her brothers were not idle. He had had so narrow a squeak for his life, SO sharp and sud- den and hard fight for it that, now that the peril was over, his nerve be- gan to give way. his strong hands to tremble. Armed with breechloaders, he and his two friends had been able to stand off the attacking party, kill ing two ponies, and emptying, they felt sure, two saddles; but little by lit tie the Indians. were working around their petition, and would have crawled upon them within an hour or. two but for Jake's daring ride for help and the blessed coming of the bluecoats in the nick of time. Folsom swore he'd never forget their services this day. | And as he cantered homeward he could still hear the distant firing dy ing away in the mountains to the north. "Give 'em hell, Dean!" he nut l tered through his set teeth. 'They're | showing fight even when you've got 'en on the run. I wonder what that 1aeans?"
 Not until another day was he to know. Late on. the evening of the at tack, while he was seated with his wife by Jakc's bedside, half q dozen troopers, two of them wounded and all with worn-out horses, came drift ing back to camp, Twice, said they. had the fleeing Indians made stand to cover the slow retreat Of one CT two evidently sorely stricken, but so close ly were they pressed that, at last they had been forced to abandon one of their number, who died, sending his last vengeful shot through the lieu tenants hunting shirt, yet cnly graz ing the skin. Dean, with most of the 1 men, pushed on in pursuit, determined never to desist so long as there was light but those who returned could not keep up.
 Leaving the dead bcdy of the young bravo where it lay among the rocks, they slowly journeyed back to camp.