The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-12-01


still good mile away. Out from
among the dingy mass came galloping
half a dozen young braves, followed
by as many squaws. The former soon
spread out over the billowy surface,
some following the direction Of the
chase, some bounding on southwest
ward as though confident of finding
what they sought the moment they
reached the nearest ridge; some rid
ing straight to the point where lay
the carcasses of the earliest victims
of the hunt. Here in full view of the
soldiery, but vouchsafng them no
glance nor greeting whatever, two
young warriors refined in their lively
ponies and disdainfully turned their
backs upon the spectators on the d.
vide, while the squaws, with shrill
laugh and chatter, rolled from their
saddles and began the drudgery of
their lot-skinning and cutting up the
buffaloes slaughtered by their lords.
Don't you see," sneered Burleigh,
cts nothing but village. out for a
hunt-nothing in Gods world to get
stampeded about. We've had all this
show of warlike preparations for moth
ing" But he turned away again as
he caught the steady look in the en-
gineer's blue eyes, and shouted to his
more appreciative friend, the aid-de-
camp: "Well, pardner, haven't we
fooled away enough time here, or have
we got to await the pleasure of people
that never saw Indians before?"
Dean. flushed crimson at the taunt.
He well knew for whom it was meant.
He was indignant enough by this time
to speak for himself, but the aid-de-
camp saved him the trouble.
II requested Mr.. Dean to halt a few
moments, Burleigh. It. is necessary
I should know what band this is, and
how many are out"
"Well, be quick about it," snapped
the quartermaster. II want to get to
Reno before midnight, and at this
rate we won't make it in week.
A sergeant who could speak little
Sioux came riding back: to the camp,
a grin his un-blistered face. "Well,
sergeant, what'd he say?" asked the
staff officer.
"He said would I PLACE go to hell,
sor," was the prompt response.
won't he tell who they are?"
HE won't, sorr. He says we know
widout askin', which is thrue, sorr.
They're Ogallallas. to a man, barrin'
the squaws and pappooses,. wild ould
Red Cloud himself
"How'd you find out if they wouldn't
talk?" asked the staff officer, impa-
tiently.
""Twas the bucks wouldn't talk-ex-
cept in swear wurruds. I wasted no
time on them, sorr. I gave the first
squaw the last bareback in me saddle
bags. and tould her was it Machpcalota,
and she said it was, and he was wild
Box Karesha-that's ould Folsom-not
six hour ago, an Folsom's gone back
to the cantonment.'
'Then the quicker we skip the bet
ter" were the aid-de-camp's words.
sect us to Reno fast as you can, Dean.
Strike for the road again as soon as
we're we'll beyond their buffalo. Now
for it! There's something behind all
this bogus hunt business, and Folsom
knows what it isl
And every mile of the way, until
thick darkness settled down over the
prairie, there was something behind
the trooper cavalcade-several some
things-wary red men, young and
wiry, who never let themselves be
seen, yet followed on over wave after
wave Of prairie to look to it that no
man went back from that column to
carry the news Of their presence to the
little battalion left in charge of the
new post at Warrior Gap.
It was the dark of the moon, or, as
the Indians say, "the nights the moon
is sleeping in his LODGE" and by ten
p. m. the skies were overcast. Only
here and there a twinkling star was
visible, and only where some trooper
struck light for his pipe could a
hand be seen in front of the face. The
ambulance mules that had kept their
steady jog during the late afternoon
and the long cleaning that followed
still seemed able to maintain the gait,
and even the big, numbering wagon at
the rear came briskly on under the tug
of it's triple span, but in the intense
darkness the guides at the headiof the
column kept losing the road, and the
humping Of the, wagons would reveal
the fact, and halt would be ordered,
men would dismount and go bending
and crouching and, feeling, their way
over the almost barren surface, hunt
ing among the sage brush for the dou-
BILE furrow of the trail. Matches in
Vulnerable were consumed, and min
utes of valuable time, and the quarter.
master waxed' fretful and inpatient,
and swore that his, mules could find
their way where the, troopers couldn't,
and finally, after the trail had beenlost
and found half dozen times, old
Brooks was badgered into telling
Dean. to LIT the ambulance take the
lead. The driver shirked at. once.
''There's no tellin' where we'll fetch
up" said he. "Those mules can't SEQ
the trail if a man can't. Take their
harness off and turn 'em loose; an I
suppose they can, find their way to
the post, but sure as you turn them
loose when, they've got somethin' on
'em. or behind 'em, and the doggone
cussedness of the creatures will
prompt them to smash t}iings."'
ITO Be Continually
They have, q right, to eensure, that
hava a heart fo helm The ,>sx q.