Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-02
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WARRIOR GAP.
CONTINUED from pnge 81

lit slopes far out to the east, heard the
voice of his sergeant close at hand and
turned to answer. Up to this moment.
beyond the pony tracks, not sign had
4 they seen of hostile Indians, but the
| buffalo that had appeared in scattered
herds along their line of march We're
shy and scary, and old hands said that
that meant they had recently been
hunted hard. Moreover, this was not
section favored of the buffalo. There
was much alliai and sage brush along
their trail, and only here and there in
scanty patches any of the rich, nutri
! tious bunch grass which the rowing ami
mails so eagerly sought. The day had
been hot.and almost cloudless. The
simmer of heat along the lazy roll of
the land to the south had often baffled
their blinking eyes. But now the sun
was well to the west, and the refraction
seemed diminishing, and away over to
the northeast dull-colored cloud
seemed slowly rising beyond the ridges.
1t was this that Sergt. Bruce was study
ing when he murmured to his young
4 commander:
II think that means big herd on the
run, sir, and if so Indians started
them"
One or two troopers, doing close at
hand, sprawled full length upon the
ground, with their faces buried in, or
hidden by their blue-sleeved arms,
slowly rolled over and came crouching
up alongside. Dean dropped his glasses
and peered in the direction indicated
/ by his comrade of humber rank. Dust
cloud it was beyond a doubt, and a long
| peep through the binocular proved that
it was slowly sailing across The horizon
in northerly direction. Did that
mean that the red hunters were driv-
ing the great quarry toward the village
of the Sioux, or that the young men
! plement of squaws and ponies were
slaughtering on the run? If the for
mer, then Dean and his party would be
| wise to turn eastward and cross the
trail of the chase. If the latter they
would stand better chance. of slipping
through to the Gap bv pushing north.
ward, deeper in among the pine-crested
heights.
Behind the watchers, we'll down in
the ravine, the horses We're placidly
nibbling at the scant heritage, or lazily
sprawling in the sun, each animal Sc
curely hoppled, and all carefully guard
ed by the single trooper, whose own
mount, ready saddled, circled within
the limits of the stout lariat, looped
caution. Of lively sense of danger and
responsibility, Cor they of the little de-
tachment were picked men, who had
ridden the warpath too long not to real
ize that there was no such thing as
I trusting to luck in the heart of the In
dian country, especially when Mach
pealota with his Ogallalla braves was
ments of the group along the bank had
quickly been noted by the waiseful ones
among the troopers. and presently the
entire party, excepting only the herd
guard, had crouched up alongside, and
with the comradeship born of such
perilous service, were now discussing
the situation in low, confidential tones.
For half an hour they lay there,
studying the signs to the northeast
= The dun-colored cloud hung low over
Z the earth for distance of several
miles. The herd was evidently one OF
unusual size even for those days when
!, the buffalo swarmed in countless thou.
sands, and finally the sergeant spoke
again.
cts a big hunt, lieutenant. What
,, ever may be going on about the GaI
!. they've found time to send out young
men enough to round up most of the
:, buffalo north of the Platte and drive
!, them in toward the mountains. 1T!
combining pleasure with business
. They don't feel strong enough in mum
; Der, perhaps, to make another attemp
. on troops armed with breechloaders, Sc
while they're waiting until ther reen
forcements come, or their own breech
, leaders, they are herding the buffalo
where they can get them when they
want them later on. Weare in big lucl
, that no stragglers are anywhere arount
49, A. bLSy WEI ~ 6nSulhh U pdhC ouSl
q fellows long to spy us out"
Dean swept the ridge line with hi
glass. No sign of life nearer than tina
far-away, betraying dust cloud. M
symptom of danger anywhere within
their ken. He was thinking at the mo
: ment of that precious package in hi
) saddle-bags and the colonel's words i'm
, pressing him with the sense of response
i. bility the night they parted at For
3 Emory. Tomorrow, by sunrise, if for
2 tune favored him, he could turn it owe
: to the commanding officer at the new
> stockade, and then if the Indians wer
l not gathered in force about the pos
5 and actually hostile, he could slip on
: again at night and make swift dash TO
], the Platte and the homeward way, am
, then within the week rejoin his siste
8 at Fort Emory-his sister and Pap
/ poose." Never before had the Indial
= pet name carried such significance a
! now. Night and day those soft, darl
] eyes-that beautiful face-haunted hi
q thoughts and filled his Young hear