The Princeton union., 1900-09-27

sion, and he hurried to the fort.
is it true," he asked, that the gov
ernment means to establish a post at
Warrior Gap? Is it true that Mai. Bur
leigh has gone thither?" And when
told that 1t was, and that only Capt.
BROOKS troop had gone as an escort,
Folsom's agitation was extreme. "Colo-
mel, said he to the post commander,
solemnly have tried to warn the gen
erat OF the danger of that move. Ihave
told him that all the northern tribes
are leaguing now, that they have deter
mined to keep to themselves the Big
Horn country and the valleys to the
north. 1t will take 5000 men to hold
those three posts against the Sioux,
and you've barely got 500. warn you
that any attempt to start another post
up there will bring Red Cloud and all
mis- people to the spot. Their scouts are
watching like hawks even now. Iron
spear came to me at my sons ranch
last night and told me not ten warriors
were lett at the reservation. They are
all gone, and the war dances arc on in
every valley from the Black Hills to
the Powder. For heavens sake. send
half your garrison up to Reno after
Brooks You are safe here. Theyworn't
molest you south of the Platte, at least
not now. All they ask is that you
build no more forts in the Big Horn"
But the colonel could not act with
out authority. Telegraph there was
none then. What Folsom said was of
sufficient Importance to warrant his
hurrying off a courier to Laramie,
fully 100 miles southeast, and order
ing troop to scout across the wild
wastes to the north, while Folsom
himself, Unable to master his anxiety,
decided to accompany the command
sent out toward Cantonment Reno.
he long had had influence with the
Ogallallas. Even now Red Cloud might
listen if he could but find him. The
matter was of such urgency he could
not refrain. And so with the gray
troop OF the cavalry, setting forth
within an hour of his coming, rode the
old trader whom the Indians had so
long sworn by, and he started none
too soon.
Keno was some 80 miles away, and
not until late the next evening did the
grays reach the lonely post. Not
sign of hostile Indian had been seen
or heard, said the officer in command
Small bands of hunters were out to-
ward Pumpkin Butte two days BEFORE
Yes, Ogallallas- scouting par
ty, working down the valley of the
Powder, had met no band at all, though
patrolling toward the Big Horn. Per-
haps there'd be a courier in tomorrow.
Better get a good nights rest mean
time. he said. But all the same he
doubled his guards and ordered extra
vigilance, for all men knew John Fol-
som, and when Folsom was anxious
on the Indian question it was time to
look alive. aybreak came without a
sign, but Folsom could not rest The
grays had no authority to go beyond
Reno, but such was his anxiety that it
was decided to hold the troop at the
cantonment for a day or two. Mean
time, despite his years, Folsom decided
to push on for the Gap. All efforts to
dissuade him were in vain. With him
rode Baptiste, a half-breed French
man, whose mother was an Ogallalla
squaw, and bat" had served him many
year. Their canteens were filed,
their saddle-pouches packed. They led
along an extra mule, with camp equip
age, and shook hands gravely with the
officers ere they rode away. "All de-
pends," said Folsom, ION whether Red
Cloud is hereabouts in person. If he
lS
stave off trouble long enough to get
those people at the Gap back to Kear-
ney, or over here. They're goners if
they attempt to stay there and build
that post. If you don't have word
from us in two days, send for all the
troops the government can raise. It
will take every mothers son they've
got to whip the Sioux when once
they're leagued together"
But our men have the new breech-
leaders now, Mr.. Folsom" said the
officers. THE Indians have only old
percussion-cap rifles, and not too many
of them
But there are 20 warriors to every
soldier, was the answer, "and all are
fighting men,"
They watched the pair until they
disappeared far to the west All day
long the lookouts searched the horizon.
All that night the sentries listened for
hoofbeats on the Bozeman road, but
only the weird chorus of the coyotes
woke the echoes of the dark prairie.
Dawn of the second day came, and, un-
able to bear suspense, the major sent
little party, mounted on their fleet
est horses, to scour the prairie at least
halfway to the foothills of the Big
Horn, and just at nightfall they came
back-three at least-galloping like
mad, their mounts mass of foam.
Folsom's dread was we'll founded. Red
Cloud, with heaven only knows how
many warriors, had camped on Crazy
Woman's Fork within the past three
days, and gone on up stream. He
might have met and fought the troops
sent out three days before. He must