The Princeton union., 1900-10-11

the affair, even though one of their
best young braves was prominent in
the outrage, and had paid for the lux
ury with his Gfe-even though Burning
Star was trying to hide the fresh scar
of a rifle bullet along his upper arm
Together Dean and Folsom rode back
to the ranch, and another night was
spent there before the troop was suffi-
GENTLY rested to push on to Emory.
Remember this, lieutenant" said
Folsom again, as he pressed his hand at
parting, there's nothing too good for
you and &C. troop at my home. If ever
you need friend you'll find one here"
And the time was coming when Mar
shall Dean would need all that he could
muster.
Two days later-still a march away
from Emory-a courier overlook him
with letter from his late post COM
mander: "Your vigorous pursuit and
prompt, soldierly action have added to
the fine record already made and merit
hearty commendation." The cordial
words brought sunshine to his heart.
How proud Jess would be, and mother!
He had not had word from either for
over a week. The latter, though far
from strong, was content at home in
the loving care of his sister, and in the
hope that he would soon obtain the
leave of absence SO long anticipated,
and, after Jess's brief visit to Pap
pOOse's new home, would come to
gladden. the eyes of kith and kin, but
mothers most of all, bringing Jessie
with him. Little hope of leave of alb
sence was there now, and less was he
the man to ask it with such troubles
looming up all along the line of from
tier posts to the north. But at least
there would be the joy of seeing Jess in
few days and showing her his troop
her and Pappoose. How wonderfully
that little schoolgirl must have grown
and developed! How beautiful girl
she must now be if that photograph
was no fattererl BY the way, where
was that photo? What had he done
with it? For the first time in four
days he remembered his picking it up
when Mrs. Hal Folsom collapsed at
sight of Jake's swooning. Down in the
depths of the side pocket of his heavy
blue flannel hunting shirt he found it,
crumpled a bit, and all it's lower left
hand corner bent and blackened and
crushed. Chaska's last shot that tore
its way so close below the young SOL
dier's bounding heart, just nipping and
soaring the skin, had left it's worst
mark on that dainty carte de visite
In that same pocket, too, was another
packet-a letter which had been picked
up on the floor of the hut at Reno after
Burleigh left-one for which the major
had searched in vain, for it was under
meath lot of newspapers. "You take
that after him. said the cantonment
commander, as Dean followed with the
troop next day, and little dreamed
what it contained.
That very day, in the heavy, old
fashioned sleeping cars of the Union
Pacific, two young girls we're seated in
their section on the northward side.
One, dark-eyed, radiant beauty, gazed
out over the desolate slopes and far
reaching stretches of prairie and dis
tant lines of bald bluff, with delight in
her dancing eyes. The other, a win
some maid of 10, looked on with mild
wonderment, not unmixed with disap-
pointment she would gladly have hid
den. To Elinor the scenes of her child
hood were dear and welcome; to Jessie
there was too much that was somber,
too little that was inviting. But pres
| emily, as the long train rolled slowly
to the platform of rude wooden sta
ton building, there came sight at
| which the eyes Of both girls danced in
| eager interest-a row of "a" tents on
the open prairie, a long line of horses
tethered to the picket ropes, groups
of .stalwart, sunburned men in rough
| blue garb, silken guidon Tapping by
the tents of the officers 1t was one of
half dozen such camps of detached
troops they had been passing ever since
breakfast time-the camps of isolated
little commands guarding the new rail-
way on the climb to Cheyenne. Papa,
with one or two old cronies, was play
ing "old sledge" in the smoking CON-
partment. At big station few miles
back two men in the uniform of officers
boarded the car, one Of them burly, ro-
tund and salow. He was shown to the
section just in front of the girls, and at
Pappoose he stared-stared long and
hard, so that she bit her lip and turned
nervously away. The porter busted
the seat and disposed of the hand lug
gage and hung about the new arrivals
in adulation. The burly man was evil
IDENTIFY parsonage of Importance, and
his shoulder straps indicated that he
was major of the general staff. The
other, who followed somewhat diff
IDENTIFY, was young lieutenant of in
fantry, whose trim frock coat snugly
fitted his slender figure. ......a.~
"Ah, sit down here, Mr.-Mr. Loom
is,' said the major, patronizingly $50
you are going up to the Big Horn
Well, sir, hope we shall hear good ac-
counts of you. There's splendid field
for officers of the right sort-there-
and opportunities for distinction
every day."
At sound of the staff officers voice
there reused up from the opposite sec