The Iola register., 1900-10-19

eye for human nature could see at
glance. as Dean saw, that both the aid
and his big friend. the quartermaster,
had been exchanging comments at the
boys expense. He had shouted a
CHEEKY salutation to the engineer in
answer to his friendly nod, then turned
in saddle and looked squarely at the
two on the back seat, and the con-
straint In their manner, the almost suf-
len look in their faces. told the story
without words.
1t nettled Dean -- frank, outspoken,
straightforward as he had always
been. He hated any species of back
biting, and he had heard Of Burleigh
as an adept in the art, and a man to be
feared Signaling TO his sergeant to
keep the column opened out, as the
prairie was almost level now on every
side, he rode swiftly on, revolving in
his mind how to meet and checkmate
Burleigh's insiGious moves, for in
stnctively he Felt he was already at
work. The general in command in
those days was not a field soldier by
any means. His office was far away
at the banks of the Missouri, and all
he knew of what was actually going
on in his department he derived from
official written reports; much that
was neither official nor reliable he
learned from officers Of Burleigh's
stamp, and Dean had never yet set eyes
on him. In the engineer he felt he had
friend on whom he could rely. and he
determined to seek his counsel at the
campfire that very night, meantime 10
hold his peace.
They were trotting through shall
low depression at the moment. the
two spring wagons guarded and es-
corted by some 30 dusty hardy
looking troopers. In the second, the
yellow ambula~ce. Brooks was
stretched at length, taking it easy.
an attendant jog alongside. Be-
hind them came third. a big quar-
termaster's wagon. drawn by six mules
and loaded with teutage and rations
Out some 300 yards to the right and
left rode little squads as tankers
Out beyond them, further still. often
cut off from view by low waves OF
prairie, were individual troopers, rid
ing as lookouts, while far TO the front
full 600 yards, three or four others.
spreading over the front on each side
of the twisting trail. moved rapidly
from crest to crest. always carefully
scanning the country ahead before rid
ing up to the summit. And now. as
Deans eyes turned from his charges
TO look along the sky line to the east,
he saw sudden sign of excitement and
commotion at the front. A sergeant.
riding with two troopers midway be-
tween him and those foremost scouts.
was eagerly signaling to him with his
broad-brimmed hat. Three of the
black dots along the gently rising
slope far ahead had leaped from their
mounts and were slowly crawling for
ward, while one Of them. his horse
turned adrift and contentedly nib
bling at the buffalo grass, was surely
signaling that there was mischief
ahead.
In an instant the lieutenant was
galloping out to the front, cautioning
entity he overhauled the sergeant and
bade him follow, and together the
four men darted up on the gradual in
cline until within ten yards of where
the leaders horses were placidly graz
ing. There they threw themselves
from saddlei one of the men took the
reins of the four horses. while Dean
and the other two, unslinging carbne
and crouching low, went hurriedly on
up the slope until they came within a
few yards of the nearest scout.
"Indians!" he called to them, as
soon as they were within earshot.
"But they don't seem to be on lookout
for us at all. They're fooing with
some buffalo over here" SH'
Crawling to the crest, leaving his
hat behind, Dean peered over into the
SYele beyond, and this was what he
saw:
Half mile away to the east the
low, concave sweep of the prairie was
cut by the jagged banks and curves
OF watercourse which drained the
melting SHOWS in earlier spring. Along
the further bank dozen buffalo were
placidly grazing, unconscious of the
fact that in the shallow, dry ravine
itself half dozen young Indians
Sioux, apparently - were lurking,
awaiting the nearer coming of the
herd, whose leaders, at least, were
gradually approaching the edge.
Away down to the northeast, toward
the distant Powder river, the shallow
stream bed trended, and, following
the pointing finger of the scout who
crawled to his side, Dean gazed and
saw a confused mass Of slowly moving
objects, betrayed for miles by the
light cloud OF dust that lowered over
them, covering many an acre of the
prairie stretching away down the
vale. Even before he could unslinR
his field glass and gaze, his plainscraft
told him what was slowly, steadily
IL