Waterbury Democrat., 1900-11-08
CHAPTER XIX.

new stockade. For over a week not courier had managed to slip through in either direction. Alarmed for the safety of the little garrison, the com manding officer of the post away up at the gorge of the Big Horn river had sent two troops of cavalry to scout the slopes of the mountains and look into the state of affairs at Warrior Gap. They found countless fresh pony tracks all along the foothills east of the Greasy Grass and in the valleys of the many forks of the Deje AGie-the Crow name for Tongue river-but not an Indian did they see. They marched in among the welcoming officers and men at the bustling post to find them selves hailed as heroes. We've been cut off from the world for at least ten days" said the commandant. Our couriers have been killed, captured or driven back. Even our half-brecd scouts refuse to make further trial. They say Red Clouds people cover the land in every direction. Our woCd- choppers only work under heavy guard The contractors, freighters and work men threaten to strike unless they get their money. The sutler refuses them further credit. The quartermaster has paid out every cent and says his rcqui- sition for ,OO0 was ordered filled, and the money ought to have been here a week ago. All will have to. stop if the money doesn't come. We're safe enough. The Sioux don't dare come within range of our brecchloaders. But we can't finish the barracks in time for winter at this rate"
 
 manding officer at Warrior Gap. He had with him now four strong com panies of infantry and troop Of horse. He had, he said, but one anxiety, so fer as holding the fort was co2cerned- some few of the officers and quite g number of the soldiers. as has been told, were burG cned with their wives and children. If these could only be moved under strong guard to t'reyne on the Platte, he could snap his fingers in the face of Red Cloud and his whole gang until they tco got breech-lca ad- CTS. "It's oaly question e time!" said he. "Sooner or later the interior department will be fool enough to arm the redskins all over the land with nagazine rifles, and then there viii be lively work for the war office. Any day" said he. further, "we may ex- pect the coming of a whole regiment from the Platte posts, and then Mir. Lo will have to light out. Meantime, if we hadn't this trouble about the workmen and could get rid of the women and children. we'd be all right
 So back to the Big Born rode the squadron to report all safe at Warrior Gap, barring the blockade, and almost on the same date out ttere started from Laramie. on the lcrg march up the Platte and over across the sage covered deserts, strong force of foot and dragoons; and up from the Sweet water, far to the southwest, caIne this venturesome little party of ten, bringing the much-demanded money, and all the while, with his far-riding. farseeing scouts in every direction Machpealota. perched in the noun tains back of the building post, warily watched the dispositions and daily work, and laid his plans accordingly. Not a warrior was permitted to show himself near the stockade. but in a sleepless cordon. five miles out, they surrounded the Gap. Not a messenger had managed to elude their vigilance by day, not one had succeeded in slip ping into the little camp by night. Yet with every succeeding morn the choppers and fatigue parties pushed farther out from the stockade. in grow ing sense of security, and the Indians let them come.
 Full a week before the Laramie col umn could possibly reach the noun tains, however, Red Cloud was warned Nf 4bni, l,oi,- composition-so many horse soldiers, so many 'heap walks" Unmolested. the squadron from Fort c. F. Smith. the Big Horn River post, was permit ted to retracc it's steps. In fancied safety, born of confidence in that won derful new breechloader, the little command at the Gap was lulled to in difference to their surroundings. Then sending large numbers of his young men to round up buffalo toward the Platte. but keeping still his stern and vengeful eye upon the prey almost at his feet. the red chief made his final and fatal plans.
 There. came q cloudleSs morning when the cavalry troop escorted a young officer up the rocky heights to the west, finding everywhere indica- tlons of recent Indian occupancy, but not aredskin barred their way. With out opposition Of any kind, without so much as glimpse of the foe, were they permitted to climb to Signal Rock, and from that point, with powerful glasses, the officers swept the glorious range of foothills, the deep valley of the Tongue, the banks of the Piney and the Crazy Woman, the far-spreading upland prairie rolling away like some heav- ing ocean suddenly turned to earth. east and southeast to the dim horizon, and there they saw, or thought they saw, full explanation of their recent freedom from alarm of any kind There to tho south, full thirty miles away, the land was overlaid by dull, heavy, dun-colored cloud, and trav- ersed by black streallsl or blotches that were recognized at once as running buffalo. Red Cloud and his braves then were drawn away in search of other 5-af1e and iphf sof baort and