Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-02

stFedHf LOOK InaUterS into Its own
hands and spared them all further
trouble on that score, distributing
camp and garrison equipage for long
| leagues away to the east. Two miles
back. trooper Carey, who had been
complaining of severe cramp and pain
in the stomach, begged to be allowed
to fall out and rest awhile He was
reliable old soldier when whisky was
not winning the upper hand, and this
time whisky was not at fault A dose
OF Jamaica ginger was the only thing
their field pharmacopoeia provided,
and Carey rolled out of his saddle and
doubled up among the rocks with his
hands on the pit of his stomach,
grimacing.
go back if you think best, or come
ahead and catch us at the Springs if
we'll enough were the orders left
him, while the men pushed on, and
now. as the lieutenant said, Carey was
coming. himself. Some of the party
We're already doing when the ser
geants sharp order "Saduie up" was
given, but glance at the lowering
sky explained it all, and every man
was standing to horse and ready when
the missing trooper came jogging in
| among them, white, peaked, but de-
termined. A look of mingled disap-
| pointment and relief appeared on his
| face as he saw the preparations for
| the start, but his only comment was:
| 81 can make it, SIR" as he saluted his
! young commander. Less than two
\ hours from the time they unsaddled,
therefore, the troopers once more
mounted, and, following their leader,
filed away down the winding gorge.
Presently there came the low rumble
of thunder, and sweep of the rising
| wind. "Trot," said Dean, and without
other word the little column quick
| ened the pace.
The ravine grew wider soon and far
less tortuous, but was Still narrow
| and dangerous spot. For mile or
two from the Springs it's course was
nearly east of north, then it bore
away to the northeast. and the Sweet
water trail abruptly left it and went
winding up cleft in the hills to the
| west. Just as they reached this point
the heavens opened and the clouds de-
seconded in a deluge of rain. Out came
the ponchos, unstrapped from the sad
| die, and every mans head popped
through the slit as the shiny black
| "shedwater" settled down on his
| shoulders.
"That outfit behind us will get a
L Ii 10
follow down to the Springs said
Carey to the sergeant, as they began
the pull up the slippery trail.
What OUTFIT" asked Dean, turning
in the saddle and looking back in sur
prise.
A binding flash of lightning, fol-
| lowed almost on the instant by the
crack and roar of thunder, put sum-
mary stop to talk of any kind. Men
and horses bowed their heads before
the deluge and the rain ran in streams
| from the names and tails. The as
cending path turned quickly into a
running brook and the black forms
of steeds and riders struggled sidewise
4 up the grass-grown slopes in search
of higher ground. The heavens had
turned inky black. The gloomy ra-
vine grew dark as night. Flash after
flash the lightning split the gloom.
| Every second or two trooper faces
cleaned CHASTITY in the dazzling glare,
| then as suddenly vanished. Horses
slipped or stumbled painfully and,
man after man, the riders followed
the example of the young soldier in
the lead and, dismounting, led their
dripping beasts farther up the steep
incline. Halfway to the summit,
peering through the wind-swept
sheets of rain, palisaded clump of
rocks jutted out from the heights
and, after hard climb, the little
band found partial shelter from the
driving storm, and huddled, awe
stricken, at their base. Still the
lightning played and the thunder can
nonaded with awful resonance from
crag to crag down the deep gorge
from which they had clambered, evil
IDENTIFY none too soon, for presently,
far down the black depths, they could
see the Box Elder under a white
wreath OF foam, tearing in fury down
| its narrow bed
"Beg pardon, lieutenant" shouted
the veteran sergeant in the young
commanders ear. even in that mo-
ment never forgetting the habitual
salute, 'but if 1 didn't see the reason
for that sudden order to saddle 1
more than see it now, We would have
been drowned like rats down there in
the gulch."
"Im wondering if anybody has
drowned like rats" shouted Dean, in
reply. Carey says another party was
| just behind us. Who could they be?"
But for answer came another vivid,
dazzling flash that for an instant
blinded all eyes. "By God! but that's
stunner!" gasped big trooper, and
then followed the deafening bang and
crash of the thunder, and it's echoes
went booming and reverberating from
earth to heaven and rolling away,
peal after peal, down the bluff bound
canyon. For a moment no other
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