The Irish standard., 1900-12-29
4, three troopers limping along afoot,
| their horses killed in the running FIGHT


and one Of these. grateful for long
pull at Folsom's flask. turned back and
showed them the body of the fallen
brave. One look was enough for Hal
and the comrade with him. Don't
let my wife know--who it was" he had
muttcred to his friend. at would only
make her more nervous" There lay
Chaslia, Lizcttc's eldest brother, and
well Hal Folsom knew that death would
never go unaven@eG.
eff ever a time comes when can do
you a good turn, lieutenant" said he
that afternoon as. WORKOUT with long
hours of pursuit and scout, the troop
was encountered slowly marching back
to the Laramie, IN do it if it costs
me the whole ranch" But Dean smiled
and said they wouldn't have missed
that chance even for the ranch. What
a blessed piece of luck it was that the
commanding officer at Fraync had bid
den him take that route instead of the
direct road to Gate City! lie had sent
men riding in to both posts on the
! Platte, with pcnciled lines telling of
/ the Indian raid and its results. Once
we'll covered by darkness the little
band had easily escaped their pursuers,
and were now safe across the river and
we'll ahead of all possibility of success
full pursuit. But if anything were
needed to prove the real temper Of the
Sioux the authorities had it. Now was
the time to grapple that Ogallala tribe
and bring it to terms before it could
be REINFORCED by half the young men
in the villages of the northern plains.
The Platte, of course, would be pa
trolled by strong force of cavalry for
some weeks to come, and no new foray
need be dreaded yet awhile. Red
Clouds people would clay low" and
watch the effect of this exploit before
attempting another. If the White
Father got mad and ordered heap
soldiers there to punish them. then
they must disavow all participation in
the affair, even though one of their
best young braves was prominent in
the outrage, and had paid for the lux
ury with his lite-evcn though Burning
Star was trying to hide the fresh scar
of 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 suf1i-
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 a friend you'll find one here"
And the time was coming when Mar
shall Dean would need all that he could
muster.
Two days latcr-still a march away
from Emory-a courier overlook him
with Il letter from his late post COM
mandcr: "Nour vigorous pursuit and
prompt, sol,lerly action have added to
the fine record already made and merit
hearty commcndatiop." The cordial
words brought sunshine to his heart.
How proud Jess would be, and mother!
lie had not had Il word from either for
over u 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,
posses new home, would come to
gladden. the eyes of lith and kin, but
mothers most of all, bringing Jessie
with him. Little hope Of leave OF alb
scnce 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
Il few days and showing her his troop
that little schoolgirl must have grown
and developed! How beautiful Il girl
she must now be if that photograph
was no nattercr! 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 /; bit, and all its lower left
hand corner bent and blackcncd and
crushed. Chaska'j last shot that tore
its way so close below the young SOL
oilers bounding heart, just npping and
soaring the skin, had left its worst
mark on that dainty carte dc visite.
In that same pocket, too, was another
puckct---l letter which had been picked
up on the floor of the hut at Reno aftcr
Burlcigh leit--onc for which the ma or
had searched in vain, for ii was under
meath Il lot of newspapers. "iou take
that after him. said the environment
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 were seated in
their section on the northWard side.
One, Il dark-eyrd radiant beauty, @aZcd
out over the drsoate slopes and far
reaching stretches OF prairie and dis
tant lines Of bald bluir, with delight in
her dancing eyes. The other, Il Win
some maid of 10, looked on with mild
wondcrmrnt. not mmixcd with ,lisap-
pointment she would gladly have hid
den. 10 lIlinor the scenes OF her child
hood were dear and welcome; to Jessie
there was too much that was sombcr.
too little that was inviting. Eut pres
entity, >as the long train rolled slowly
to the platform of rude wooden sta
ton building, there came Il sight at
which thc,ryes of both girls danced i'll
!. 4