The Iola register., 1900-11-09
CHAPTER VII.

lieut.. Deans orders required that
he should march his troop without un-
necessary delay to Fort Emory, there
TO take station relieving troop F, or
dered TO change TO Frayne, which
meant, in so many words, to take the
field. Capt. Brooks, still wrestling with
the fever, had retired to his quarters
at the old frontier fort that stood so
long on the bluffs overlooking the fords
of the Platte. The surgeon said he
must remain in bed at least a week,
so meantime the troop packed up,
sent it's wagons ahead over the range,
bade God speed to + as il passed
through en- route to the front, eX-
changed a volley of chaff and chewing
tobacco over the parting game of
freeze out" fought TO finish on
many an outspread saddle blanket,
then logged on toward Gate City,
making wide dctour at the sug-
gestion of the field officer in COM
mand at Frayne, that they might
scout the Laramie plains and see
that all was well at Folsom's ranch
This detour was duly reported 10 the
peppery veteran at Fort Emory, an old
colonel whose command was by this
time reduced from headquarters, field,
staff and band" six companies of in
fantry and four troops Of cavalry to
the band and two desperately over
worked companies Of foot. Two
nights in bed" were all his men could
hope for, and sometimes no more than
one, so grievous was the guard duty.
Hence "oid Pecksnilf." his ad djutant and
quartermaster and his two remaining
companies saw fit 20 take it as most
unllind in Lieut.. Col. Ford to authorize
that diversion of Deans, and highly inn
proper on Deans part to attempt II.
BY this time, too, there was in cir
culation at Emory story that this
transfer of G TO interior lines and
away from probable contact with the
Sioux was not so much thar it had
done far more than its share of that
arduous work, completely using up its
captain, as that, now the captain was
used up, the authorities had their
doubts as to the nerve" of the lieu
tenant in temporary command. A fell
low who didn't care to come to Emory
and preferred rough duty up along the
Platte must be lacking in some essen
tial particular, thought the women
folk, and at the very moment that
Marshall Dean sat there at Hal Fol
SONS ranch, as brave and hardy and
capable young officer as ever forded
the Platte, looking forward with pleas
urable anticipations to those days to
come at Emory, with Jessie-Jessie
and, of course, Pappoose-so close at
hand in town, there was gaining
ground at the post an impression that
the safety of the board of officers sent
to choose the site of the new Big Horn
post had been imperiled by Deans
weakening at a critical moment in
presence of a band of probably hostile
Sioux. Burleigh had plainly intimated
as much to his chief clerk aud Col.
Stevens, and when Loring and Stone
came through a day or two later and
questions were asked about that meet
ing, the aid-de-camp gave il as dis
tinctly to be understood that he had
practically assumed command, Deans
iucNperience being maHfest, and his
own prompt measures had eAtricatcd
The little detachment from a most deli
cate and dangerous position, The en-
sneor, let il be said, did not hear this
atatcmeut, and the aid was very care
iul NOT to make il IN bis presence. ne
was comparative stranger, and as no
one presumed To question him be vol
unteercd no Information.
Plapningt biyouacuntil dawn ofth
ncS; dcyai Folsou.'s, Dean had then IN