The Iola register., 1900-10-19

long the loolouts searched the horizon,
All that night the sentries listened for
hoofbeats on the Bozeman road, but
only the weird chorus of the coyotes
woke the echoes of the dark prairie.
Dawn of the second day came. and, un-
able to bear suspense, the major sent
little party, mounted on their fleet
est horses, to scour the prairie at least
halfway to the foothills of the Big
Horn, and just at nightfall they came
back-three at least--galluping like
mad, their mounts a mass Of foam.
Folsom's dread was well founded. Red
Cloud, with heaven ouly knows how
| many warriors, had camped on Crazv
Woman's Fork within the past three
days. and gone on up stream. He
might have met ana fought the troops
sent out three days before. He must
have met the troops dispatched TO
Warrior Gap.
And this last, at least, he had done.
For u few seconds after the fall of the
buffalo bull. the watchers on the dis
tant ridge lay still, except that Dean,
turning slightly, called to the orderly
trumpeter. who had come trotting out
after the troop commander, and was
now halted and afoot some 20 yards
down the slope. $50 back. Bryan" he
ordered. Halt the ambulances. Noti-
fy Capt. Brooks that there are lots of
Indians ahead, and have the sergeant
dcploy the men at once" Then he
turned back and with his field glass
studied the party along the ravine.
"They can't have seen us, can they,
lieutenant"' muttered the trooper
nearest him.
But Deans young face was grave
md clouded. Certainly the Indians
acted as though they were totally un-
aware of the presence Of troops, but
the more he thought the more he
knew that no big body of Sioux would
be travelling across country at so crit
ical time country, too, that was
conquered as this was from their enc
mics, the Crows), without vigilant
scouts afar out on front and flank.
The more he thought the more he
knew that even AS early as three
o'clock those keen-eyed fellows must
have sighted his little column, CON
spicuous as it was because of its wag-
ons. Beyond question, he told him
self, the chief of the band or village
so steadily approaching from the
northeast had full information of their
presence. and was coming confidently
ahead. What had he to fear? Even
though the blood of settlers and SOL
diers might still be red upon the hands
of his braves, even though fresh scalps
might be dangling at this moment
from their shields, what mattered it?
Did he not know that the safeguard Of
the Indian bureau spread like the wing
of n protecting angel over him and his
people, forbidding troops to molest or
open fire unless they themselves were
attacked? Did he not laugh in his
ragged shirt sleeve at the policy of the
white fool who would permit the red
enemy to ride boldly up 70 his soldiers,
count their numbers, inspect their ar
ray, satisfy himself as 10 their arma-
ment and readiness, then calculate the
chances, and, if he thought the force
too strong, ride on his way with only
significant gesture In parting in
suit? If. on the contrary, he found il
weak then he could turn loose his
braves, surround, massacre and scaip
and swear before the commissioners
sent out to investigate next moon that
he and his people knew nothing about
the matchmaking. ut least, that
they could be- induced to tell.
One moment more Dean watched and
waited. Two of the Indians in the
ravlne were busily reloading their
rifles. Two others were aiming over
the bank, for, with the strange stupid
ity of their kind, the other buffalo,
even when startled by the shot, had
never sought safety In flight, but were
now smiling the odor of blood on the
Winted air and slowly, wopderlngly
drawing near the stricken leader Us
though to ask what allied him. ODE.
dient and docile the Indian ponies stood
with dropping heads, hidden under
the shelter of the steep banks. Nearer
and nearer came the big black animals,
bulky, stupid, fatuous; the foremost
lowered a huge head 70 sniff at the
blood oozing from the shoulder of the
dying bull, then two more shots puffed
out from the ravine, the huge head
tossed suddenly in air, and the un-
gainly brute started and staggered,
whirled about and darted few yards
away, then plunged on its kneee and
the next moment, startled at some
sight the soldier watchers could not
see, the black hand was seized with
sudden panic and darted like mad into
the depths OF the intercourse, dis
appeared one moment from sight, then.
suddenly reappearIng, came laboring
up the hither side, straight for the
crest on which they lay, dozen black,
bounding, painting beasts laundering
over the ground, followed by half
dozen darting Indian ponies, each with
his 1.-THE rider sourrying in pursuit.
"Out of the way, menl Don't flrel"