Waterbury Democrat., 1900-10-26
CHAPTER VII. ,.

Lieut.. Deans orders reQulreo tu2t 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 lords of the Platte. The surgeon said he must remain in bed at least Q week, so meantime the troop packed up, sent it's wagons ahead over the range, bade God speed to F as it passed
 through en. route to the front, eN- changed volley of chaff and chewing tobacco over the parting game or ''freeze out" fought to a finish on many an outspread saddle blanket, then logged on toward Gate City, making wide detour at the sug- gestion of the field officer in com nand at Frayne, that they might scout the Laramie plains and see that all was we'll at zFolson's ranch. This detour was duly reported to 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 al, his men could hope for, and sometimes no more than one, so grievous was the guard duty. Hence "old Pecksnif," his adjutant and quartermaster and his two remaining companies saw fit to take it as most unkind in Lieut.. Col. Ford to authorize that diversion of Deans, and highly inn proper on Deans part to attempt it. By this time, too, there was in cir culation at Emory a story that this transfer of c to interior lines and away from probable contact with tho Sioux was not so much that it had done far more than it's share of that arduouS work, completely using up it's captain, as that, now the captain was used up, the authorities had their doubts as to the nerve" of the lieu tenant in temporary commald. A fel- 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 som's ranch, as brave and hardy and capable a young officer as ever. forded the Platte, looking forward with pleas ura ble 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 critical moment in presence of a band of probably hostile Sioux. Burleigh had plainly intimated as much to his chief clerk and Col. Stevens, and when Loring and Stone came through 2 day or two later and questions were asked about that meet ing, the aid-de-camp gave it as dis tinctly to be understood that he had practically assumed command, Deans inexperience being manifest, and his own prompt measures had extricated the little detachment from most deli cate and dangerous position. The en- gineer, let it be said, did not hear this statement, and the aid was very care full not to make it in his presence. He was a comparative stranger, and as no one presumed to question him he vol unteered no information.
 Planning to bivouae ult til dawn of the next day at Folsom's, Dean had then in tended to reach Fort Emory in three easy marches. He was anxious to bring his horses in in best possible con dition, despite all their hard service; yet now, barely two o'clock on this hot June afternoon, came most unlocked for, most importunate Interruption to his plans. Springins to the gate at the sergeant's summons, he first direct ed his gaze to the distant peaks, recog- nized instantly the nature of the smoke puffs there rising, then turned for ex- planation to the Swift-riding courier, whose horses heels were making the dust fly from the sun-dried soil. One ortwo ranch hands, with anxious faces, came hastening over from the corral. The darky cook rushed up from the kitchen. rife in hand. Plainly those fellows were we'll used to wars alarms. Mrs. Folsom, with staring eyes and dreadful anxiety in her face, gazed only at the hurrying courier, clinging the while to the pillar of the portico, as though needing support. The smoke puffs on the mountain, the dust-cloud back of the tearing rider were symp- toms enough for Dean.
 Get in your herd, Sergeant!" he shouted, at the top of his voice; and over the rushing of the Laramie his words reached the rousing bivouac, and saddle blankets were sent swing ing in air in signal to the! distant guards, and within few seconds every horse was headed for horne; and then, to the sound of excited voices was add ed the rousing thunder of scores of bounding hoofs, as, all in a dust-cloud of their own, the sixty chargers came galloping in, ears erect, eyes ablaze, nostrils wide, names and tails stream ing in the blaze, guided by their eager guards full tilt for camp. Out ran their riders, brides in hand, to meet and check them, every horse when within few yards of his master seem ing to settle on his launches and blow up the turf in the sudden effort to