Willmar tribune., 1900-11-28

manufacturing rifles and old dragoon
horse-pistols heaped- before him. Got
heap better" = was his comment, and
nothing Ahut brand new h:eech-
leaders would serve his purpose.
Promise them and he'd see what could
be done to restrain His young men.
But they were ..pretty mad,'' he said,
and couldn't Ybe relied upcn to keep
the peace unless sure of getting better
arms and ammunition to help; them
break it next time. It was only tenn
porizing. It was only encouraging the
veteran war chief in his visions of pow
er and control. The commissioners
came back beaming. EVERY thing salts
factorily arranged. Red Cloud and his
people are only out for a hg hunt
But officers whose wives and children
prayed fearfully at night within the
puny wooden. stockades, and listened
trembling to the howls and tom-toms
of the dancing Indians around the
council fires in the neighboring valleys,
wished to heaven they had left those
dear ones in safety at their eastern
nOutCS-" 1S1ASu W ANuNSA AACJ OOuAO
send them thither now, but well knew
| that it was too late. Only as single
spies, riding by night, hiding by day,
were couriers able to get through
from the Zig Horn to the Platte. OF
scouts and soldiers sent at different
times since the middle of May, seven
were missing, and never, except
through vague boastings of the In
dians, were heard of again.
1T is q treacherous truce, I tell you,"
said Folsom, with grave, anxious face,
| to the colonel commanding Fort En-.
| ory. II have known Rcd Cloud 20
years. He's only waiting a few weeks
to see if the government will be fool
enough to send them breech-loaders
fit does, he'll be- AL the betters able
to fight little later on. If it doesn't
he will make it his casus belli.'
It was nearly 200 miles by the wind.
ing mountain road from Gate City to
Warrior Gap. Over hill and dale and
mountain pass the road ran to Frayne,
thence, fording the North Platte, the
wagon trains, heavily guarded, had to
drag over miles of dreary desert, over
shadeless slopes and divides to the dry
wash of the Powder, and by roads
deep in alkai dust and sage brush to
Cantonment Reno, where far to the
west the grand range loomed up
against the sky-another long days
march away to the nearest foothills.
to the nearest drinlsable water, and
then, 40 miles further still, in the heart
of the grond pine-covered heights, was
the rocl-bound gateway to lovely
parr region within, called by the
Sioux some Wild combination of al.
most unpronounc cable sylla bles, which
freely translated, gave lis Warrior
Gap, and there at last accounts
strengthened by detachmeIts from
Frayne and Reno, the little command
of fort builders worked away, Ak in
hand, rifle at hand, subjected every
hour to alarm from tho vedettes and
pickets posted thiclzly oil about them
pickets who were sometimes fornd
stone dead.'at their posts, transnxed
with arrows, scalped and mutilated
and yet not once had Indians in any
force been seen by officers or man
about the spot since the day Rec
Clouds whole array pissed Brooks
troop on the Reno trail, peaceably
hunting buffalo. can .livil a sowl ir
the outfit" said old Ser,t Shaughnes
sy, that hadn't his tongue in hi
cheek"
For three months th;:t hard-wo-2,e
troop had been aficld- and the time
had passed and gone when its young
first lieutenant had hoped for leave
to 60 home to sec the mother and Jess
His captain was still ailing and unfit
for duty in saddle. Hc could not ant
would not ask for leave at such {
time, and yet the very moment whel
he was most earnestly and faithfully
doing his whole duty at the front
SANDER was busy with his name long
miles at the rear.
Something was amiss with Eurleigh
said his cronies at Gate City. He hat
come hurrying back from the hills
had spent day in his Office and not {
cent at the club, had taken the nigh
express unbeknown to anybody bu'
his chief clerk, and gone hurrying
eastward. 1t was time when hi!
services were needed at the depot, too
Supplies, stores, all manner of ma
terial were being freighted from Gat'
City over the range to the Platte ant
beyond, yet he had wired for authorit,
TO hasten to Chicago on urgent per
sonal affairs, got it and disappeared
Ayoung regimental quartermaster wa:
ordered in from Emory to take charg'
of shipments and sign invoices during
Rurleigh's temporary absence, and th'
cnly other officer whom Burleigh hat
seen and talked with before his star
was the venerable post commander
One after another the few cavalr,
troops (companies) on duty at Emor.
had been sent afeld until now only
one was left, and three days after Bur
leigh started there came dispatcl
from department headquarters direct
. ing the sending of that enc to Frayn.
at once. Capt. Brooks troop, owing
to the continued illness of it's com
mander, would be temporarily with
drawn and sent back to Emory to re
place it.
Marshall Dean did not know whethe,
to be glad or sorry. Soldier from to]
to toe,' he was keenly enjoying tn
command of his troop. He gloried il
mountain scouting, and was in his ele
ment when astride spirited horse
Then, too, the air was throbbing will
rumors of Indian dcpredations alon!