Waterbury Democrat., 1900-11-13


 ''Yes, and now her people know it, I and it will relindle their hatred. The | moment 1 heard of this 1 sent old l Bat to watch the crossing at La Bonte. Not an hour ago this came in l by the hand of his boy" and the | colonel held out a scrap of paper. It was a rude photograph. rough sketch, map-ike, of a winding river | another and smaller one separated from the first by chain of noun | tains. The larger one was decorated | by a fagpole with stars and stripes at the top and a figure with musket and bayonet at the bottom. The smaller one by little house, with 1 smoke issuing from the chimney, and woman beside it. Above all, it's head over the mountains pointing to- ] ward the house, it's tail extending north of the bigger stream, was i comet-the ''totem" or sign of the ! Ogallalla lover of I.;zette. The story was told at a glance. Burning Star was already south of the Platte and lurking in the mountains near Fol , soIn's ranch.
 ! That night. toward ten o'clock, an anxious council was held. Halbert Folsom. fevered by his severe wound, was lying half-unconscious on his bed, his unhappy wife wandering aimlessly about at times. wringing her hands l and weeping, evidently unbalanced by i the terrors that had beset her of late and the tiGings of that awful Indian revenge along the Big Horn. Silent, helpful, almost commanding, I2linor spent the hours sometimes at her brothers bedside. then at that of her sistcr-in-3aW when the poor creature could be induced to lie still moment. The burly little son and heir. long since sound asleep in his cradle. was watched over by Jessie, | whose heart 1luttCred in dread she dare not say of what. Twice that afternoon she had seen whispered con- ferences between cid Folsom and Lam nion. She knew that for some bet ter reason than that he was over persuaded by PapPooze, MT. Folsom had not carried out his project of 1 sending them back 70 Gate City, She saw that ho made frequent visits to l the cellar az.d had changed the ar 1 engagement of the air ports. She noted that the few ranch hands hNng about the premises al day. their rifles ever within reach, and that i often Mr. Folsom took the glasses and 1 searched the road to Frayne. She saw that earth was being heaped up i'll places against the ranch where the walls were thin or made of boarding. She saw that water and provisions were being stored in the cellar, and { she knew that it could all mean only one thing--that the Indians were ] again in force in the neignborhood, and that an Indian siege was immi- nent.
 And all this time Paproose, though Eery brave, was so still and so intent upon her duties. Even when supper was served for the ranch people in the Kitchen that evening. as the sun went down. Jess noted that two of the men kept constantly in saddle rid ing round the buildings and anXious.y scanning the open prairie on every side. There were only six men all told now, including Folsom (of course not counting Hal, who was defense lsss), altogether too small number to successfully protect So large a knot of buildings against an insidious and powerful foe. and even of these six there were two who seemed so un- strung by tidings of the massacre as to be nearly nervless.
 Darkness settled down upon the val ley, and, though calm and collected, Folsom seemed oppressed by the deep est anxiety. Every now and then he would step forth into the night and 1 make circuit of the buildings, eN- change a word in low tone with some invisible guardian, for, heavily armed. ! the employees were gathered at the main building, and the wife and chil- i dren of the chief herdsman were as signed to room under it's roof. Par | ticularly did Folsom pet and encourage | the dogs. two of them splendid maStiffs | in whom IIaltoolI unusual pride. Then he would return to his sons bedside, bend arxiously over him and lay a low ing hand On Pappoose's lustrous hair. | It must have been ten o'clock and night wind was rising, making the oc- casional cry of the coyotes even more weird and GuerulOus, when they heard the sudden, fierce challenge of Troop CT. the keenest, finest of the mastiffs, and instantly his bark was echoed by the rush and scurry of every canine on the place. The men on the porch sprang to their feet and Folsom hastened out to join them. The dogs had charged in the darkness toward the northeast, and somewhere out in that direction were now all furiously barking. Aloft the skies were heavily clouded. The moon was banked and | not a g1immer of light shone on earth | or heaven. Suddenly, afar out over the prairie, beyond where the dogs were challenging, there was heard the sound of a pony's neigh, an eager appeal for welcome and shelter, and Folsom sprang confidently forwafd, his power ! ful tones calling off the dogs. They came back, growling, snifTing. only half-satisfed. still bristling a,t the un
 seen visitor. ''NVar ponies never neigh" said Folsom. E'Nho are you, brothers -friends?' he called, in the Sioux tongue. and a faint voice answered | from the darkness. . pony came lcping dimly into view, almost running oyer him, and in another minute an Indian l. T l