The Irish standard., 1901-02-16
alley back of his house two hours
ago. What does it all meant"
AHAPTER NNII.

~
ford was fordable within two days
march of either Emory or Frayne.
Not courier crossed the Box Elder,
going either way, until the flood went
down, and then it trauspred that a
tide in the affairs of men had also
turned, and that there was trouble
ahead for some who had thought to
find plain sailing. For two days
watchers along the lower Box Elder
dragged out upon the shadows the
bodies of horses that once upon a
time might have borne the ~. 81
brand, but were not girthed with
cavalry saddles now. Nor were there
lacking other bodies to prove that
the victims of the sudden storm were
not Uncle Sans men, much as two,
at least, of the drowned had been
wanted by the federal authorities but
week before. What the denizens of
Gate City and Fort Emory dreaded
and expected to hear was that Dean
and his little party had been caught
in the trap. But, living or dead, not
sign of them remained along the
storm swept ravine. What most peo-
pie of Gate City and Fort Emory
could not understand WAS the evil
dence that Il big gang of horse thieves,
desperadocs and renegades had sud-
denly appeared about the new town,
had spurrcd away northward in the
night, had kept the Frayne road till
they reached the Box Elder, riding
hard long after sunup, and there, re-
enforced. they had gone westward to
the Swcetwatcr trail, and, old from
tiersmen though they were. had been
caught in the whrl of water at Cam
on Springs losing two of their num-
Der and at least Il dozen of their
horses. What could have lured them
into that gloomy rift at such q time?
What inspiration had led Dean out
of it?
Sngly, or in little squads, many of
them afoot. bctlrngged, silent, cha
grined, the "outiit" described by
Trooper Carey had skunk away from
the ncighborhood of the Box Elder as
soon as the storm subsidized. Solemnly,
as betitted soldiers. silent and alert
despite their dripping accoutrements,
the little detachment of cavalry had
pushed ahead, riding by compass over
the drenchcd uplands, steering for
the Swcetwater. Late in the after
noon the skies had cleared, the sun
came out and they camped in bunch
of cottonwooGs on the old Casper
trail and slept the sleep of the just
and the weary. Early next day they
fastened on, reaching the usually
shallow stream, with DEVILS Gate only
few miles away, before the setting
of second sun. Here they Toasted
and rested we'll, and before the dawn
was fairly red on the third day out
from Emory they were breasting the
turbid waters and by noon had left
the valley far to the south and were
well out toward the Big Horn coun-
try, where it behoovcd them to look
warily ahead, for from every ridge,
though far to the west of their prob
able raiding ground, Dean and his
men could expect to encounter scout
ing parties of the Indians at any mo-
ment. and one false step meant death.
The third night passed without
alarm, though every eye and ear was
strained. The morning of the fourth
day dawned and the sun soon tinged the
misty mountain tops to the far north,
and Dean saw before him an open roll
ing country, over which it would be inn
possible to march without attracting
Indian eyes, if Indian eyes there were
within 20 miles. And with proper eau.
ton he ordered his men to keep in con-
cealmcnt, horses grazing under guard
i'll a deep depression near a stream, men
doing soundly by turns until the twi'
light came, and then the stars-thei1
night lights for long, long march
Dawn of the fifth day found them hud
died in deep ravinc of the southern
foothills, with Warrior Gap not 80 miles
away, and now, indeed, was prudence
necessary, for the faint light SHOWED
the fresh prints Of innumerabie pony
hoofs on every side. They were close
on Machpcalota's lurking braves
Which would see the other first?
1t must have been somewhere TOWARD
five o'clock in the afternoon that Dean
searching with his ticld-glass the sun
lit slopes far out to the east, heard thu
voice of his sergeant close at hand ant
turned to answer. Up to this moment
beyond the pony tracks, not a sign lat
they seen of hostile Indians, but tn,
buffalo that had appeared in scattered
herds along their line of march were
shy and scary, and old hands said tina
that meant they had recently beef
hunted hard. Moreover, this was not
section favored of the buffalo. Their
was much alkali and sage brush alon.
their trail, and only here and there il
scanty patches any of the rich, nutri
tious bunch grass which the rowing ami
mails SO eagerly sought. The day ha'
| been hot and almost cloudlesS. TIL
simmer of heat along the lazy roll O
the land to the south had often batlle
their blinking eyes. But now the SUI
was we'll to the west. and the refractio
/ seemed diminishing, and away over
i the northeast Il dull-coiored clou
seemed slowly rising beyond the ridge:
1t was this that Sergt. Bruce was ST nd y
ing when he m,irmured to his yo,,n
! commander:
81 think that means II big herd on til
run. sir, and if so Indians stnrtc
them"
One or two troopers. doing close q
hand, sprawled full length upon til
ground, with their faces buried in. c
hidden by their b!ue-slecved arm
slowly rolled over and came crouchin
un alonmSide Dean drnnncl hi is GLASS.