The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-01-26
CHAPTER XIII.

denly set upon by a host of mounted
Indians that seemed. like the warriors
born of the dragons teeth, to spring
up from the earth, and yelling like
tiends bore down upon the little guard.
Happily for he woodchoppers, but I'M
luckily for Lo. the commander was a
cool-headcd veteran of the late war
who had listened time and again to
yells as frantic and had withstood
charge after charge ten times as de-
termined. Most unluckily for Lo the
infantry company was armed with
the new Springfield breech-loader,
and when the band came eXultantly
on, having. as they supposed, drawn
away, they were COMPOUNDED by the
lively crackle and sputter of rifles
along the timber in front of them, top
pling many Il dashing warrior to earth
and strewing the ground with slaugh
tered ponies. That charge failed, but
they rallied in furious force. There
were only 40 soldiers; they had
500 braves, so on they came again
from three different points, and again
ter them like autumn leaves before the
storm. Thrice and four times did they
essay to stampede the soldiers and
sweep off their own dead and wounded,
and each time they were soundly
thrashed, thanks to cool courage and
the new breech-loaders. And Red
Cloud, cursing his medicine men, drew
Off his baffied braves and the hills that
night resounded to their vengeful war
whoops and echoed back the wailing
of the Indian women mourning over
the slain. "All well enough so far,
lads" cried Folsom. when he heard the
news. "Machpealota is unmasked. It's
war to The knife now, so for Gods sake
send all the troops you can muster to
the aid of those already up there in the
Big Horn. Next time he hits he'll have
all the Northern Sioux at his back
you mark my words!"
But, who the devil is John Folsom?
said the bureau again. Arrest Red
Cloud. Bring his band in prisoners
were the orders to the agents, and the
agents called for troops to go and do
their bidding. It's one thing, as I've
had occasion to say before, to stand
off with brrechlontIcrs Il thousand In
dams armed only with old percussion
cap muskcts, squirrel rifles. bows,
clubs and lanccs; it's another thing
for soldiers armed cr"n with the best
the market affords. To march into an
Indian position and arrest an Indian
chief. There wrr" rot soldiers
enough north Of h" Platte TO do it +.
aud the war department knew it if
the bureau didn't. Fence the muster
ing in force along TIE river, and the
mounting in hct has,: of perhaps ten
near enough for tire work i'm hand.
but all the ration had within Il
months march that could possibly be
spared from other work and work
more important.
And there was wrath at Emory,
where the colonel found himself or
dered to send all his transportation to
Frayne forthwith. and all his remain
ing troops except one of foot. dam
nation! I've only got two companies
of foot" he screamed. in he shrill
trebel of piping scni'ity. "And they
meth to rob me of my cavalry. too!
&C. troop is ordered to be held III
readiness for special service"
The transportation, consisting of
three wagons and two ambulanccs.
with the somber company of infantry.
started next day, however, and Dean,
with eager expectancy, kept his men
in camp. cooked ratiDns ready. am
munition pouches filed, arms and
equipments overhauled and in perfect
order. horses examined and rcshod,
ready for the word that might come
any minute and carry him--he knew
not WHITTIER. Folsom and the girls
had to drive back to dinner without
him. Despite the permission sent by
the colonel, he would not leave his
troop and go in town. So back they
came in the soft moonlight and spent
long, lovely summer evening with
him, while the band played mclodious-
ly in the fort inclosurc, and the stars
twinltled over the peaks of the
Rockies in the southern skies. Fol
som spent the hours wiring to Omaha
he could reach. They thought the les
son given Red Cloud would end the
business. He knew it would only be-
gin it. Burleigh, saying that he must
give personal attention to the selec.
ton of the teams and wagons, spent
the early evening in his corral, but
sent word to Folsom that he hoped tc
see him in the morning on business
of great Importance. He had Other
hopes, too, one of them being that
now the order to send that big sun
in currency to the new stockadt
would be revoked. He had lost NJ
time in suggesting to the chief quar-
termaster of the department the ex
IRENE hazard. He quoted Folsom al
saying that before we could send 10l
men to Warrior Gap Red Cloud coult
call 5000, and the chief quartermas
ter, being man of method and F.
stranger to the frontier said, as sait
the bureau: "Who the devil is Johl
Folsom? Do as you are told" Blu
that answer only came the following
day. Meantime there was respite an,
hope.
Long lived that beautiful evening II
the memory of four young hearts.
sweet south wind had been gentl
playing all day and left the nigh
warm and fragrant of the pines an
cedars in the mountain parks. Al