Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-05-24
fantry beat the call for guard mount

At ten o'clock the party halted I'M
| der some spreading willows, deep
| in a cleft of the bold, high hills that
rolled away toward the Sweetwater
valley. Horses were unsaddled and
| picketed out to Craze. A little cook
fire was started close to the spring
that fed the tiny brook, trickling
away down the narrow ravine, and in
few moments the aroma of coffee
and of appetizing slices of bacon greet
ed the welcoming nostrils of the hun
cry men. The sun that had risen
clear and dazzling was now obscured
by heavy masses of clouds, and time
and again Dean cast anxious eyes
aloft, for a storm seemed sweeping
eastward from the distant Wahsatch
range, and long before the little COM
mand had dived downward from the
heights into the depths of this wild,
romantic and contracted valley, all
the rolling upland toward Green river,
far to the west, lay under the pail Of
heavy and forbidding banks of hur-
rying vapor. Coffee and breakfast fin
ished. Dean climbed the steep bluff
overhanging the spring, a faithful
sergeant following, and what he saw
was sufficient to determine immediate
action.
Saddle up. Well push ahead at
once"
For an instant the veteran trooper
looked dissent, but discipline pre-
vailed.
"The lieutenant knows that Carey's
not in yet" he ventured to say, as he
started back down the narrow game
trail which they had climbed.
eyes; but yonder he comes and so
does the storm. We can't be caught in
this canyon in case of hard rain.
Let Carey have some coffee and bite,
if he feels well enough. Then We'll
push on"
Ordinarily when making summer
marches over the range, the first "wa-
ter camp" on the Sweet-water trail
was here at Canon Springs. On the
road to Frayne, which crossed the
brook ten miles to the east, all wagon
trains and troops not on forced march
made similar camp. In the case of
scouting detachments or little parties
sent out from Emory, it was always
customary to spend the first night and
make the first camp on the Box Elder
at furthermost, then to push on,
ready and refreshed, the following
day. Dean well knew that to get the
best work out of his horses he should
start easily, and up to nine o'clock he
had fully intended to make the usual
camp at the Springs. But once be-
fore, within few years, big scout
ing party camping in the gorge of the
Box Elder had been surprised by one
of those sudden, sweeping storms, and
before they could strike tents, pack
up and move to higher ground, the
stream took matters into its own
hands and spared them all further
trouble on that score, distributing
camp and garrison equipage for long
leagues away to the east. Two miles
back, trooper Carey, who had been
complaining of severe cramp and pain
in the stomach, begged to be allowed
to fall out and rest awhile. He was
reliable old soldier when whisky was
not winning the upper hand, and this
time whisky was not at fault. A dose
of Jamaica ginger was the only thing
their field pharmacopoeia provided,
and Carey rolled out of his saddle and
doubled up among the rocks with his
hands on the pit of his stomach,
grimacing.
$50 back if you think best, or come
ahead and catch us at the Springs if
well enough were the orders left
him, while the men pushed on, and
now, as the lieutenant said, Carey was
coming himself. Some of the party
were already doing when the SER
geant's sharp order Saddle up was
given, but glance at the lowering
sky explained it all, and every man
was standing to horse and ready when
the missing trooper came jogging in
among them, white, peaked, but de-
termined. A look of mingled disap-
pointment and relief appeared on his
face as he saw the preparations for
the start, but his only comment was:
81 can make it, SIR" as he saluted his
young commander. Less than two
hours from the time they unsaddled,
therefore, the troopers once more
mounted, and, following their leader,
filed away down the winding gorge.
Presently there came the low rumble
of thunder, and a sweep IF the rising
wind. ''Trot." said Dean. and without
other word the little column quick
| ened the pace.
The ravine grew wider soon and far
| less tortuous, but was still narrow
| and dangerous spot. For a mile or
| two from the Springs it's course was
| nearly east of north, then it bore
| away to the northeast, and the Sweet
| water trail abruptly left it and went
| winding up cleft in the hills to the
west. Just as they reached this point
the heavens opened and the clouds de-
scended in deluge of rain. Out came
the ponchos. unstrapped from the sad
die, and every mans head popped
| through the slit as the shiny black
| 'sshedwater" settled down on his