Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-04-05

that all was well at FolSOm'S ranch.
This detour was duly reported TO the
peppery veteran at Fort Emory, an old
colonel whose command was by this
time reduced from headquarters, field,
staff and band," six companies of in
fantry and four troops of cavalry to
the band and two desperately over
worked companies of foot. 1.-TWO
nights in bed'' were all his men could
hope for, and sometimes no more than
one, so grievous was the guard duty.
Hence ''old Pecksniff," his adjutant and
quartermaster and his two remaining
companies saw fit to take it as most
unkind in Lieut.. Col. Ford to authorize
that diversion of Deans, and highly i'm
proper on Deans part to attempt it.
By this time, too, there was in cir
culation at Emory story that this
transfer of c to interior lines and
away from probable contact with the
Sioux was not so much that it had
done far more than it's share of that
arduous work, completely using up its
captain, as that. now the captain was
used up, the authorities had their
doubts as to the nerve" of the lieu
tenant in temporary command. A fell
low who didn't care to come to Emory
and preferred rough duty up along the
Platte must be lacking in some essen
tial particular, thought the women
fox, and at the very moment that
Marshall Dean sat there at Hal Fol-
SONS ranch, as brave and hardy and
capable a young officer as ever forded
the Platte, looking forward with pleas
urable anticipations to those days to
come at Emory, with Jessie-Jessie
and, of course, Pappoose-so close at
hand in town, there was gaining
ground at the post an impression that
the safety of the board of officers sent
to choose the site of the new Big Horn
post had been imperiled by Deans
weakening at critical moment in
presence of band of probably hostile
Sioux. Burleigh had plainly intimated
as much to his chief clerk and Col.
Stevens, and when Loring and Stone
came through day or two later and
questions were asked about that meet
ing, the aid-de-camp gave it as dis
tinctly to be understood that he had
practically assumed command, Deans
inexperience being manifest, and his
own prompt measures had extricated
the little detachment from a most deli
cate and dangerous position. The en-
gineer, let it be said, did not hear this
statement, and the aid was very care
full not to make it in his presence. He
was a comparative stranger, and as no
one presumed to question him he vol
unteered no information.
Planning to bivouac until dawn of the
next day at Folsom's, Dean had then in
tended to reach Fort Emory in three
easy marches. He was anxious to
bring his horses in in best possible con-
dition, despite ~ their hard service;
yet cow, barely two o'clock on this hot
June afternoon, came most unlocked
for, most importunate interruption
to his plans. Springing to the gate at
the Sergeant's summons, he first direct
ed his gaze to the distant peaks, recog-
niZedinstantly the nature Of the smoke
puffs there rising, then turned for eX-
PLANTATION to the swift-riding courier,
whose horses heels were making the
dust fly from the sun-dried soil. One
ortwo ranch hands, with anxious faces,
came fastening over from the corral.
The darby cook rushed up from the
kitchen, rife in hand. Plainly those
fellows were well used to wars alarms.
Mrs. Folsom, with staring eyes and
dreadful anxiety in her face, gazed
only at the hurrying courier, clinging
the while to the pillar Of the portico.
as though needing support. The smoke
puffs On the mountain, the dust-cloud
back of the tearing rider were symp
toms enough for Dean.
sect in your herd, sergeant!'' he
shouted, at the top of his voice; and
over the rushing OF the Laramie his
words reached the rousing bivouac,
and saddle blankets were sent swing
ing in air in signal to the distant
guards, and within few seconds every
horse was headed for home; and then.
to the sound of excited voices was add
cd the rousing thunder of scores OF
bounding hoofs, as, all in dust-cloud
of their own, the sixty chargers came
galloping in, ears erect, eyes ablaze,
nostrils wide, names and tails stream
ing in the blaze, guided by their eager
guards full tilt for camp. Out ran
their riders, brides in hand, to meet
and check them, every horse when
within a few yards of his master SEEM
ing to settle on his launches and plow
up the turf in the sudden effort to
check his speed, long months of service
on the plains and in the heart of Indian
land having taught them in times of
alarm or peril that the quicker they
reached the guiding hand and bore,
each, his soldier on his back, the
quicker would vanish the common foe
Even before the painting steed of the
headlong courier came within hailing
distance of the ranch, half the horses
in the troop were caught and the bits
were rafting between their teeth;
then. as the messenger tore along the
gentle slope that led to the gateway,