Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1901-02-14

Il. F. :
OF all -e-ah-encomiums passed
upon his conduct in this recent raid on
the Laramie"
The colonel whirled around upon him
as he had on Folsom. Maj. Burleigh,"
he began, II call you to witness that
lam the most abused man in the army.
Here I am, sir, IS years in service, a
full colonel, with q war record with
the regulars that should command re-
spect, absolutely ignored by these
mushroom generals at Omaha and else
where-stripped of my command and
kept in ignorance Of the movements OF
my subordinates. Why, sir" he con-
tinued, lashing himself on, as he rose
from his chair, ''here's my junior at
Frayne giving orders to my troop, sir;
presumes to send them scouting the
Laramie bottoms, when every man is
needed here, and then, when, as it hap
pens, my officer and his men get into
fight and drive the Indians, to whom
does he report, sir? Not to me, sir
not to his legitimate commander, but he
sends couriers to Laramie and to
Frayne, and ignores me entirely"
A light dawned on Burleigh in an
instant. Well he knew that Deans rea-
sons for sending couriers to those
guard posts of the Platte were to warn
them that war PARTY had crossed
into their territory, and was now in
fight. There was nothing to be gained
by sending a man galloping back to
the line of the railway IS miles to the
rear-no earthly reason for his doing
so. But the fact that he had sent run.
ners to officers junior in rank to
Stevens, and had not sent one to him,
fairly ''stuck in the crop of the cap.
tious old commander, and he had de-
termined to give the youngster les
son. But now the mail was in, and
dispatches from various quarters, and
telegram from Omaha directing him
to convey to Lieut.. Dean the thanks
and congratulations of the general
commanding the department, who had
just received full particulars by wire
from Cheyenne, and Stevens was glad
enough to drop the game. and Burleigh
equally glad of this chance to impress
Folsom with the sense of his influence.
as well as of his justice.
II admit all you say colonel. I have
long-ah-considered you most unfair
]y treated, but really-ah-in this case
OF Lieut.. Deans, it is, as I said before,
inexperience and-ah-the result Of
ah-er-not unnatural loss of-er-
balance at most exciting time. A
word of-ah-admonition if you will
pardon my suggestion, is all he prob
ably needs, for he has really behaved
very well-ah-surprisingly well in
conducting this-ah-pursuit."
And SO was it settled that later the
colonel was to see Mr.. Dean and adj
monish accordingly, but that mean
time the adjutant should go and whis-
per in his ear that his arrest was end
ed, and all would be explained later,
thereby releasing him before the girls
discovered the fact that he was con.
fined to his tent.
But the adjutant came too ute. The
fearful eyes of one, the flushed and
anxious faces of both damsels, and the
set look in the eyes of both the young
officers at Deans tent, as the adjutant
approached, told him the cat was out
of the bag. 'The explanation cannot
be made too promptly for me, sir" said
Dean, as he received the colonel's 1nes-
sage and permitted the adjutant to de-
part without presenting him to the two
prettiest girls he had seen in year.
snow, LOOMS, just as quick as pos
sible want you to go with me to that
man Burleigh. I'll cram his words
down his throat"
"Hush, Dean, of course, I'll stand by
you! But both girls are looking. Wait
until tomorrow"
How many project for tho morrow
is dwarfed or drowned by events I'M
looked for-unsuspected at the time!
Not ten minutes later Folsom and
Burleigh came strolling together to
the little tent. Ashamed of his appar-
emily unjust accusation, Folsom had
begged the quartermaster's pardon
and insisted on his coming with him
and seeing the young people before
driving back to town. The horses
were being groomed at the picket line.
The western sun was low. Long shad-
ows were thrown out over the sward
and the air was full of life and exhila
ration. The somber fears that had op-
pressed the quartermaster an hour
earlier were retiring before a hope
that then he dare not entertain.
"You-you stood by me like a
trump, Burleigh," old Folsom was say
ing, 'even after I'd abused you like
thief. If can ever do you good turn
don't fail to let me know"
And Burleigh was thinking then and
there how desperately in need of
good turn he stood that minute. What
if Folsom would back himq What if
But as they came in full view of the
picket line beyond the row of tents.
the majors eagerly searching gaze was
rewarded by sight that gave him a
sudden pause. Halted and examining
with almost professional interest the
good points of a handsome little bay,
Lieut.. LOOMS and Jessie Dean were in
animated chat. Halted and facing
each other, he with glowing admira-
ton in his frank blue eyes, she with
shy pleasure in her joyous face, Dean
and Elinor Folsom stood absorbed in
some Renaissance of which he was
talking eagerly. Neither saw the COM
ING Dair Neither heard the rand beat
of bounding hoofs near them in eager
haste. Neither noted that a horseman
reined in. threw himself from saddle