Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-05-03

/ ah-opinion on the trip to the Big
Horn, and I was-ah-simply disap-
pointed in his conduct on the way back.
It was perhaps due to-ah-inexperi-
ence only, and my whole object in COM
/ ing here in haste this afternoon was
to bear testimony to his ability and
zeal as troop commander, and to urge
-ah-Col. Stevens to reconsider his ac-
| ton ant 1estore him at once to duty
had hoped, sir, to be +here-ah-ahead
of you and to have driven him in my
buggy-ah-to meet you, but am dis
appointed am disappointed in more
ways than one.''
Folsom stood and wiped his stream
| ing face and looked the speaker square
in the eye, and Burleigh stood the
scrutiny with unlooked-for nerve.
Long years at the poker-table had
given him command of his features,
and the faculty of appearing the per-
sonification of serene confidence in his
| 'hand," when the twitching of a nerve
might cost a thousand dollars. Folsom
was no match for him in such game.
Little by little the anger and suspicion
| faded from his eyes, and shame-faced
! look crept into them. Had he really
so misjudged, so wronged this gentle
| man? Certainly there was every APP
pearance of genuine sympathy and
feeling in Burleigh's benevolent fea-
| lures. Certainly he was here almost as
soon as he himself had come, and very
possibly for the same purpose. It was
| all that old fool Pecksniff's doing after
all. Folsom had known him for years
and always as more or less of an ass
a man of so little judgment that,
though major in the line at the out
| break of the war, he had never been
| trusted with a command in the field,
and here he was now full colonel with
only three companies left him. Bur-
leigh saw his bluff was telling, and he
took courage.
"Come with me-" he said, land let
| me reassure you,' and the doors of
the commanding officers sanctum
opened at once to the omnipotent dis
burser of government good things,
Folsom following at his heels. "Col.
Stevens he began, the moment he was
inside, and before the colonel could
speak at all, Gin a moment of ex-
ASPIRATION and extreme nervous-ah-
depression the night I-er-started
east so hurriedly after most exhaust
| ing journey from the Big Horn, spoke
| disparagingly of the action of Lieut..
Dean in face of the Indians the day we
met Red Clouds band, but on mature
reflection am convinced I misjudged
him. have been thinking it all over.
I recall how vigilant and dutiful he was
at all times, and my object in hurrying
out here to-day at-ah-almost the in
slant heard of his arrest, was to
put in the best words could think of
in his notwithstanding you to re-
| slider your action, especially in view
of all the-e-ah-encom passed
upon his conduct in this recent raid on
| the Laramie"
The colonel whir1ed around upon him
as he had on Folsom. s'Maj. Burleigh,"
he began, 81 call you to witness that
am the most abused man in the army.
Here I am, sir, 35 years in service, a
full colonel, with 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, flashing himself on, as he rose
from his chair, there'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
a 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 Bur1eigh 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
| flight. There was nothing to be gained
by sending man galloping back to
the line of the railway rs 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-
termlned to give the youngster a les
son. But now the mail was in, and
dispatches from various quarters, and
a 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.
81 admit all you say, colonel. have
long ah-considered you most unfair
~ treated, but really-ah-in this case
of Lieut.. Deans, it is, as said before,
ineXperience and-ah-the result Of