Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-04-08
FEE a - 20
WoUNDEDNAnE
BY
y BRIG.GEN.QASNNG. -
Io o ~ VISA. SS6o 9Sl
LCopyriSht. 1899, by F. Tennysou Neely.l


wanted?" said old Pecksniff, whose
command had been cut down to one
company and the band. Wanted me
to post a strong guard over the quarter
masters depot lest that dashed maraud-
ing gang of Birdsall's should gallop in
some night with Burleigh's safe key
and get away with the funds. | asked
him if those were the generals orders,
and he said no. l asked him if they
were anybOdy's orders, and he said no.
! asked him if it was anybody's idea
but his own, and he said no, and then l
told him, by CAD, l hadn't men enough
TO guard the public property here at the
post. The Quartermaster' depot was
responsible for most of them being
away. Let them take care of their own. "
Gate City hotel was alive with
loungers that night, waiting for the en-
gineer. At $50 he had come from the
quartermaster' s corral and after few
minutes had gone away with Mr.. Fol
som, who drove up i'll his carriage. He
was up at the old mans now, said the
impatient ones, fooling away the time
with the girls when he ought to be
there answering their questions and ap-
peasing their curiosity. The talk turned
on the probable whereabouts of Bur-
leigh and his pal" So had the mighty
fallen that the lately fawning admirers
now spoke of the fugitive as criminal.
He couldn't follow the Union Pacific
east. Every body knew him, and by this
time officers were on the lookout for
him all along the road. He had reached
Cheyenne, that was known, and had
driven away from there up the valley
of Crow creek with two companions.
Loring himself had ascertained this in
Cheyenne, but it was the sheriff who
gave out the information.
He was III hiding, declared the know
ing ones, in some of the haunts of
Birdsall IS fellows, east of Laramie City,
growing town of whose proves at
poker and keno Gate City was profess
sionally aware and keenly jealous. He
might hide there day or two and then
get out of the country by way of Sweet
water along the old stage route to Salt
Lake, or skip southwark and make for
Denver. Northward he dare not go.
There were the army posts along the
Platte, beyond them the armed hosts
of Indians, far more to be dreaded than
all the sheriffs' posses on the plains
Ten thirty came and still no Loring,
and the rounds of drinks were getting
monotonous. Judge Pardee, bibulOus
and oracuIar limb of the law, had been
chosen inquisitor general, with powers
to call for all the news that was slowed
away in that secretive knowledge box"
on the shoulders of the engineer. Gate
City had resolved and "lowed'' that a
man reputed to know so much should
be held up and compelled to part with
at least a little. Jimmy Peters, the
landlords boy, scouting out to Folsom's,
came back on the run, breathless from
quarters of a mile of painting
through that rare atmosphere, to say
that he had Just seen couple Of officers
ride away to the fort, and old man Fol
som, with "the engineer Teller, was
coming out the front gate. They'd be
along in a few minutes.
So in their eagerness some of the
loungers strolled out in front and gazed
westward up the long, broad, hard beat
en- street on which, in many a spot, the
bunch grass of the prairie still fingered.
1t was lovely summer night, warm,
starlit, but the Snoon had early sunk to
rest, and the darkness was intense, yet
the first men to come forth could have
sworn they saw two horsemen, dim and
shadowy, go Looping across the broad
thoroughfare from north to south at the
first cross streets. There was nothing
remarkable in horsemen being abroad at
that hour. Horses were tethered now in
front of the hotel. What was strange
was that they passed within a mile of
Peters bar and didn't stop for drink.
Men who are capable of that neglect of
opportunity and the attendant privilege
of Setting 'em up for all hands could
be nothing less than objects of suspicion.
Two minutes later and somebody said,
''Shut upr' frontierism for "Hushl"
and all ears were turned expectant. No,
there was no sound of brisk, springy
footsteps on the elastic wooden walk.
Already men had noted that quick,
alert, soldierly gait of the new officer.
But "Shut upp was repeated when
audible murmurs were made.
"There's more fellers a-horseback up
yonder. Who in ELLIS out tonight?"
queried the citizen with the keenest
ears. Jimmy, boy, run up there and
scout. I'll give you dime.''
And Jimmy, nothing loath, was off,
swift and noiseless as an arrow. 1t was
time for Loring and "old man Folsom"
to be getting there if they were coming,
and the boy was athrill with excitement
and interest.
Bending low, as he knew the Indians
went on scout, springing along the
plank walk, ha shot like fitting specter
up the street, STOPPING lower and glar-
ing to left and right at the first cross
ing, but seeing nobody. A noiseless run
of third of a mile brought him to
corner where, looking southwark by