The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1901-03-28

,nussie. .ioadIng rides snd old drsyoon
hope-pissels 'hssped before him. "Got
hcop bsttcr," was his comment, Ind
nothing but brand new breech-
lcaders would serve his purpose.
Promise them and he'd see what could
be done 20 restrain his young men.
hut they were pretty mad" he said.
and Couldn't be relied upon TO keep
the peace unless sure Of getting better
arms md ammunition to help them
break IL next time. II was only tenn
porizing. 1t was only encouraging the
veteran war chief In his visions Of pow
er and control. The commissioners
came back beaining. Every thing satis-
factori,y arranged. Red Cloud and his
people are only out for u ihg hunt"
But officers whose wives and children
prayed fearfully ut night within the
pany wooden stockndes, nd listened
trembling to the howls and tom-toms
Of the dancing Indians around the
council fires in the neighbo-'ng valleys,
wishcd 90 heaven they had left those
dear ones In safety nj their eastern
homes wished to heaven they could
send them thither now, but well knew
that IL was too late. Only an single
spies, riding by night, hitting by day,
were couriers able to get through
from the Big Horn 20 the Platte. or
scouts and soldiers sent nj different
times since the middle Of May. seven
were missing, and never, except
through vague boastngs Of the In
lians, were heard of ngain.
at is trenchcrous truce, 1 tell you,"
said Folsom, with grave, anxious face,
TO the colonel commanding Fort En-
ory. 81 have known Red Cloud 30
years. He's only waiting few weeks
10 sec 10 the government will be fool
enough TO send thcEi brcech-loaders.
IL IL does, he'll be all the better able
to fight n little later ON. II 10 doesn't
he will make it his casus belli."
IL was nearly 400 miles by the wind
ing mountain road from Gate City TO
Warrior Gap. Over hill ..:,'i dale and
mountain puss the road ran TO Frayne,
thence. fording the North Platte, the
wagon trains, heavily guarded. had 20
drag over miles of drcnry desert, over
shadeless slopes and divides TO the dry
wash of the Powder, and by roads
deep in nlkali dust and sage brush TO
! Cantonment Reno, where far to the
west the grand range loomcd up
against the sky--another long days
march away to the nearest foothills
20 the nearest drinkable water, and
/ then, 40 miles further still, in the heart
OF the grand pinc-covered heights, was
the rock-bound gateway TO a lovely
park region within, called by the
Sioux some wild combination of nj
most tunpronounccable syllables, which
freely translated. gave us Warrior
Gap, and there at last accounts
strengthened by dctachments from
Frayne and Reno. the little command
Of fort builders worked away, az In
hand, rifle ut hand, subjected every
hour to alarm from the yedettes and
pickets posted thiclkly all about them
pickets who were sometimes found
stone dead Mt their posts, transflXed
with arrows. scalped and mutilntcd
and yet not once had Indians In any
force been seen by officers or mar
about the spot since the day Rec
Clouds whole array passed Brooks
troop on the Reno trail, pcaceably
hunting buffalo. "An' divil n sowl In
the outfit" said old Sergt. Shaughnes
sy. shat hadn't his tongue in hi,
check"
For three months that hard-worket
troop had been afield, and the tim'
had passed and gone when its young
first lieutenant had hoped for leav,
to go home TO see the mother and Jess
His captain was still ailing and unfit
for duty in saddle. lie could not ant
would not ask for leave at such ;
time, and yet at the very moment wher
he was most earnestly and faithful,
doing his whole auty Mt the front
slandcr was busy with his name long
miles ut the rear.
something was amiss with Burleigh
said his cronies at Gate City. lie hat
come hurrying back from the hills
had spent II day in his Office and not ,
cent ut the club, had taken the nigh
express unbeknown to anybody bu
his chief clerk, and gone hurryine
eastward. 1t was n time when hi
services were needed ut the depot, too
Supplies, stores, all manner of ma
tcrial were being freighted from Gait
City over the range to the Platte ant
beyond, yet he had wired for authorit!
to hasten to Chicago on urgent per
sonnl affairs, got IL and disappeared
Ayoung regimentnl quartermastcr wa
ordered In from Emory to take charge
Of shipments and sign invoices during
Hurleigh's temporary absence, and thu
cnly other officer whom Burleigh hat
seen and talked with before his star
was the venerable post commander
One after another the few cavalry
troops (companies) on duty Mt Emory
had been sent atleld until now only
one was left, and three days after Bur
leigh started there came dispatch
from department headquarters direct
ing the sending of that one to Frayn'
at once. Capt. Brooks troop, owing
to the continued illness Of it's com
mnnder, would be temporarily with
drawn and sent back to Emory TO re
place It..
Marshall Dean did not know whether
TO be glad or sorry. Soldier from toI
to toe, he was kcenly enjoying the
command Of his troop. He gloried In
mountain scouting, and was In his ele
ment when astride n spirited horse
Then, too, the air was throbbing with
rumors OF Indian depredutions along
the northward trails, and everything
pointed to serious outbreak any mo
ment, and when Il came he longed te
be ON hand to take his share and win