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

But the quartermaster said he'd
tried IL with those very mules, between
Emory and Medicine Bow n dozen
times, and he'd risk it. The driver
could get of his scat II he wanted TO.
and run alongside, but he'd stay where
he was.
LET me out, please" said the en-
sineer, and jumped to the ground,
and then the cavalcadc pushed on
again. The driver, ns ordered by an
employer whom he dare not disobey,
let the reins drop on the mules backs,
the troopers falling behind, the
yellow ambulance and the big baggage
wagon bringing up the rear.
Then, with n horseman on each side,
the mules were persuaded to push on
again, and then when fairly started
.Burleigh called to the troopers to fall
back, so that the mules should not, as
he expressed IL, "bc influenced" ""Leavc
them to Themselves and they can get
along nll right" said he. "but mix
them up with the horses, and they
want them to take all the RESPONSE
bility."
And now the command was barely
crawling. Brooks, heavy, languid with
splitting headache, lay in fcverish tor
por In his ambulance, asking only to be
let alone. The engineer, q subaltern as
yet, felt that he had no right attempt
ing to advise men like Burleigh, who
proclaimed himself IN old campaigncr.
The aid-de-camp was getting both
sleepy anG impatient, but he, too, was
much the quartermaster's junior In
rank. AS for Dean. he had no volition
whatever. "Escort the party" were his
orders, and that meant that he must
govern the movements Of his horses and
men by the wishes Of the senior staff Of
fetal. And SO they logged along per-
haps 20 minutes more, and then
there was sudden splutter and plunge
and stumble ahead, "a sharp pull on the
traces, a marvelously quick jerk back
ON the reins that threw the wheel team
on their launches, and thereby saved
the 'outiit," for when men and matches
were hurried to the front the lead mules
were discovered kicking and splashing
In q mud hole. They were not only OFF
the road by dozen yards, but over n
Dnnk TWO feet nlSn.
And this last pound broke the beck
Of Burleigh's obstinacy. 1t was nearly
midnight anyway. The best thing to
be done was to unhitch, unsaddlc and
bivouac until the gray light OF dawn
came peering over the eastward prai-
rie, which in that high latitude and
''long-day" month would soon be after
three. Then they could push on To
Reno.
Not until nearly eight o'clock in the
morning, therefore, did they heave in
sight OF the low belt of dingy green
that told of the presence OF stream
still long miles away; and here, know
ing himself to be out Of danger, the
major bade the weary escort march In
at walk while he hurried on. In Is
minutes the blnck-hooded wagon was
twisting and turning over the powdery
road good mile ahead, its dust rising
nigh over the sage-covered desert, while
the other two, with the dust-begrimed
troopers, logged sturdily on. Loring,
the young engineer, had waved cor
dial good-by to his old cadet acquaint-
ance. "See you later, old man." he
cried. Stone, the aid-decamp, nodded
and said: "Take care of yourself" and
Burleigh said nothing at all. lie was
Loring In case that gifted young gradu-
ate were moved to tell what the quar-
termaster actually did when he heard
the rush and firing out at the front on
the road from Warrior Gap.
But when Mt last the black wagon
.ibowled In ut the stockaded quadrangle
and discharged its occupants Mt the
hut of the major commanding, there
were tidings OF such import to greet
them thst Burleigh turned yellow
white again at thought of the perils
they had escaped.
my God, mani" cried the post COM
mander, a. he came hurrying out to
meet the party. 'we'vc been In u blue
funk about you fellows for two whole
days. Did you see any Indians?"
"See any Indians!" said Burleigh, raj
lying 20 the occasion, as became 4
man who knew how to grasp an oppor-
tunity. 1--WE stood of the whole Sioux
nation over toward Crazy Woman's
fork. There we're enough to cover the
country. red and black, for a dozen
miles. We sighted them yesterday
about four o'clock, and there were
enough around US to eat us alive, but
We Just threw out sklrmish lines and
nsached steadily ahead, SO they
thought best not to bother us. They're
shy of our breech -loaders, damn 'em!
That's all that kept them at respectful
distance"
The majors face a. he listened took
on . puzzled, perturbed look. He did
mot wish TO say anything that might
reflect on the opinions Of so influential
a man - the depot quartermaster at
gate City, but II was plain that there
swas o train of thought rumbling
through his mind that would collide
with Burleigk's column Of events unless
he were spared the need Of answering
questions. "Let me tell you h-.eiy
what's happened" he .aid. "Red
Cloud and his whole band are out on
tho warpath. They killed two couriers,
half-breeds, I sent out TO And Thorn
tons troop that was scouting the Dry
Fork. The man We sent 70 find you
and give you warning hssat got back
st all. We've had double sentries for
three days and nights. The only souls
20 get in from the northwest since our
fellows were run back last night are
old Folsom and Baptiste. Folsom had
talk with Red Cloud and tried TO In
dIce him 10 turn back. He's beset with
the idea that the old villain is plotting
sgenersl mass~cre along the Big Horn.
He looks like q ghost. He says II we
had 5000. soldiers up there there'd