The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1901-07-18

west. The days mnroh had been long |
and tediouo, as only cavalry marches
aSc when long wagon trains have 20
be escorted. Dean had not yet fully
recovered strength, but anxiety lent
him energy.
."If Mr.. Folsom says there In need
Of cavalry guard at the Laramie, u |
is because he breads another Indian |
Visit, colonel. I have nine men In |
good shape. Our horses arc fresh. or |
will be after few hours rest. Nay
I push on to.night7"
And TO the young soldiers surprise
the elder placed q trembling hand
upon Ills shoulder and looked him
earnestly into the eyes. Dean, my
boy, it's my belief you cannot start
too soon. do you know who IL
eve heard the story" said Mar
shall, briefly. "She must have been
lowering about there for some time"
eyes, and now her people know 10,
and II will rckindie their hatred. The
moment I heard Of this I sent old
hat 70 watch the crossing at La
Bontc. Not an hour ago this came In
by the hand OF his boy" and the
colonel held out a scrap Of paper.
IL was q rude Photograph, q rough
sketch, map-like, of q winding river
another and smaller one separated
} from the first by chain Of noun.
: tains. The larger one was decorated
by a hag-polc with stars and stripes
. Mt the top and figure with muskct
and bayonet at the bottom. The
: smaller one by q little house, with
smoke issuing from thc chimney, and
q woman. beside u. Above all, its
!. head over the mountains pointing TO.
: ward the house, Its tail extending
. north Of the bigger stream, was q
comet---the totem" or sign Of the
z Ogaiialia lover of Lizctte. The story
J, was told Mt a glance. Burning Star
was already south Of the Platte and
. lurking In the mountains near Fol.
|" SONS ranch.
That night townrd ten o'clock. nm
anxious council wns held. Halbert
i Folsom, fcvered by his severe wound,
y was lying half-unconscious on his bed,
e his unhappy wife wandering aimlessly
q about at times, wringing her hands
g and weeping. evidently unbalanced by
70 the terrors that had beset her OF
+ late and the tidings OF that awful
v Indian revenge along the Big Horn
e Silent, helpful, almost commanding
r Elinor spent the hours sometimes nj
4 her brothers. bedside, then nt that
q, OF her sistcr-in-lnw when the poor
d creature could be induced to lie still
e n moment. The burly little son and
., heir. long since sound asleep In his
II cradle, was watched over by Jessie
whose heart fiuttcrcd In dread sh,
y: care not say of what. Twice that
afternoon she had seen whispered con
y fcrcnccs between old Folsom and Ian
" nion. She knew that for some bet
!" ter reason than that he was over
persuaded by Pappoosc. Mr.. Folsom
It had not carried out his project o
st sending them back to Gate City. She
'e saw that he made frequent visits it
% the cellar and hnd changed the hr
I rnngcment Of the air ports. She
II noted that the few ranch hands hunf
about the premises all day. theil
r. rifles ever within reach, aud tbn
often Mr.. Folsom tool, the glnsses ant
IN searched the road to Frnyne. She saw
e. that earth was being heaped up n
nj places npninst the ranch where th,
Or walls were thin or made OF boarding
Dr. She saw that water and provision
Z. were being stored IN the cellar, nn,
n she knew that Il could all mean onl,
,r one thing--that the Indians wcr
agnin in force In the neighborhood
a. and that an Indian siege was immi
III ncnt.
is And all this time Pnproose, thougl
very brave. was so still and 30 inten
er upon her duties. Even when suppc
:. was served for the ranch people In tn
d, kitchen that evening. ms the sun wen
st down, Jess noted that two Of tn
10 men kept constantly In saddle, rid
I'D ing round the buildings and nnyiousl
il. scanning the open prairie on ever.
! side. There were only six men al
Irss told now. including Folsom (of cours
or not counting Hal, who was defense
rt lcss), altogether too small nunbc
ke TO successfully protect 80 large kno
~ Of buildings against nm insidious an
OF powerful foe.
u Darkness settled down upon the VA
zy lev. and. though calm and collected
ah Folsom seemed oppressed by the dccI
u; est anxiety. Every now and then h
r. would step forth into the night an
make n circuit OF the buildings, e>
Il. change n word In low tone with som
nd invisible guardian, for, heavily armct
~ the employees were gathered ut III
IT. main building, and the wife and chi
Gee drcn OF the chief hcrdsman were al
Iot signed to n room under Its roof. PA
y, ticularly did Folsom pet and encourng Z
ht the dogs. two OF them splendid mnstiil
a., az In whom Hal took unusual pride. The
lt, he would return TO his sons bedsid
..at bend anxiously over him and lay lo'
ey ing hand on Pappoosc's lustrous hal
en- II must have been ten o'clock and
en night wind was rising, making the o,
nt casional cry of the coyotes even MOI
Is weird and querulous, when they hear
Ar. the sudden, fierce challenge of TrooI
"a er. the kcenest, finest OF the mnstif
70 and instantly his bark was echoed b
IA the rush and scurry of every canine q
op the place. The men ON the pore
ro sprang 10 their feet and Folsol
hnstened out TO join them. The dog
ng had charged In the darkness towar
?? the northeast, and somewhere out
that direction were now all furiousl
all barking. Aloft the skies were heavil
we cloudcd. The moon was banked an
nc not glimmer of light shone on cart
or heaven. Suddenly, afar out over n
es- prairie, beyond where the dogs wei
Inc challenging, there wns heard the soun