The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1901-03-21
CHAPTER uL--CoxrrNuEp.
Copyright. 1907. by r Tennyson keely.l

not until late the next evening did the
Rrays reach the lonely post. Not n
sipn of hostile Indian had been seen
or heard, said the officer in command. |
Small bands of hunters were out to- |
ward Pumpkin Butte two days before. |
Yes, Ogallnllas--nnd scouting par |
". working down the valley OF the |
Powder, had met no band at all, though |
trails were numerous. They were now
latrolling toward the Dig Horn. Per-
hnps there'd be n courier in tomorrow.
Better get n good nights rest mean
time, he said. But all the same he
doubled his guards and ordered extra
vigilance, for all men knew John Fol-
som, and when Folsom was anxious
on the Indian question IL was time to
look alive. Dnybreak came without n
sign, but Folsom could not rest. The
grays had no authority to go beyond
Reno, hut such was his anxiety that IL
was decided TO hold the troop at the
cantonment for day or two. Mean
time, despite his years, Folsom decided
10 push on for the Gap. All efforts to
dissuade him were In vain. With him
rode Baptiste, n half-breed French
man, whose mother was an Ogallalla
squnw, and "Bat" had served him many
n year. Their cnntecns were filled,
their saddle-pouches packed. They led
nlong an extra mule, with camp equip
ale, and shook hands gravely with the
officers ere they rode away. "All de-
pends," said Folsom, ION whether Red
Cloud Is hereabouts In person. IL he
Is and I can get his ear can probably
stave of trouble long enough to get
those people ut the Gap back to Kear-
ney, or over here. They're goners II
they attempt to stay there and build
that post. II you don't have word
from us in two days, send for all the
troops the government can raise. 1t
will take every mothers son they've
got to whip the Sioux when once
they're leagued together"
"But our men have the new breech-
leaders now, Mr.. Folsom" said the
officers. "The Indians have only old
percussion-cap riileG, and not too many
of them"
"But there nrc 90 warriors 10 every
soldier" was the answer, "nnd all are
fighting men,"
They watched the pair until they
disappeared far 10 the west. All day
long the lookouts searched the horizon.
All that night the sentries listened for
hoofbeats on the BoZeman road, but
only the weird chorus of the coyotes
woke the echoes of the dark prairie.
Dawn of the second day came, and, un-
able to bear suspense, the major sent
n little party, mounted on their fleet
est horses, to scour the prairie Mt least
halfway 10 the foothills of the Big
Horn, and just Mt nightfah they came
back-threc at least-galloping like
mad, their mounts n mass Of foam
Folsom's dread was well founded. Red
Cloud. with heaven only knows how
many warriors, had camped on Crazy
Woman's Fork within the past three
days, and gone on up stream. He
might have met and fought ahe troops
sent out three days before. He must
have met the troops dispatched &c
Warrior Gap.
And this last, nj least, he had done
For few seconds after the faA of the
buffalo bull, the watchers on the dis
tant ridge lay still, except that Dean
turning slightly, called to the orderly
trumpeter, who had come trotting out
after the troop commander, and was
now halted and afoot some 20 yards
down the slope. "Go hack, Bryan II.
ordered. "IIalt the ambnlances. Mott
fy Capt. Brooks that there nrc lots o,
Indians ahead. and have the sergeant
deploy the men mt once." Then HI
turned back and with his field glass
stuilied the party along the ravinc.
"They can't have seen us, can they
lieutenant?" muttered the trooper
nearest him.
But Deans young face was grave
and clouded. Certainly the Indian'
acted as though they were totally un
aware of the presence OF troops, bu
the more he thought the more HI
knew that no big body Of Sioux woult
be travelling across country at so crit
ical n time Country, too, that wal
conquered as this was from their enc
mics, the Crows), without vigilan'
scouts afar out on front and flank
The more he thought the more III
knew that even as early as three
o'clock those keen-eyed fellows mus
have sighted his little column, con
spicuous MS Il was because of It's wag
ons. Beyond question. he told him
self, the chief of the band or villag,
SO steadily approaching from th'
northeast had full information Of thei
presence, and was coming contidentl,
ahead. What had he to fear? Ever
though the blood Of settlers and sol
diers might still be red upon the hand
Of his braves, even though fresh scalp
might be dangling Mt this momen
from their shields, what mattered II
Did he not know that the safeguard o
The Indian bureau spread like the VIM
of protecting angel over him and hi
people, forbldding troops to molest o
open fire unless they themselves wer
attacked? Did he not laugh In hi
ragged shirt sleeve ut the policy OF tn
white fool who would permit the re,
enemy to ride boldly up to his soldiers
count their numbers, inspect their ar
ray, satisfy himself M to their arma
ment and readiness, then calculate tn
chances, and, II he thought the fore
too strong, ride ON his way with onl
n significant gesture IN parting In
suit? II, on the contrary, he found !
weak, then he could turn loose hi
braves, surround, massacre and scalI
and swear before the commissioner
sent out to investigate next moon tina
he and his people knew nothing abou
Q matter--nothing, Mt least, tina
~ could be induced to tell.
ONE moment more Dean watched an