The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1901-01-05

CHAPTER lN.-tONTINUED.
But the quartermaster said he'd
tried il with those very mules, between
Emory and Medicine Bow a dozen
times, and he'd risk it. The driver
could get off his seat II he wanted to,
and run alongside, but he'd stay where
he was.
"Let me out, please" said the en-
gineer, and jumped to the ground,
and then the cavalcade pushed on
again. The driver, as ordered by nm
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, "be influenced" Leave
them to themselves and they can get
along all right" said he, but mix
them up with the horses, and they
want them TO take oil the RESPONSE
bility."
And now the COMMANDMENT tor
crawling. Broolsoe, asking only to be
splittisss''fie engineer, a subaltern as
yet, felt that he had no right attempt
ing to advise men like Burleigh, who
proclaimed himself an old campaigner.
The aid-de-camp was getting both
sleepy and 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, sharp pull on the
traces, marvelously quick jerk back
on the reins that threw the wheel team
on their launches, and thereby saved |
the outfit" for when men and matches |
were hurried TO the front the lead mules |
were discovered kicking and splashing |
In mud hole. They were not only Oft |
the road by dozen yards, but over a |
bank two feet high.
And this last pound broke the back
of Burleighs obstinacy. 1t was nearly
midnight anyway. The best thing to
be done was to unhitch, unsaddle 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
therefore, did they heaye 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 10 be out OF danger. the
major bade the weary escort march i'm
nj a walk while he hurried on. In IS
minutes the black-hooded wagon was
twisting and turning over the powdery
road good mile ahead, its dust rising
nigh ovcr the sage-covered desert, while
he other two, with the dust-begrimed
troopers, logged sturdily on. Loring,
he young engineer, had waved cor
iial good-by to his old cadet acquaint-
'ncc. "Scc you later, old man." he
'ried. Stone, the aid-dccamp, nodded
md said: TAKE care Of yourself" and
,urleigh said nothing at all. lie was {
what he could do TO muzzle
.oring In case that gifted young gradu.
tie were moved TO tell what the quar-
crmaster actually did when he heard /
he rush and firing out at the front on
he road from Warrior Gap. Ia
But when NJ last the black wagon !
'owled in az the stocltaded quadrangle {
nd discharged its occupants al the
mt OF the major commanding, there /
'ere tidings OF such import TO greet
hem that Durlcigh turned yellow 4
rhite again az thought OF the perIlS /
hey had escaped. IN