The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1901-04-11
CHAPTER I.

n single troop OF cavalry was
threading its way in long column OF
twos through the bold and beautiful
foothills OF the Big Horn. Behind chem,
glinting in the slanting rays, Cloud
peak, snow.clad still, although II was
late In May, lowered above the pine
crested SUBMITS OF the range. To the
right and left of the winding trail bare
shoulders of bluff, covered only by the |
dense carpet of bunch grass, jutted out
into the comparative level Of the east
ward plain. A clear, cold, sparkling
stream, on whose banks the little COM
mand had halted for n noontide rest,
went rollicking away northeastward,
and many n veteran trooper looked
longingly, even rcgretfully, after 1t,
and then cast n gloomy glance over
the barren and desolatc stretch ahead.
Far as the eye could reach In that di-
rection the earth waves henved and
rolled in unrelicycd monotony to the
very sky line. save where here ana
there along the slopes black herds or
scattered dots of buffalo were grazing,
unvexcd by hunters. red or white, for
this was 80 years ago, when, In
countless thousands, the bison covered
the westward prairies, and there were
officers who forbade their senseless
slaughter to make food only for the
worthless, prowling coyotes. No won
der the trooper hated TO leave the foot
hills of the mountains, with the cold,
clear trout streams and the bracing
air, to take to long days marching over
dull waste and treelcss prairie, covered
only by sagcbrush, rent and torn by
dry ravines, shadelcss, springlcss, al
| most watcrlcss, save whero In I'M
wholesome hollows dull pools of stag
nant water still held out against the
sun. or, further still southeast among
the breaks" of the many forks OF the
South Cheyenne, on the sandy Hats
men dug for water for their suffering
horses, yet shrank from drinking II
themselves lest their lips should crack
and bleed through the shriveling touch
of the alkali.
| Barely two years commissioned Of
ficer, the young lieutenant ut the head
of the column rode buoyantly along,
caring little for the landscape, since
with every traverscd mile he found
himself just that much nearer home
Twenty-Five summers, counting this
one coming, had rolled over his curly
head, and each one had seemed bright
cr, happier, than the last-all but the
one he spent as u hard-worked "plcbe'
mt the military academy. His gradua'
ton summer two years previous was
glory TO him, as well as to pretty sis
ter, young and enthusiastic enough to
think n brother in the regulars, just
out of West Point, something to he
made much of, and Jessie Dean had lost
no opportunity of spelling her soldier
or of wearying her school friends
through telling of his manifold perfec-
tions. L'c was manly, stalwart, hand
some fellow, as young graduates go
and old ones wish they might go over
again. lie was n fond and not too teas
ing kind of brother. He wasn't the
brightest fellow in the class by thirty
odd, and had barely scraped through
one or two Of his examinations, but
Jessie proudly pointed to the fact that
much more than half the class had
"scraped of" entirely, and therefore
that those who succeeded in getting
through ut all were paragons, especial
ly Brother Marshall. But girls Mt that
school had brothers OF their own, girls
who had never seen West Point or hat
the cadet fever, and were not i'm
pressed with young officers as painted
by so indulgent a sister. Most OF thu
girls had tired of Jcssie's talks, ant
some had told her SO, but there wal
one who had been sympathetic from
the start-a far western, friendless sor
of pirl she was when first she entered
school, uncouthly dressed, wretchedl,
homesick and anything but compnn
ionable, and yet Jessie Deans kint
heart had warmed to this friendlesl
waif and she became her champion
her ally, and later, much to her genu
inc surprise, almost her idol. IL pres
emily transpired that "the Pappoose,
ms the girls nicknamed her, because u
was learned that she had been rocke'
In an Indian cradle and had long wori
moccasins instead of shoes (Which nc
counted for her feet being SO mucl
finer in their shape than those OF he
fellows), was quick and intelligent be
yond her years, that, though apparent
80, ond nrovokipy ridicule an,
. 49,. % S,'r,nn AZ nnny weeks of he
,a.s,in.ss md home.Ionyinu. she sud
: 49, hsa.n s.,,,,n, An her work will
ar,r, J.,srmination. surnrisinp he
saa.h.rs and amazing her mates b
,h. vim and originality OF her meth
ods and before The end of the Yea
c,,mh;nc Tor the IanreIs with n mentu
STRENGTH ana agility that nut other et
. forts To the blush. Then came weei,