Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-14
TEN YEARS TRIAL
The Story OF a Soldiers Struggle
By Brisadier General Charles King
Copyright l2ol by elar!es King
CHAPTER vI.-(continued.)

CHAPTER Vi Continued
Barely 300 yards away eastward,
across the deep rocky gulch, two men,
,nniied in overcoats and fur caps, had
sust alighted from buggy. One,
standing at the horses head, nodded
approximately.
Hear that, major?" he asked. '"They
have not lost their senses anyhow. I'll
join you quick as l have b!anketed and
tethercd the horse"
Silently the other bowed and, still
Standing at the edge of the lit:le patch
OF frs that crowned the height, took
ffoGl his pocket small binocular, care
fully studied the groups across the
sulch TO the west and then swept the
Tine of the Seattle across the Red Wa.
ter. Those OH level with himself were
in black silhouette against tie pallldi
western sky; those down across the
Fed Water We're bit dianly visible, Tor
the sun was now behind bank Of
cloud at the horizon, and it was nearly
5 o'clock. Voices and ,jeers rising from
the foot OF the bluff where ran the line
OF the Big Horn told that many men
were still there, but they could not be
distinSuisilel Oiservant OF his duty.
Melville had notified the sheriff Of the
new complication, and together they
had driven out CT Brentwood by a
northeastern road until we'll away from
Eown and thea, taking the first turn to
the o&&:: lad swept round oyer the
hard, smooth prairie highways and had
finally come down along the east bank
Of Che brook Wei out of sight ofNthe
strikers at the bridge, reaching their
lockout III good time and without de-
tecticn. Further tidings had come be-
gore their start to the effect that Mr..
Ghanning. the energetic manager, was
aboard the train bearing the militia
boys This could only mean that the
situation to the east of the Missouri
was now SO far improved that the keen
est officials We're giving their main eff
fort to TIE west Even before the ma.
Jor had completed his calm. methodical
sliwey of the situation he was rejoined
by the sheriff 1t was then so near
darkness that the stars were peeping
In the eastward sky. and over across
the rushing Red Water the glow of Il
little fire started by some of the Seattle
crowd lighted the rocky face of the
railway cut and threw a CLEAN upon
the waters
And still no sign of the expected
train. "Feelin her way" said the
sheriff. "Dasn't take any chances.''
A spike or two withdrawn. tishplate
removed Oh any one of the half dozen
sharp curves along the gorge, would
shoot the engine over the bank and in
to the boiling waters, with car after
car pitching atop of it. "Reckon twill
be another hour before it gets here
concluded he
Melville nade no reply. He was
watching n little light swinging like
the lantern of a trainhand over on the
southern shore and high up on q pro-
jecting point half mile to the south
east. A moment earlier no light was
there. Now it was swinging like
pendulum FREELY swiftly to and fro
There was instant excitement among
the strikers across the Red Water and
over against them where the Big Horn
leaders seemed to have gathered
Comm sure as death!' whispered the
sheriff, and together he and the major
Strobe swiftly to the edge of the cliff
overlooking the single track at it's
base
Away down the Red Water faint
rumble and the pant of laboring en-
CINE could just be heard above the rush
of the stream and presently the edge
of a glowing disk came steadily into
View: then the full glare of headlight,
which pointed an instant or two to-
ward the opposite shore, swung across
the seething rapids, dived into and I'M
der the bluff on the north side and dis
appeared from view. Behind it, snake
like, trailed the dim line of glowworm
lights of the troop cars, and then they,
too. were swallowed up in darkness.
Runnin keerful," muttered the sher-
iii. They know 'naf not to come head
OH ard ft-ll speed. She'll pull up some
where down here and send forward to
smell the l':'idge.'
In silence and suspense they waited.
All voices were hushed along the rocky
banks. For a few minutes even the
painting Of the engine could not be