Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-03-21

CHAPTER n,

49,. Sc
'Vsssrasht, 1881. by Robert Bsnsc,.
Sc@osees.
CHAPTER r,
y $ after the war between the North
a'a soath Il great many l.aople from the
Doraer' states went to the Ear West. III
inc majority of cases their leaving hom.
Nus que to the party bitterness which in
virginia Kentucky and Mia. uuri broke
up FAMILIES aud arrayed ~neighbors
against each other. Victora and van
pushed felt equally uneasy, and, as has
neen sa.N many OF them aed to new
lahas, " aere. like their pioneer forcfatli-
ers. 'Ley hoped to establish homes for
themselves aud children.
At that time the Indians OIL tho great
Misunderstanding from British America
to the Gulf Of Mexico--were on the war
path, n the troops il all the frontier
posts were engaged IL. a service more
narassing and dangerous than that of the
SAD conflict In which bsothers faced each
otner to battle for principles that each
fe!1 to BIO right.
Oiver Grcyson was. in 1861. fifty
years OF age; he was still! a powerful
1aaH' wtth n quiet. i%csolutc manner. am!
a lonk OF strength Ii. his face tha. had
oeeI intensified by ar iinportan, position
0Grlng -four years of conflict. He com.
manded a cavalry regiment. aud his son,
young man of Fl. had all equally impor-
sant on tile side Of the South.
II mad been the fate of father and son
70 confront each other Oh the terrible
neid or Chickamauga-a name that in the
language of the C%herokees means "the
river of blood" and here Col. Ledhetter
Gfeyson, the son. was reported Killed.
From that day on, Oliver Greyson, the
father, was a changed man. He did his
duty, bu the light OF his life seemed
TO have been ~eXtinguished. He had been
conspicuous for his daring: now he be-
came absolutely reckless. There was IL
general belief among his men that he
did not wish to survive his son. He ell
tered the army as Col. Greyson, in COM
mand of eleven hundred sabers; he came
home as Gen. Greyson ut the close of
the war, and the sabers OF the old reci-
ineht numbered ninety-seven.
Gen. Greyson had been a well-to-do.
planter. He was respected by friend
and foe, and he might have remained in
mis- old home and prcspered had not the
spirit OF unrest come on him, and led
w ~ " IL y Ill COIlDnI1I1YHlV
an, unknown land.
Ills family consisted Of his wirc--u
most estimablc lady-bis daughter. .Jen-
ME, aged ~, and an adopted daughter.
Mabel Fleming. now %, who had been
engaged to the dead son, Ledbetter.
Mabel Fleming had been wooed by
Charles Nodine, who had been a captain
in Gen. Grcyson's regiment, but without
success. He Was a man of no principle
and was many years Mabel's senior.
When he got his first answer in 1865 he
went West, and it was reported that he
had followed out his natural %inclinations
n become a gambler and desperado.
Mrs. Greyson was not in favor of leav-
ing the old home, bur. like a good wife.
she yielded to the wishes of the general
when she found that he was determined
to go to the far West.
Whenever immigrant trains were not
sytrpng enough to protect themselves
tfo Ups We're furnished by the govern
ment, for their defense in crossing the
plains. Gen. Hancock, then stationed Mt
Fort Leavenworth, offered an escort to
Gen. Greyson's party. but that gentle
man, confident Of his own strength,
politely refused it.
The immigrant train consisted of ten
wagons. There were. eight families, with
seventeen well-mounted, well-armed mon.
all bound for the Yellowstone region. or
the head waters of the Missouri; the ac-
tual destination was uncertain. Gen.
Greyson was elected the leader, and mt
Fort Wallace, near the Colorado line. a
named Robert Whitman, who had
been a government scout, was engaged
to guide the party to the upper Missouri.
This man, Whitman, was under 30.
tall, strong, heavily bearded, and the
bare part Of his face was SO burned,
SCARED and powder-marked as to make
1t 'repulsive at the first glance. He was
q very quiet man. with u low, sad voice.
and an distracted manner. He spoke
but little, yet from the first he showed
Q great desire to join the party.
Despite his Disagreement, Whitman
soon became n favoritc with the women,
the children and the dogs. He was a
most thoughtful man, and when he smil-
ed, which was not often. a real beauty.
like a soul-light, flushed his face and
made It captivating.
The only family not Americans in the
train was that Of Lawrence Costello. an
lrishman, and n Of the wittiest and
most genial fellows in the world. He
had two sons. twins, and just of age:
and these fine. strapping fellows. as. day
b. day of dreary march passed without :
incident to break It's monotony. pre-
tended to be indignant with their guide. /
"Where are the savages that shonid
oppose us?" Ned Costillo would ask.
@tAnd where are the herds OF buffalo."
Nike would inquire.
'-Therc are plenty Of both, would be
tie guides response. '.Where the buffalo
ere. there will be tile Indians; let 10 pray
1hat We mag see neither. tin we strike
% lucky as not to see
WI the. rested in