The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1902-03-20

tracks, each would have scorned to
take an unfair advantage, to be guilty
of foul. Round after round, with all
memory of their former comradeship
forgotten, with no thought save the
mad ones of a jealous rivalry, they
struggled together. There was little
difference in their weights, but Healy
was the wirier, and neither mans
wind was as good as in the days of
early campaigns. So it happened that
after half an hours fierce fighting,
when both were bloody and both more
full of wrath than ever, they fell to-
gether and rolled in the trampled snow
too blown to spring up. Healy had the
upper hold, and he cried in Fin Straits
ear:
"Tek it back-about the kiss! TEX it
back an swear yell Fave the wildly
bew
Fin gasped sturdy, fierce defiance,
and Healy's hand was raised over him
when there came family thrilling over
the snow the first clear note Of a bugle.
Healy's hand dropped harmlessly, and
he raised his head and pricked his ears
like a dog at the call of the master.
More loudly rang the bugle, and sud-
denly the rivals were apart, sitting in
the snow listening intently Clear and
shrill at last, loud, commanding, blood
burning, out sang the bugle boldly, so
that the cold air thrilled through the
rottonwoods and every living thing on
the plain stood still to listen. Ere the
trumpeter was half through with the
call the disciplined soldiers were on
their feet, as they would have strug-
gled to their feet at that call if a
sword had passed through the body of
each. All love and jealousy and hate
must wait when thus the trumpets
call.
"'Tis boots and saddles" cried Fin,
'and me not at the stablesv'
With that each seized his coat, and,
all regardless of their bruised faces
and blood stained shirts, they ran
swiftly to the post. There were rush
ing of men to the corrals, the sharp
commands Of officers, the click of re-
volvers as they were hastily loaded,
saddling of horses, curses of men be-
lated, hasty issuing of ammunition
and at last the cool, clear voice Of the
captain of the troop:
prepare to mount! Mount! Form
ranksv'
The corporal and the farrier were in
their accustomed places, breathing
hard, flushed and bloody, but ready
ready as any lance corporal there, the
pride of a first sergeant's heart. Then
whisper passed from man to man
down the line of horsemen:
'There's an outbreak on the Snake
river reserve. They've killed the agent,
and the reds have massacred a ranch
man and his family
The moon had disappeared. Great
gray clouds had been blown up by the
gathering wind, and once more the
snow fell, but now more fiercely, more
heavily, than ever BEFORE Through it
the little blue coated column proceeded
at determined trot to.the place, some
twenty miles away, where the uprisen
Indians were supposed to be gathered
together. A plainsman who had
brought the news Of the massacre and
the regular government scout attached
to the post led the way. AS ranking
corporal Healy rode on the right of
the first set of tours. The farrier was
back in the column, so that for a time
the rivals were effectually separated.
But this midnight expedition. although
it thrilled the hearts of younger men,
troubled the minds of the two veterans
little. They rode on as a matter of
duty, just as they would, if ordered,
have gone through the manual Of arms.
The unfinished fight had left them
with heated brains too full Of jealousy
and disappointment and hate to do
more than brood over the fancied
treachery of each. Gone now were all
memories of stirrup to stirrup charges,
of friendly frolics, Of pains and pleas
ures shared together. True comrades
once, they were bitter foes now.
Faster and faster the snow drove in
their faces; deeper and deeper it lay on
the trail, to be scattered high by the
laboring feet of the horses. To right
and to left, one yard away from the
column, nothing could be distinguish
ed. A trooper could but family see
the man in front of him. Only the
half breed guide and the trained plains
man could devise an unerring path
through that storm. In their hands
the captain had to leave his troop and
himself. There was no pause, for re-
venge on the tribe must be swift to be
sure. At every clearer space, where
the freezing wind had swept the trail
clean Of drifts, the guide turned to the
captain, and he raised his hand, press
ing his knees to his horse. when at
once the troop broke into a gallop with
jingling of bride and clash of steel
and thunder of boots. So they rode,
each man grimly silent, swiftly
through the night and the storm.
They reached the place before day
light, seeing nothing before them, but
all at once they heard the yapping of
dogs and the shrill voices of squaws
and the chant and yells Of blood fren-
zied savages. In the fancied security
-