Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-11-05


| to the final escapade of Pete and Cra-
| paud, but these had realized their un-
popularity after the battle on the
Elk, and had departed for other
climes. Crapaud was still under
guard. Pete was still at large, per-
chance, with Stabber's braves. There
was not another man about the ira
dcr's place whom Flint or others
| could suspect. Yet the sergeant of
the guard, searching cautiously with
his lantern about the post of Number
Six, had come upon some suggestive
signs. The snow was trampled and
bloody about the place where the
| soldier fell, and there were here and
there the tracks of moccasined feet
those of a young woman or child GO
ing at speed toward the hospital, run
ming probably, and followed close by
| moccasincd man. Then those of the
man, alone, went sprinting down the
bluff southeastward over the flats
some distance south of the Fosters
doorway and up the opposite bluff, to
point where four ponies, shoeless,
had been huddled for as much, per-
haps, as half an hour. Then all four
had come scampering down close to-
gether into the space below the hos
pital, not 80 yards from where the
sentry fell, and the moccasined feet
of man and woman had scurried
down the bluff from the hospital win
dow, to meet them west of Fosters
shanty. Then there had been confu-
sion-trouble of some kind: One
pony, pursued a short distance, had
broken away; the others had gone
pounding out southeastward up the
slope and out over the uplands.
then down again; in wide sweep,
through the valley of the little rivu-
let and along the low bench south
west of the fort, crossing the Rock
Springs road and striking, further on.
diagonalIy, the Rawlins trail, where
Crabb and his fellows had found it
and followed.
But all this took hours of time,
and meanwhile, only half revived, Ma
nette had been gently, pityingly
borne away to a sorrowing woman's
home, for at last it was found,
through the thick and lustrous hair.
that she, too, had been struck a
harsh and cruel blow; that one rea-
son. probably, why she had been able
to oppose no stouter resistance to so
slender girl as Esther Dade was
that she was already half dazed
through the stroke of some blunt,
heavy weapon, welded probably by
him she was rislling all to save.
Meantime the major had been pur-
suing his Investigations. Schmidt, the
soldier sentry in front of Moreau's
door, supplemented Teuton of ire
proachable character, tearfuly pro-
tested against his incarceration. He
had obeyed his orders to the letter.
The major himself had brought the
lady to the hospital and showed her
in. The door that had been open,
permitting the sentry constant sight
of the prisoner, had been closed by
the commanding officer himself |
therefore, it was not for him, a pri- |
vate soldier, to presume to reopen it. |
The major said to the lady he would |
return for her soon after ten, and |
the lady smilingly (Schmidt did not |
say how smilingly-how bewitching- |
~ smilingly, but the major needed |
no reminder) thanked him, and said, |
by that time she would be ready. In |
a few minutes she came out, saving |
doubtless with the same bewitcbinp |
smile) she would have to run over |
home for something, and she was
gone nearly half an hour. and all that |
time the door was open, the prisoner
on the bed in his blankets. the lamp
burning. 1t was near tattoo
when she returned, with some things
under her cloak, and she was breath
ing quick and seemed hurried and
shut the door after thanking him,
ana he saw no more of her for Is
when the door opened and
out she came, the same cloak around
her, yet she looked different, some
low, and must have tiptoed, for he
ildn't hear her heels as he had be-
ore. She didn't seem quite so tall,
either, and that was all, for he never
fnew anything more about it till the
steward came running to tell of the
escape.
So Schmidt could throw but little
ight upon the situation. save to
clint himself, who did not then see
II to say to anyone that at no time
vas it covenanted that Miss Flower
mould be allowed to go and come
Unattended. In doing so she had de-
uded some one beside the sentry.
1t was late in the night when Num-
'er Six regained his senses and could
ell his tale, which was even more
Quite early in the even
ng, so he said-as early as nine
'clock-he was under the hospital
orner, listening to the music further
p along the bluff. a lady came from
he south of the building as though
he were going down to Sudstown. ,
lrs. Foster had gone down not long
efore, and Hogan, with lantern,
nd two officers ladies'. But this one ;
anne all alone and spoke to him '
leasant-like and said she was so