The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-12-30

tant posts in Kansas other troops to
occupy the vacant quarters and strive
to feel at home in strange surround
ings.
A man of austere mold was the new
major--one of the old Covenanter
type, who would march to battle
shouting hymn tunes, and to Christ
mas and Thanksgiving chanting dole
full lays. He hailed. indeed, from old
Puritan stock; had been a pillar in
the village church in days before the
great war, and emulated Stonewan
jackson in his piety, if he did not
in material proves. Backed by To-
cal, and by no means secular, influ-
ences he had risen in the course of
the four years war from junior
] lieutenancy to the grade OF second
in command of his far eastern regi-
ment; had rendered faithful services
in command of convalescent camps
and the like, but developed none of
the seeking of 'sthe bubble reputa-
ton" at the lannon's mouth. All
he ever knew of southern men in
antebellum days was what he heard
from the lips of inspired orators or
read from the pens of very earnest
anti-slavery editors. Through lack
of opportunity he had met no south
erner before the war, and carried
his stanch, Calvinistic prejudices to
such extent that he seemed to shrink
from the closer contact even then.
The war was holy. The hand of the
Lord would surely smite the slave
holding arch rebel, which was per-
haps why the Covenanter thought it
work of supererogation to raise his
own. He finished as he began the
war, with unalterable conviction that
the southern president, his cabinet
and all his leading officers should be
hung and their lands confiscated to
the state-or its representatives.
He had been given commission in
the army when such things were not
hard to get-at the reorganization in
'66, had been stationed in a Iku Klux
district all one winter and in sani-
tarium most of the year that fol-
lowed He thought the nation on the
highroad to hell when it failed TO
impeach the president of high crimes
and misdemeanors, and sent Han
cock to harmonic matters in Louis
lana. He was sure of it when the
son of a southerner who had openly
fiouted him, was sent to West Point.
He retained these radical views even
unto the twentieth anniversary of
the great surrender; and, while de-
voutly r,rraying for forgiveness of his
own s ins co..1 never seem to for
give those whose lot had been cast
with the south. He was utterly non
plussed when told that the young Of
fcer, languishing in hospital on his
arrival. was the son of distin-
guished major general of the con-
federate army, and he planned for
the father a most frigid greeting,
until reminded that the former ma
| jor general was now member of
congress and of the committee on
military affairs. Then it became his
duty to overlook the past.
The general had to leave for the
front without seeing Mrs. Hay. More
than ever was it necessary that he
should be afeld, for this exploit
showed that some of the Sioux, at
least, had cut loose from the mair
body and had circled back toward
the Platte-Stabber's people in al
probability. So, sending Crabb an6
his little squad across the river tt
follow few miles, at least, the trai
of the wagon and it's captors, and as
certain. if possible whittier it ha.
gone, he hurried back to Frayne
\ sent messengers by the Laramie roa'
!. to speed the cavalry, and orders t
the colonel to send two troops a
once to rescue Hay and his niece
sent wires calling for few rein
forcements, and was off on the wa
> to Becker, guarded by handfu
of sturdy 'doughboys" in ambr
:, lances, before ever the body of tn
= second victim was found.
And then, little by little, it trans
. PRED that this mysterious wa
:. party, venturing to the south ban
= of the Platte, did not exceed half
dozen braves. Crabb got back in 8
hours, with five exhausted mel
! They had followed the wheel track
= over the open prairie and into tn
foothills far to the northwest, en-
:, boldened by the evidence of ther
!, being but few ponies in the origin;
;, bandit escort. But, by four in tn
> afternoon, they got among tn
> breaks and ravines and, first thin
: they knew, among the Indians, TO
zip came the bullets and down wen
= two horses, and they had to dis
mount and fight to stand off poss
BILE swarms, and, though owning the
had seen no Indians, they had proc
of having felt them, and were wal
= ranted in pushing no further. Afte
: dark they began their slow retrea
9 and here they were.
+ And for seven days that was tn
: last heard, by the garrison, at least
of these most recent captives of tn
Sioux. Gentle and sympathetic VIC
men, however, who called on Mrs
Hay, were prompt to note tina
4 though unnerved, unstrung. dis