Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-10-08

but they are not at the corral We
know how to account for the hoof-
beats in the valley. Those scoundrels
have got nearly an hours start, and
we've nobody to send in chase"
Then it presently appeared that the
post commander desired to continue
conference with his staff officer, for
he failed to invite the surgeon to be
seated. Indeed, he looked up into the
doctors l<indling eyes with odd mix
ture of impatience and embarrass-
ment in his own, and the veteran
practitioner felt the slight; flushed
instantly, and, with much hauteur of
manner, took prompt but ceremoni-
Gus leave.
And when morning came and Fort
Frayne awoke to another busy day,
as if the eXcitements of the night
gone by had not been enough for it.
new story went buzzing, with the
first call for guard mount, about the
garrison: and, bigger even than yes
terday, the two details, in soldier 81
lence, began to gather in front of the
infantry quarters. Maj. Flint had or
dered sentries posted at the traders
home, with directions that Mrs. Hay
was not to be allowed outside of her
gate, and no one, man or woman,
permitted to approach her from with
out, except by express permission of
the post commander. Gen. Harney"
and Dan" the two best horses of
the traders stable, despite the pres
ence of the sentry at the front, had
been abstracted some time during the
earlier hours of the night, and later
traced to the ford at Stabber's old
camp, and with Pete and Crapaud,
doubtless, were gone.
That day the ma ior wired to Omaha
that he should be reinforced at once.
One-half his little force, he said, was
now mounted each day for guard,
and the men couldn't stand it, The
general. of course, was in the field,
but his chief of staff remained at
headquarters and was empowered to
| order troops from post to post with
in the limits of the department. Flint
hoped two more companies could
come at once, and he did not care
what post was denuded in his favor.
lands-separated from them, in fact,
only by narrow and fordable river.
The Indians were all on the warpath,
and, aware of his puny numbers,
might he tempted at any moment to
quit the mountains and concentrate
on him.
And SO another restless day went
by and no more news came from
either front or rear--from the range
to the north or Rock Springs at the
south. and Flint was just formulating
another fervid appeal to that i'm
passive functionary, the adiutant gen
| eral at Omaha, when toward evening
word came whistling down the line
in the person of Master Sanford Ray,
| that two couriers were in sight
''scooting" in from Moccasin Ridge,
and Flint and fully half the soldier
strength of Fort Frayne gathered on
the northward bluff like the wan
burghers" of ancient Rome, to watch
and speed their coming. Who could
tell what the day might yet bring
! forth?
1T was welI-nigh dark before the
| foremost reached the ford--a scout in
worn and tawdry buckskin, wearied
and impassive. He gave his dispatch
to the care of the first officer to ac-
cost him, and took the way to the
store, briefly saying in reply to ques-
tions, that he was too dry to speak
the truth" SO they fiocked, at re
| spectful distance, about the ma ior
| 4 ~,
general bade the post commander
wire the entire message to Washing
ton, and to take all precautions for
the protection of the few settlers
about him. The columns under Col,
Henry and Maj. Webb had united
near the head waters of the Clear
| Fork of the Powder; had had a rat
tling running fight with Lame VOLTS
people: had driven them into the
mountains and we're following hot on
the trail, but that Stabber's band and
certain disaffected Sioux had cut
loose from the main body and gone
south. Whistling Elk, a young chief
of much ambition, had quarreled with
| certain of the Red Cloud element, and
| Joined Stabber, with his entire band
Look out for them and watch for sig
nails any day or night from Eagle
Butte"
Flint read with sinking heart. In
dian fighting was something far too
scientific for his martial education,
and too much for his skeleton COM
mand. In the gathering dusk his face
looked white and drawn, and old Will
kins, breasting his way up the slope.
puffed hard, as he begged for news.
There was still another dispatch,
however, which was evidently adding
to the majors perturbation, for it
concerned him personally and for the
! moment Wilkins went unheard.
| The general desires that you send the
| couriers back within "a hours of their ar
| rival, after YOU have had time to scout
| the line OF the Platte say 20 miles each
| way giving fun report of every Indian
| seen or heard Of He enjoins vigilance