The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-06

soldiers. Engine No. 40 was brought out,
and hooked on ahead. Her fireman being
sick, was ordered to go with Lyon and
fire the engine. That met my wish pre-
cisely, for I was anxious to begin firing,
besides, there was the enticing vision of
battle at the front. I was young then. It
wouldn't entice me now.
"About o'clock we rolled out Of the
station, with crowd Of women and chill
dren and eight or ten men cheering us,
and began swinging away toward the
west. The track was new and In poor
shape for fast running, but Lyon let the
40 have her head. his dark eyes glistening
as he watched the rails ahead. The coun-
try swept away to north and south in
scarcely perceptible swells-an ocean Of
fading grass, yellow green and dreamy
in the tender heat. Vast masses Of snow
pure clouds drifted In the sky, while be-
fore us, in the west and curving toward
the northeast, rose the liac-colored heaps
of the Rockies. I didn't have much time
to poetize, however: for I had my hands
full in trying to keep the 40 hot.
| 1--WE got on swimmingly for perhaps
| twenty miles, then we struck break
! two rails had been pried loose from the
ties and thrown by the right way. 1t
looked bad. BY the merest chance we es-
capped being ditched.
| Pope mounted to the top Of a box car
and scanned the region with his glass,
but no Indians or other marauders were
| in sight. Away to the south we all saw
what appeared to be a black lake, a sweep
Of living liquid, miles in length, and stir
ring family like something moved by, a
gentle wind. -
'Buffaloes,' said Lyon, laconically, set
ting the injector pumps to work and Jump
ing to the ground. That sort Of thing is
as common as jack rabbits but this tear
two So %I~ 11p L.
Blanket and his gang must be over among
the hills there somewhere
| THE conductor and two br,akemen were
ahead, inspecting the ground. Tracks OF
both men and horses were thick near the
break In the track. Captain Pope prompt
ly ordered a squad of soldiers forward
| the rails were brought back and put into
place; spikes and a maui were brought
from the caboose, and the rupture mended
Then we pulled forward again, but eau
tiously, Lyon watching the track ahead
of us like a hawk, his hand on the throttle
lever, while Pope and every boy in blue
on the train stood alert for a whack al
the unseen enemy. Soon we found an.
other break; a ha1f-dozen rails had beer
pulled up. After we had repaired that
we found another break, and another, ant
another, and time slipped away into the
afternoon and we were making no prog
ress.
Pope came and rode in the engine
There's a wooden trestle about tire.
miles from here said Lyon. IF they'v,
burned that then the game is up; vel
never get to the front. The trestle is be
yond the big bend ahead there. Hello
There's some more rails pulled up
Long Blanket and his band are goin
west said the captain. Evidently tn
chiefs idea is to destroy SO much tracl
that it will take the company several day
to make repairs; meanwhile he will tr
to connect with the Indians at the from
and strike the construction men a heav
blow
Now, as later information revealed
the men at the front were taking care G
themselves, and also Of Yellow Sky. i
fine style, while we, the rescuers. were
peril; and affairs back at Ludder, wher
. we thought everything quiet and secure
lwere alarming to the last degree. With