The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-11-18
Daughter
| Of the Sioux
By GEN. CHARLES KING.
Copyright. 1892. by The Hobart Company
CHAPTER x.

"A sharp affair indeed was that of
this September day!-a fight long
talked of on the frontier if soon for
gotten in 'the states" Obedient to
his orders to push to the relief of
the imperiled party on Dry Fork, Ray
had made good time to Moccasin
Ridge, even though saving horses and
men for the test of the later hours.
Well he knew his march would be
watched by some of Stabber's band,
but little did he dream at starting
that Indian strategy would take the
unusual form of dropping what prom
ised to be sure thing, leaving the
people at the stage station to the
guardianship of less than a dozen
braves, and launching out with big
band to aid little one in attack on
one lone detachment that might not
come at all. But Lame Wolf reasoned
that the people penned at the stage
station were in no condition to at
tempt to escape. They were safe
whenever he chose to return to them,
and Lame Wolf knew this of Stabber
that he had long been a hanger
on about the military reservations,
that he had made a study of the
methods of the white chiefs, that he
was able to almost accurately predict
what their course would be in such
event as this, and that Stabber had
recently received accessions whose
boast it was that they had informa-
ton at first hand of the white chiefs
int 10
sent swift runners to Lame Wolf,
urging him to bring his warriors to
aid him in surrounding the first
troops sent forth from Frayne. Stab
Der had noted, year after year, that
it was the almost invariable policy
of our leaders to order small force
at the start, and then, when that
was crushed, to follow it with the big
one that should have been sent in the
first place. Kennedy's successful
coming was known to Stabber quite
as soon as it was to Webb. 1t may
oe said that Stabber let him through,
feeling confident what the result
would be, and then, despite certain
jealousy, not confined entirely to
savage tribal leaders, Lame Wolf had
confidence in Stabbers' Judgment.
Ray had expected long range flank
fire, and possibly occasional resist
ance in front; but, assured of Stab
per's paucity in numbers, and believ-
ing Lame Wolf too busy to send Stab
Der substantial aid, he thought a
sharp lesson or two would clear his
front of such Indians as sought to
check him, and so rode serenely for
ward, rejoicing in his mission and in
his game and devoted little command.
Something beyond that second
RIDGE" he had said to Field, in send
ing him forward with the bulk of the
platoon, and Field, who had been 81
lent and brooding, woke at the sum
mons and, all animation at the scent
of danger, spurred swiftly ahead to
join the advance and see for himself
what manner of hindrance awaited
them, leaving the bakers dozen of his
platoon to trot steadily on under the
lead of it's sergeant, while Ray, with
his trumpeter, followed midway be-
tween his advance and Clayton's
platoon, intact, moving quietly at the
walk and held in reserve.
Ordinarily Ray himself would have
ridden to the far front and personally
investigated the conditions, but he
was anxious that Field should IN
derstand he held the full confidence
of his temporary commander. He
wished Field to realize that now he
had opportunity for honorable dis
tinctien, and a chance to show what
was In him, and, having sent him
forward, Ray meant to rely on his
reports and be ready to back, if pos
sible. his dispositions. Nothing so
quickly demolishes prejudice in gar
rison as prowess in the field. Not
infrequently has an officer gone forth
under cloud and returned under a