Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1903-10-01
Daughter
IOf the Sioux
By GEN. CHARLES KING.
Copyright, 1902, by The Hobart Company.
CHAPTER XVII.

Events moved swiftly in the week
that followed. Particulars of the ac-
cident to Gen. Field, however, were
slow in reaching Fort Frayne; and,
to the fcyerish unrest and mental
trouble of the son, was now added Il
feverish anxiety on the fathers ac-
count that so complicated the situa-
tion as to give DR.. Waller grave cause
for alarm. Then it was that, ignoring
every thought of behavior on the part
of the young officer toward the gen
tie girl so dear to them, not only
Mrs. Blake and Mrs. Ray, but Mrs.
Dade herself insisted on being made
use of-insisted on being permitted
to go to his bedside and there to
minister as only women can, to the
suffering and distressed. Waller
thought it over and succumbed. The
lad was no longer delrious, at least
and if he revealed anything of what
was uppermost in his mind it would
be a conscious and voluntary revela-
tion. There were some things he had
said and that Waller alone had heard,
the good old doctor wished were
known TO certain others of the garri-
son, ana to no one more than Mrs.
Dade; and so the prohibition against
their visiting the wounded lad was
withdrawn, and not only these, but
other women, alphabetically at
tracted, were given the necessary au-
thority.
There was other reason for this.
From the commanding officer of the
supply camp at Rock Springs had
come, finally a letter that was full of
foreboding. Gen. Field, it said, was
sorely injured and might not survive
If the department commander had
only been at Omaha or Cheyenne, as
the anxious father FASTENED to reach
his son, the mishap would never have
occurred. The general would gladly
have seen to it that suitable transpor-
tation from the railway to Frayne
was afforded his oId-tme comrade.
But, in his absence, Field shrank from
appealing to anyone else. and,
through the train conductor, wired
ahead to Rock Creek for a stout, four
mule team and wagon, with a capable
driver. The conductor assured him
that such things were to be in readi-
ness on his arrival. Team, wagon
and driver certainly were on hand,
but the team looked rickety. so did
the wagon, so did the driver, who had
obviously been priming for the occa-
sion. 1T was this rig or nothing, how
ever, and in spite of a courteous re-
monstrance from the two officers at
the supply camp, who saw and con
demned the outfit" Gen. Field start
ed on time and returned on an impro-
yised trestle three hours later. The
'outft" had been tumbled over a
ledge into a rocky bottom and with
disastrous results to all concerned
except the one who deserved it most
the driver. The ways of Providence
are indeed inscrutable.
A surgeon had been sent from Fort
Russell and his report was such that
Waller would not let it go in full to
his patient. They had carried the old
soldier back to camp and such aid as
could be given by the rude hands of
untaugl-t men was all he had for
nearly "a hours and his suffering had
been great. Internal injuries, il was
feared, had been sustained, and at
his advanced age that was something
almost fatal. No wonder Waller was
worried. Then Flint took alarm at
other troubles closer at hand. Up to
This year lie had been mercifully
spared all personal conduct with our
Indian wards, and when he was told
by his sentries that twice in success
sion night riders had been heard on
the westward "bench," and pony
tracks in abundance had been found
at the upper ford-thc site of Stab
ber's Niliage-and that Others still
were to be seen in the soft ground
not far from Hays corral, the major
was more than startled. At this