The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-01-06
| A Daughter
| Of the Sioux
By GEN. CHARLES KING.
Copyright, 1909, by The Hobart Company.
CHAPTER XVII.

Events moved swiftly in the week
that followed. Particulars of the &C
cident to Gen. Field, however, were
slow in reaching Fort Frayne; and,
to the feyerish unrest and mental
trouble of the son, was now added
fcrerish anxiety on the fathers ac-
ton 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
thought it over and succumbed. The
lad was no lonGer delirious, at least,
and if he revealed anything OF what
was uppermost in his mind it would
he conscious and voluntary rcvela-
ton. 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, and to no one more than Mrs.
Dade; and so the prohibition against
their visiting the wounded lad was
withdrawn, and not only these, but
Their women, sympathetically 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 hastened to reach
his son, the mishap would never have
occurred. The general would gladly
have seen to it that suitable transport
tation from the railway to Frayne
was afforded his old-time comrade
But, in his, absence, Field shrank from
appealing to anyone else. and,
through the train conductor, wired
ahead to Rock Creek for stout, four
mule team and wagon, with 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
dhe wagon, so did the driver, who had
obviously been printing for the occa-
sion. 1t was this rig or nothing, how
ever, and in spite of courteous re-
monstrance from the two officers at
the supply camp, who saw and con
demneu the 'outfit," Gen. Field start
ed on time and returned on an impro-
yised trestle three hours later. The
outfit" had been tumbled over
ledge into rocky bottom and with
disastrous results to all concerned
except the one who deserved it most
the driver. The ways of Providence
are indeed inscrutablc.
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
untaught men was all he had for
nearly "a hours and his suffering had
been great. Internal injuries, it 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 he had been mercifuIIy
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 NiJ,agc-and that others still
were to be seen in the soft ground
not far from Hays corral, the major
ssas more than startled. At this