The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-01-31

ter, their eldest daughter. was practically | in command of both. They were CORK | ing her to marry. Sinclair, one of their captains, stationed that winter up the Platte at Fetterman. a widower whose two children were out of tlte way. being cared for at their gfandmotilcr's. leaving him with few responsibilities and no end of money. Sinclair wasn't Il had sore Of . fellow if he was posr soldier. He
 had served some. thirteen years. mostly on the. frontler; had only recently got his captaincy and had never been under fire. It had just so happened that when ordered out after Indians, the Indians weren't
 there. I'm blessed,' said l1o, If I, know just how should behave In fight He
 was to learn this very trip, but he never 1 dreamed of it when he started out on Nell Chantcr's birthday party.
 "The Sioux had. been; bothersome all spring, raising cain up the Black Hills ! road. All the cavalry in Wyoming were out after them, scouting along the South Cheyenne or upTtoward the Tongue and
 the Powder. and first thing we knew Jack Hunter and other ranciifnen came gall loping in from the Chng tp say that two
 or three bands from Red Cloud had turn
 ed back on their trail and were plunder-
 ing, burning and hair raising ,sovth of the T | fantry at Russell, FetternanJ Frayne and
 Laramie and not platoon of cavalry l south of Buffalo Gap. That night the
 women and children fromia dozen ranches were herded into Lara mic. That night | Chantcr wrote1a telegram to Sinclair and | the youngsters atl Fetterman telling 'cm
 not to start without a big escort, and the
 message never went-thes wire was cut at
 LaBonte. The Russell crowd-men, wo-
 men and girls-had got in all right in plenty of time for the party--two ambu-
 lance loads, the officers in saddle and a
 wagonful of soldiers-but no wonien were
 to risk 1t from Fetterman down the wind ing Platte" That would have been tak- ing too many chances. At 6 o'clock old Chanter was having ten kinds of fits over at the adjutant's office, and Jim Hamp- ton the time of his life-the worst time, as we heard later-in Charters parlor. He had been all over in love with Nell Chanter ever since he first set eyes on her in, March, and he didn't care who knew 1t. He hadn't cent to his name be- yond his salary and never before had cared a cent. He was the sort of man to win woman's heart all the same, and we knew it meant trouble for Sinclair the moment he began devoting himself to her, but what she thought of either of Caen-or how much-her nearest and dearest friend, Mrs. Truscott,' couldn't find out, so there was no use in others trying, especially Jim. But try he did, and would. and try again and again until they had a flare-up, red-hot row, in which she told him she not only would dance six times with Sinclair, but after what he, Jim Hampton, had said, she wouldn't dance six turns with him. She would start to dance.' said she, so that people wouldn't be wondering and talk ing. but she'd find some excuse to stop and that should be all. The windows were wide open to let in the evening breeze and anybody could hear, and some
 body did hear, both what she said and
 what he said. What he said was q
 corker:
 You need look for no excuse to stop. Miss Chantcr. excuse you here and
 now" whereupon he took his cap and his leave, and before she could recover breath
 he was out on the parade with the cole ners orderly giving him the coloners com pliments and would he be pleased to step to the office a moment? Jim stepped and found the colonel in a stew.
 You are the only officer who owns a horse and keeps up his riding, Mir. Hamp- ton" said the colonel. 'I can get no
 word from Fetterman. I'm horribly afraid they have started from there and
 have been waylaid. Take 30 of e com pany in wagons; go as quick as you can | and go as far as you can to find him | them; save 'em if possible and fetch 'em in." Chanter never dreamed how fierce | ly glad Hampton was to 80 or why. He never dreamed until, with the sunset | bugles sounding. he reached l >me for dinner, an hour later, how Nell would be | saddened by that going-nor did she say a word to enlighten him. It was the
 mother heart that spoke in explanation of Nell's not coming down to dinner. Dressed? Yes. she's dressed. but-was
 there no one else you could send but Mir Hampton? He's the best partner at the | post
 "'Yes, confound him. said Fuss Cat