Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-03-10

For moment she sat there rigid. her black eyes staring straight into the imperturbable face of the old soldier. No one had ever accused, Dade of cruelty or unkindness tol man or woman. especially to woman; yet here he stood before this suffer- ing girl and, with obvious intent, pie tured to her minds eye warrior stricken and left unburied or uncared for on the field. Whatever his req. sons, he stabbed and meant to stab,i and for just one moment she seemed almost to droop and reN in saddle;l then, with splendid rally, straight- ened up again, her eyes flashing, her lip curling in scorn, and with one brief, emphatic phrase ended the in- terview and, whirling Harney about, smote him sharply with her whip, and darted away:
 "True!" she said. Civilized war; fare!"
 ''If that girl isn't more than half savage" said Dade, to himself, as Harney tore away out of the gar rison on the road to the ford, 1T am more than half Sioux. Oh, for news of Ray!"
 Ray indeed! It was now nearly four o'clock. Telegrams had been coming and going over the Laramie; wire. 'The Chief" as they called their general, with only one of his staff in attendance, had reached Cheyenne on time, and, quitting the train, declining dinner at the hotel and having but word or two with the Platform Club"-the little bevy of officers from Fort Russell whose custom it was to see the westbound train through almost every day-had started straightway for Laramie be- hind the swiftest team owned by the quartermaster's department, while another, in relay, awaited him at the Chugwater, nearly 50 miles out. Driving steadily through the starlit night, he should reach the old frontier fort by dawn at the latest, and what news would Dade have to send him there? Not g word had he uttered to either the officers who re- spectfully greeted, or reporters who eagerly importuned, him as to the situation at Frayne; but men who had served with him in Arizona and on the Yellowstone many year be- fore, knew we'll that grave tidings had reached him. Dade had in fact, supplemented Webb's parting dis patch with another, saying that Blake's little party, returning, had just been sighted through the tele- scope nine miles out, with two men afoot. But not until the general reached Lodge Pole creek did the message meet him, sa! Ang that Webb's advance guard could hear the distant attack on Ray. Not until he reached the Chugwater in the early night could he hope to hear the re- suit.
 : It was nightfall when the awful suspense of the garrison at Frayne was even measurably lifted. Blake, with three troopers at his back, had then been gone an hour, and was lost in the gloaming before Dr. Tracy's orderly, with face that plainly told the nervous tension of his two hours ride, left his reeking, heaving horse at the stables and climbed the steep path to the flagstaff, the shortest way to the quarters of the command ing officer. Despite the gathering darkness, he had been seen by a dozen eager watchers and was del- uged with questions by trembling, fearful women and by grave. anxious msn.>
 There's been a fight; that's all [ know," he said. "I was with tho pack mules and the ambulances and didn't get to see it. All I saw was dead ponies way out beyond Ten Mile ridge. Where's the major?-I mean the captain2" No! the orderly didn't know who was killed or wounded, or that anybody was killed and wounded. All he knew was that Dr. Tracy came galloping back and ordered the ambulances to scoot for the front and him to spur every bit of the way back to Frayne with the note for Capt. Dade.
 All this was told as he eagerly pushed his way along the board walk; soldiers wives hanging on his
 words and almost on him; officers wives and daughters calling from tho galleries or running to the gates, and Dade heard the hubbub almost as quickly as did Esther, who hurried to the door. By the light of the hall lamp the commander read the pen-, ciled superscription of the gummed envelope and the word 'Tmmediate" at the corner. The same light felt on e dozen anxious, pleading faces beyond the steps. His hand shook in spite of himself, and be knew he could not open and read it in their. presence. "0ne moment" he said, his heart going out to them in sym- pathy as well as dread. "You shall hear in one moment" and turned aside into the little army parlor.
 But he could not turn from his wife and child. They followed and stood studying his pale face as he read the fateful words that told 70 liteis, yss so much:-
 Reached Ray just in tina Sharp afs fair. Dr. waller will havs 10 come ae once as Tracy goes on with us te rescue stage people at Dry Fork Bsseer ssed infantry escort and all hospital attend. ants that can bs possibly spared: also chaplain sergeants Burroughs and wine. Corporal Foot and Troopws Denny. Flood, Kerriran and Preusser hflie1-