Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-01-10
have come down to water by this

time"
He turned abruptly and was soon
out of sight in the darkness. Some
thing in his manner, an attempt per-
haps to seem natural, caught the at
tention of Morgan, who was a shrewd-
ly suspicious nature.
"Say, Farley" he said "that lads
got bee in his bonnet. Why, he was
MT a quarter mile behind US, an |
could see the velvet on them bull elks'
horns! An how did he know them
Injuns were Cheyennes? You watch
the fire a spell an I'll camp on his
trail"
The suspicious cow-man trailed
along the creek with the stealth of a
Sioux for mile or more, and then
his vigilance was rewarded. Just be-
low a fringe of cotton-woods and at
the foot of a long rise he saw, dimly
outlined, a group of men standing and
talking. He approached them, creep
ing through the grass of the creek
bottom.
He halted within easy ear-shot, and
then heard and saw his late comrade
talking to a half-dozen Indians. The
boy was speaking in Grow or Chey-
enne, and in a lively manner
Morgan watched and listned for a
camp.
''Well, how's how?" greeted Farley.
where's the KIDD"
ooh, we're a daisy lot, we are!"
declared Morgan. 'Tne Bar Two-Vs
outfits a lot o. tender flowers, a-bloom-
in in the spring, an they look real
pretty till the COWS step on 'em.
Close them remarks" said Farley,
resentfully, an talk United States"
Thus admonished, Morgan told his
story, while Farley sat poking the fire.
IF the jay comes back, [ reckon We'll
surprise him plenty" was the only re-
mark he made.
A half-hour later, when Hugo re-
turned to the camp, the two were roll
ed in their blankets, apparently
sound asleep. An hour later he was
roughly awakened, to find Morgan sit
ting on his legs, and his late COM
rades busily engaged in tying his
hands. He struggled for moment,
and then gave vent to his asto1ish-
ment.
whats this about, fellows?" he
asked.
Shut your chin, Mr. Half-Breed!"
was the grim command. you've
played in big luck so far, but your
games up-savvy?"
The new puncher made no further
effort to resist or to speak. He was
put astried his horse and tied fast,
and then, leading his animal Morgan
and Farley set off for the ranch.
The trio arrived just before day
light, in time to find the men all in.
Probably an angrier lot Of punchers
was never seen than those at Bar
Two-Vs when Morgan and Farley had
given an account of the night
They had been taken in" by a
couple Of half-breeds, working among
them as spies, two Of the very thieves
who had run off their stock the year
before, and were plotting with the In
dams to make a bigger haul!
The brothers, looking sorry and
gave enough, were allowed to eat
breakfast, and then, fast bound, were
thrust into the bunk-room while the
men considered what should be done
This was finally settled by Allen in
his usual vigorous fashion. We'll
take our birds to the edge of their
reserve" he said, ''and hang EN- to
their own cottonwoods, where the
Crows and Cheyennes can savvy our
sign talk"
At sunrise a cavalcade of eleven
riders, two of them with wrists tied,
left the ranch and rode swiftly down
Sun Dance Creek They stopped at
several ranches, gathering up re-
enforc ement of seven cOw-men, all
glad of an opportunity to teach the IN
dams a lesson.
With their ponies tied together, and
with pale, set faces, the young cap
tives rode in the midst Of this rele1t-
less squad.
The party crossed over to the Oxus,
reaching the creek before noon, and
then went down it's narrow valley to-
ward the reserve line. The dust of
their trailing could be seen far across
the bad lands.
Their advance could hardly have
failed to attract the attention of keen
eyes on the watch, and the men had
gone but a few miles down the valley
when a single Indian appeared upon
bluff, and signaled them by waving
his blanket. Their response was a
volley of bullets, which battered upon
the crest of the rise.
The Indian lodged out of sight.
The men were now near the point
where Hugo had been bound, and the
appearance of an Indian was not
matter of surprise.
The men halted. AS they debated
whether they should rush the hills, -