The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-12-28

Z
visioned he logged out Of town.
Good fortune made the journey al
most uneventful. He saw but one In
dian, who loped into sight from a
wooded bottom and turned tail when
Lounsbury leveled his gun. Twice only
did he come upon signs of savages.
| Toward the middle of the first night
he passed a pile Of glowing embers,
where food had been cooked and eaten,
and fifty miles lower down, the next
afternoon, as he dismounted at a rivu-
let. the cayuse SHE'D from an antelope
kid that had dragged itself to the wa
ter for last drink There was an ar
row through It's neck, and the little
body was still timber
Just before dawn the second morn
ing he turned with the river, crossed
the coulee and reined upon the yellow
ing bend. To bis left, black dot,
stood the shack. Three smaller dots
were near it-Simon and the mule
team. South. on the opposite bank.
were the low, whitewashed buildings
Of Fort Braunon He barred his dust
The cayuse was warm and dripping.
lie rode to Shanty Town, loosened the
cinch and led the animal up and down
before the deserted huts When It
stopped blowing and reached for grass
he picketed it on lariat north Of the
Troopers Delight Then he descended
to the building The light was grow
ing Already he had been seen from
the post On his hallooing a small
boat showed off toward him, dan ing
its way against the current. Old Mi
chael was not in it, only his citizen
helpers. Fearing their tittle-tattle,
Lounsbury curbed his Impotence to
ask about the shack. Landed [ : made
for the bach" quarters on the line.
Fraser was not up. To his Come
in" LOunsbury entered They shook
hands without a word, and the store
keeper sat down on the edge of the
bed
After awhile the lieutenant reached
out to put hand on the others knee.
'Lounsbury" he said, Il feel like a
criminal, but 1 never dreamed any
thing would go wrong if kept track
of Matthews"
Why We both thought that, Fraser.
You're not to blame any more than 1
am
'Oh, if I'd only
But we can't spend any time kick
ing ourselves. After this there mustn't
be a loophole Besides watching Mat
thaUS we rouStn
Matthews isn't here"
"WhatT
kicked out We don't know where
he is" Rapidly Fraser related the
story of SimOn's gallantry.
There was another piece of news OF
lesser Importance. An Indian girl
named Brown Mink was seriously i'll.
Her wigwam had been moved to the
western curve of the stockade. where
the ground was clear, and been
changed from tepee shape to the form
Of a walled wickiup. Mrs Cum
mings touched with pity, had sent her
comfortable bed, while Captain Oil
yer. touched no less and pleased by
the good humor of his prisoners. had
ordered that during the daily search
of the inclosure the tent of the sick
girl be left entirely undisturbed.
The young officer omitted to tell of
his share IN the interpreters departure
and was distracted over an accident
that had befallen him On visiting his
wild pets the previous evening he had
found that a box containing reptiles
had been broken open somehow and
that all his rattlesnakes were gone!
With the first call for the trumpet
erS Lounsbury routed the sutler in a
quest for breakfast Then once more
he sought the river There was no
waiting for men to row him. He
found the small boat headed for the
beach below Shanty Town, mounted
the cayuse and climbed the steep road
TO the prairie. Before him on a green
stretch between river and shack he
saw Dallas
She was cutting grass in that same
swale across which a month before
had been tracked the deep planted, la
bored footprints AS she moved she
moved forward slowly. the bent snathe
describing regular half circle, the
long, curved blade clearing fragrant
path. Her hat was off and lay at a dis
lance behind her, where it f1oated boat
like on some blue stem tops. Still far
Their behind was Simon, cropping in
dustriously and keeping a furtive
watch upon his mistress out of the cor
ner of one fiery brown eve
Lounsbury spurred his horse to
run. She saw him coming, but. not
knowing him, kept her scythe on the
swing When he had covered the great
er part of the way. however. she stop
ped work, retreated to her hat and put
1t on. Then from beside it she picked
up the Sharps
He saw that and his jaw squared.
The blood darkened his face, too. as
II the sight shamed him He spurred /
faster, reined so sharply that the horse
slid upon its fetlocks and swung off.