The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-08-05

called him to serve the colors on those
bleak Dakota prairies. Brant frowned
at the innocent words, reading them
over again with gloomy eyes and an
exclamation Of unmitigated disgust,
yet there was no escaping their plain
meaning. Trouble was undoubtedly
brewing among the Sioux, trouble In
which the Cheyennes, and probably
others also, were becoming involved
Every soldier patroling that long
northern border recognized the ap-
proach Of some dire development,
some early coup Of savagery.
Brant was not blind to all this, nor
to the necessity Of having in readiness
selected bodies Of seasoned troops, yet
It was not in soldier nature to refrain
from grumbling when the earliest de-
tail CHANGED to fall to him. But or.
ders were orders in that country, and
although he crushed the innocent pa
per passlonately beneath his heel, five
hours later he was in saddle, riding
steadily westward, his depleted troop
Of horsemen Gathering at his heels.
Up the valley Of the Bear Water.
slightly above GIencaid,-far enough
beyond the saloon radius to protect
his men from possible corruption, yet
within easy reach of the military tCle-
graph,-tbey made camp in the early
morning upon wooded terrace over
looking the stage road, and settled
quietly down as one of those numer-
Gus posts with which the army chiefs
sought to hem IN the dissatisfied red.
men, and learn early the extent OF
their hostile plans.
Brant was now in a humor consld.
erably happier than when he first rode
forth from Bethuna. He watched the
men of his troop while with quip and
song they made comfortable camp,
and then strolled slowly up the valley,
his own affairs soon completely for.
gotten in the beauty of nearby hills
beneath the golden glory Of the morn
ing sun. Once he paused and looked
back upon ugly Glencaid, dingy and
forlorn even at that distance; then he
crossed the narrow stream by means
of convenient log, and clambered up
the somewhat steep bank. A heavy
fringe OF low bushes chung close along
the edge OF the summit, but plainly
defined path led among their lntri.
eacies. He pressed his way through,
coming into a glade where sunshine
flickered through the overarChIng
branches OF great trees, and the grass
was green and short, like that Of a
well.kept lawn.
AS Brant emerged from the under
brush he suddenly beheld fair vision
Of young womanhood resting on the
grassy bank just before him. She was
partially reclining, as If startled by
his unannounced approach, her face
turned toward him, one hand grasplng
an open book, the other shading her
eyes from the glare of the sun. Some
thing in the graceful poise, the piquant,
uplifted face, the dark gloss Of heavy
hair, and the unfrightened gaze held
him speeches. until the picture had
been impressed forever upon his MEM
ory. He beheld girl on the verge OF
womanhood, fair Of skin, the red glow
Of health flushing her cheeks, tho lips
parted in surprise, the sleeve fallen
back from one white, rounded arm,
the eyes honest, sincere, mysterious,
She recognized him with glance, and
her lips closed as she remembered
how and when they had met before
But there was no answering recOllec-
ton within his eyes, only admiration
nothing chung about this Nadia to
remind him Of neglected wall Of
the garrison. She read all this In his
face, and the lines about her mouth
changed quickly into a slightly quiz
zical smile, her eyes Frightening.
"You should at least have knocked,
SIR" she ventuted, sitting up on the
grassy bank, the better to confront
him, before lntruding thus pnin'
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