Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-11-19

S Soiolel Cummings came nur-
 rying out of his library to meet Oliver
 In the entry.
 The latter strengthened q little, but
 hesitated deprecatingly before taking
 the eolonel's hand i've nothing to
 report but failure, sir" he said. ---
 The stinging wind that had blown the command home into barracks and scourged the bumped shoulders of the men and the thin Hanks of their mounts had cut the flesh over the captains high cheek bones until 1t was red and raw. The lower part of his face was hidden under growth that matched his dropping mustache. On his fore head and about his eyes the skin was adark sallow, marked by lattice of deep lines-lines of worry and wearl- ness.
 Nothing to report but failure" he repeated, and let the orderly pull off his stiffened overcoat.
 "The troop" asked Colonel Cum mings anxiously.
 "All safe" The other hung his cap on a nail, his belt upon his overcoat.
 Thank heaven! That storm-I was afraid. Where did it catch you?'
 "On the Knife. We put up with some half breeds. It was hard on the horses, but rest for the men,"
 The colonel led the way into the H. brary.
 On his entrance figure in the dusk behind the stove sprang up with a questioning cry. It was young Jamie son.
 Easy, easy. for Gods sake-' begged the captain. He put out one arm as if to ward of a blow.
 Jamieson brought up. He saw the look of defeat in Ollver's bloodshot eyes. and his voice quaked, his body shuddered in mortal terror of what he was to hear.
 Its bad news, but not as bad as it might be-" began the captain. Colonel Cummings offered him chair. He dropped into it. Tt is said that your mother and sister are alive, and will be delivered up to us in the spring. pro- yided there are no executions here. But-I didn't see them, and I don't know where they are"
 Jamieson coughed down a heartbro- ken protest and. as if stunned, tottered weakly toward the stove.
 Colonel Cummings knotted his hands together. Where's MatthewsT' he asked.
 He was answered by the slammlng of the outside door and by a voice in the entry. A moment later there was a sharp tattoo on the library door. The [ colonel opened it and answered the in- | terpreter's salute.
 With Matthews seated on the army | cot and the commanding officer pacing ] to and fro. Captain Oliver made his re- l port. He stood at the window, his | arms folded, his eyes following his su- perior.
 "We located the camp easily" be 1 said. The directions given by the hostages were exact But that is about the only thing that did come easily. The rest was all procrastination.
 "At noon on the tenth day out we saw ahead of US on a ridge a single In- dian. 1 selected four men to make a swift detOur. thinking that perhaps they would discover a hdnting party just over the crest But the slope be- rOnd was unOccupied. and there were 11ly the marks of one pair of mocca- sins. I concluded that the solitary brave was scouting. and I was right. "A few miles farther we sighted a lalf dozen Indians. They were watch ng us from a hill I called a halt Then I took two men and Mfr Mat hevs and made forward We carried ; ! truce flag They let us come within aIking distance They knew. I am [ ure. why we were there. but they ask d 10 q1esti01s-iust tod us that the { ommand was expected to advance no arther tbzn a grove that lay a little [ head to our rizht zsse1ted to that | .1 said I wsshed a conference with ( .Rrhezd chsef Thsy promised ne '