Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-01-16
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IEGE

rying out or his library to meet Ollver
in the entry.
The latter Strengthened little, but
hesitated deprecatingly before taking
the coloners hand. 1--WE nothing to
report but failure, sir" he said.
The singing wind that had blown
the command home into barracks and
scourged the bumped shoulders Of the
men and the thin TANKS 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 n growth that matched
his dropping mustache. On his fore.
head and about his eyes the skin was
a dark sallow, marked by lattice OF
deep lines-lines of worry and weari-
ness.
Nothing TO report but failure" he
repeated, and let the orderly pull off his
stiffened overcoat.
THE troop asked Colonel Cum
mings anXiously.
"Al safe" The other hung his cap
on a nail, his belt upon his overcoat.
THANK heaven, That storn-I was
afraid. Where did it catch you?"
ION the Knife. We put up with
some half breeds. 1t was hard on the
horses, but a rest for the men"
The colonel led the way into the IL
brary.
On his entrance figure in the dusk
behind the stove sprang up with a
questioning cry. 1t was young jamie
son.
Easy, easy. for Gods sake" begged
the captain. He put out one arm as If
to ward off n blow.
Jameson brought up. He saw the
look of defeat in divers bloodshot
eyes, and his voice quaked, his body
shuddcred 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 q chair. He
dropped into It, ut Is said that your
mother and sister are alive. and will
be delivered up to us in the spring, pro-
vided there are no executions here.
Putt didn't see them, and | don't
KNOW WucFe tHPN are,
Jameson coughed down Il heartbro-
ken protest and, as If stunned, tottcred
weakly toward the stove.
Colonel Cummings knotted his hands
together. "Where's Matthews?" he
nsked
He was answered by the slamming
Of the outside door and by voice in
the entry. A moment later there was
a sharp tattoo on the library door. The
colonel opened t and answered the in
! terpreters salute.
With Matthews seated on the army
cot and the commanding officer pacing
to and fro, Captain oliver made his re
port. He stood at the window, his
arms folded, his eyes following his SUI
perior.
I'VE located the camp easily" he
said. The directions given by the
hostages were exact. But that is about
the only thing that did come easily
The rest was all procrastinaton.
AT noon on the tenth day out we
saw ahead OF us on ridge a single III
dian | selected four men to make q
swift detour, thinking that perhaps
they would discover a hunting party
just over the crest. But the slope he
yond was unoccupied. and there were
only the marks of one pair of mecca
sins. | concluded that the solitary
brave was scouting, and was right,
"A few miles farther we sighted ;
half dozen Indians. They were watch
ing us from a hill. | called a halt
Then l took two men and Mr. Mat
thews and made forward. We carried
talking distance. They knew, | an
sure, why we We're there but they ask
ed no questions-jus told us that thu
command was expected to advance n
farther than a grove that lay a lTtl'
ahead. to our right. | assented to tina
and said I wished conference witt
their head chief. They promised ms
an answer later on and at once with
drew to a rise mile behind. There
they stayed until, after 4 careful re
connoiter. we entered the grove.
Late that afternoon Mr.. Matthew:
and again rode forward to speak to {
trio Of warriors. One Of them. big
bony fellow in splendid bonnet, ask
ed what we wanted, The interprete
told him. The Indian said that tn,
head chief was very sick and that h,
could not leave his lodge. He told u
we might accompany them to the vii
lage, which lay few miles farther up
or course rejected the proposal.
well, l saw there was no use t.
haggle in that fashion. ordered thu
Interpreter to go into particulars. III
! proceeded to state your terms"
At this point In the narrative ColOne
/ Cummings stood still. Captain Olive
advanced toward him step and me
his eyes in p curious, helpless way.
1T was queer" he continued, "bu
what Mr. Matthews told them didn'
seem to scare them any"
"Oh, It didn't cried the colone
angrlly and once more began to pace.
NO they grinned at him and chat
tered together. Then they rode away
When dark came on, fearing treachery
we left the grove for a sheltered plac
farther down. Our scouts then set on
for the Indian village. going across thu
river and far around to the right. Oh
their return they said that the Siou'
camp numbered several hundred wig
vans, while Just above was a village
Of dog soldiers.
1.-THE night passed quietly. In thu
morning n single brave came riding to