Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-08

conditi~ at the tort and that he had
heard me brag so much about that
mule that he felt quite sure that the
beast was all right.
The general seemed little displeas-
ed ard said. We'll. If that is tie best
you have ! viii have to put up with
it."
We mounted ard started cut On the
road For the first fifteen miles to
3mcky Hill river there WAS Il GOOD
wagon road. and as we rode 2l0ng the
general asked me numerous questions
in regard to the country ard the In
dams. and thas we talked along mile
after mile. BIT the general wa; Sain:
at Il pretty rapid gait. ard 1cy E:ul2
was not vcry speedy c' the start but
| knew he would finish al right. So
when the general was not locking /
| you'd put the spurs to the nl2le lit
| tie to wake him IN. However. ! kept
alongside OF the general until | got It.
| Smoky Hiu river. | noticed that the
| old rlule vas not painting mach. hu;
| the horses We're.
told the general that this would be
| tie last water for fovty-Gve rci.cs u:l-
til we got near LarneG: that it wouit
| Ee lest 10 water the horses there. and
| If the men required any water tlcE
| had better ill up their canteenS. which,
| they did.
| From this point we struck into tht
sand hills. leaving all roads. 1t We
pretty sandy ard pretty heavy travel
| g., g.. Inf 7 In ~
| my mind that | would show the gen
eral from there on that | had :;"oGc.
! the truth ;IhCut the inGic. So when Lax
| general was not looking at me woI.(
| put the spurs to him. and as he TGu!d
lungc ahead would say:
whoa. there! Take it easy. cd fai
| low Don't get to frettin'."
! We went on like that for mile CT
| SO. The mule would get ahead of tht
| horses. and whenever the genera
wasn't looking l wCuid spur him. ana
ms the mule would forge ahead
would pat him TO calm him down.
! Finally the general remarked. "Tha
Is really quite Il horse you are ridlro
there"
"Oh. lie isn't warmed up yet. gen
er3l." | said. He doesn't go good un
til he gets his second wind"
BY this time the mule was really be
ginning to show his staying qualitie.
Over the Kentucky horse that the gen
eral was riding. and the general coult
not keep up. But the general woult
not give up. and we went ON mile
after mile through the sand hills unit
finally l had actually to wait OF til.
general little. Every once il awhile
the general would remark about tha
mule. But we went on, ard the gen
cTil s5ill would not give in. We con
tinued gOing until we got within abou
fifteen miles of Fort I.arned. Here ",
stopped on Il hill to wait for the OH
GERS and orderlies to oyertake US
When they got up showed the gen
i eral a depression in the sand hills an,
, told him that that was the Pawne
Fork creek and that all we had to d
t was to follow the creek down and W
] would )me to the fort
: "Now, general" said. IF you hay
any urgent dispatches that you wan
taken to your commanding officer,
you will give them to me l will TAX
them on and have them delivered t
him. You cannot help but find you
way"
"Ah," he said. you are kidding ID
about what l said in regard to tina
mule. Well,'' turning to enc of tn
officers. you bring the escort in. Fo
\ low the direction we are going, and
will go ON with Cody"
And we started, giving him as liv,
ly d ride rs his horse could stand unit
we reached the fort. That night th
generals horse died. The next morl
ing at guard mount rode up to til
headquarters of Fort Larned, whic
was commanded by Captain Dainge
: field Parker. with whom the gener;
was stopping and reported to him.
q said that If he had no further use Il
/ NE | would return to my own fort an
t that if he had any dispatches he wante
s taken back to Fort Hays l would tax
J. them. as | expected to get there
eight hours on the same mule
y He laughed and said, well, I wi
n never say anything against mu
/ again"
II .
u Among the many army officers undo
. whom / have served one Of my earlie
~ experiences was with Major Gener
h Eugene A. Carr, retired. General Cal
r was Il graduate of West Point whe
y cabins were more plentiful than fran
h houses in upper New York stat
I, whence he came. Graduating In 1S5
: lie went to the frontier and graduate
70 in that old school that made him OF
1 of the best of Indian fighters.
d In 1868 first met him when W,
J. d scout for Colonel Royals comman
whom he succeeded. 1t has been II
n pride of my career that he being 8
- officer OF such wide experience ar
\ ability. l secured his esteem ar
?, friendship. and In his writings he b.
is been very generous in abiding to II
" services. | had the homer Of servi1
9. with him In many trying campaign
>. notably IN that which cuIininated
i, his success over Tall Bull. who b,