The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-08-27

In hot haste, equipped for duty, and
with Calamity at his heels, Reynolds,
the scout. appeared before a door
of the colonel's quarters at Fort B.
Reynolds" said the commandant,
who had suddenly sent for him, how
in at Camp Sibley in forty-eight
hours?"
Before Reynolds could reply, and
even as the commandant was speak
ing, there was rush of hunting-dogs
to the front. An attendant, as usual
at this hour Of the morning, had I'M
kenneled the pack kept at the rear OF
the commandments quarters. With
great uproar the pack came bouncing
at him.
Reynolds wheeled in his tracks,
with uplifted quirt, to stop Calamity.
but the horse was of lightning speed
in action. He leaped high and plung-
ed as deadly missile among the
pack. There were fierce yelps of
surprise and pain, and the dogs scat
tered like a flight of grouse.
But one young, overgrown, clumsy
hound failed to get away. 1t lay
kicking feebly under the pony's whist
ling nostrils, its skull crushed by
fore-hoof stroke which would have
killed an OK.
Killing dogs was Calamity's spe-
cialty. This was his fifth victim at
Fort R., but heretofore the colonel
had not suffered loss.
Reynolds stood for moment look
ing down at the striker dog. His
jaw dropped, and his face was pale
with anger and modification.
The commandments face was black
with wrath, but he controlled his
voice with an effort. The valuable
qualities of the cream buckskin-"
his strength. speed, endurance and
love for Reynolds-were as well
known as his general perverseness
and fury Of temper. And now his
good qualities were needed.
Don't pound and excite the beast
now, Reynolds" the commandant
said. "You will need all his reserve
speed between here and Camp Sib-
Icy"
lie took a notebook and fountain
Pm from a pocket, wrote a few lines
upon a leaf, tore it off. opened
leather case and thrust the paper in
side.
Besides the despatch" said the
commandant, handing the leather
case to Reynolds, there is an order
on Lieutenant Grady for a horse.
You will have Calamity shot at Camp |
Sibley. Grady will do it with hon.
ors. by file Of the line if you choose"
he added in a grim humor.
The scouts face heightened to an
extra binary degree, but he uttered
no est.
IN Z, Reynolds" said his colonel.
In e.other and very different tone,
ride harder and with your eyes
wider open than usual-if such
thing Is possible. Six hundred or
more Cheyennes have just cut loose
down below, and they're coming this
way mighty fast had this by wire
direct from the siding not more than
thirty minutes ago."
The scout saluted, mounted in ST.
lence, and Hoped away to the south.
BLAST his dogs" he exclaimed,
when out of ear-shot Of the barracks.
There's regiments of such pups to
be had for the asking, and there's
only one horse on the reserves can
go from the Fort to Camp Sibley in
two days. Calamity, old boy he
said. sorrowfully, you'll likely save
Grady and his men in a beautiful
run, and they'll shoot you up for do
Ing it, You'd best have took to the
hills the time when you killed old
lifts Jack"
All day Reynolds rode at Calamity's
swift and racking gallop. stopping
only fc~ brief rest at creeks and wa
er-ho1 :
WIS a full moon rose, at the close
If a cool October day, he camped
lcar the bed of brook, among some
oot-hi,ls. Tireless Calamity immedi