Gloucester County Democrat., 1912-05-16
CHAPTER VII.
Her Infinite Variety.

IL ing morning Auberry and /
learned that the River Belle
= u would lie up indefinitely for
repairs and that at least one, perhaps
several days would elapse before she
plans were changed again, for young
army officer came down from that post
with the information that Colonel
Meriwether had been ordered out to
the posts up the Platte river. had been
gone for three weeks. and no one could
Indians were reported very bad along
the Platte. Possibly Colonel Meri-
wether might be back at Leavenworth
within the week. possibly not for
month or more. This was desperate
news for me. for knew that 1 ought
to be starting home at that very time.
wrote home once more. stating that
was not starting east. bu; going still
farther west.
Auberry, as it CHANGED, fell In with
party bound for Denver. five men
who had two wagons. a heavy Conesto
ga freight wagon or prairie schooner.
and lighter vehicle without a cover.
We arranged with these men and their
cook as to our share in the mess box
and so threw In our dunnage with
theirs. Auberry and I purchasing US
good horse apiece. By noon Of the
next day we were on our way west
ward.
At last we approached the valley of
the Platte. We were coming now in
deed into the great plains. of which l
had heard all my youth. A new at
mosphere seemed to invest the world.
The talk of my companions was Of
things new and wild and strange to
me. All my old life seemed to be slip
ping back of me. into far oblivion.
Many things became more clear to me
as rode and reflected In some way,
know not how, it seemed to me that
was growing older
We had been out more than two
weeks when finally we reached the
great valley along which lay the west
ern highway of the old Oregon trail.
now worn deep and dusty by countless
wheels. We pushed up the main trail
Of the Platte but short distance that
night.
We looked forward to meeting hui
man faces with some pleasure. But
an hour or so later as we rode on I
saw Auberry pull up his horse, with
strange tightening of his lips. Boys"
said he. there's where it was" His
pointing finger showed nothing more
than low line Of ruins, bits of bro
ken fencing. heap of half charred
timbers
They've been here, said Auberry
grimly. Who'd have thought the
Sioux would be this far east?"
We rode up to the station. guessing
what we would see. Five dead horses
lay near by. part of the stage stock
kept there. We kept our eyes as long
as we could from what we knew must
next be seen-the bodies of the agent
and his two stablemen, mutilated and
half consumed, under the burned out
timbers / saw the bodies, for the
lower limbs of all three had been
dismembered and cast in a heap
near where the bodies Of the horses
lay.
The third day passed until the sun
sank toward the sand dunes and cast
3 long path Of light across the rippling
shadows among the sand bars of the
Platte. But stu we saw no signs of
newcomers. Evening was approach
ing when we heard the sound Of dis
tant shot and saw our horse guard
running toward the camp. AS he ap-
preached ne pointed. and we saw a
faint cloud Of dust coming toward us.
The travellers were hersemen. perhaps
thirty or forty In all Following them
came the dust whitened top of an ar
my ambulance and several camp wag-
ons. We hesitated no longer and
quickly mounting our horses rode full
speed toward them.
They were seasoned lot of Har-
Bey's frontier fighters, grimed and
grizzled, their hats, boots and clothing
gray with dust, but their weapons
bright. Their leader approached me
when rode up.
Lieutenant Belknapw exclaimed.
ssDo you remember meeting me down
at Jefferson?"
.4Why. Mr.. Cowles. how on earth did
you get herei OF course remem-
Der you"
Eyes, but how did you get here your
self? You were not on my boat"
s.Orders to take this detachment out
60 Laramie" he said. land meet Colo
mel Meriwether there"
1He'll not be back? ! was hoping
70 meet him coming east"
sNo.'' said Belknap; "you'll have to
20 on with us II you wish to see him.
I'm afraid the Sioux are bad on be-
yond." He turned toward the am
bulance. and glanced that way.
UsK.nro effs<,d y.nmr III n fall angular fG-