The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1913-07-31

They Paused to Light a Fire.
water icy cold and covered with float
ing ice, barred their passage; down
In the valleys the drifted snow turned
them aside. Again and again the
struggling ponies floundered to their
ears, or slid headlong down some
steep declivity. Twice Hamlin was
thrown, and once the Usage was
crushed between floating cakes and
submerged In the icy stream. Across
the open barrens swept the wind into
their faces. q ceaseless buffeting, chill
ing to the marrow; their eyes burned
in the snow-glare. Yet they rode on
and on, %voiceless, suffering in the
grim silence Of despair, fit denizens
of that scene Of utter d%esolation.
At the Cimarron the half-frozen In.
dian collapsed. falling from his saddle
into the sno utterly exhausted. Stag
gering himself like a drunken man,
n Sergeant dragged the n%erveless
body into a crevice Of the bluff out
OF the wild sweep of the wind, tram
pied aside the snow into a wall Of
shelter, built a hasty fire, and poured
hot coffee between the shivering lips.
With the earliest gray Of another
dawn, the white man caught the
strongest pony, and rode on alone. He
never knew the story of those hours
only that his trail led straight into
the north. He rode erect at first, then
leaning forward clinging to the name;
now and then he staggered along on
foot dragging his pony by the rein.
Once he stopped to eat, breaking the
ice In a creek for water. 1t began to
snow, the thick fall Of flakes plotting
out the horizon, leaving him to STUN
BILE blindly through the murk. Then
darkness came, wrapping him In a
cloak Of silence in the midst of that
u~nspeakable desert. His limbs stiff
fened, his brain reeled from intense
fatigue. He dragged himself back into
the saddle, pressing the pony into a
slow trot. Suddenly out Of the wall
OF gloom sprang the yellow lights Of
Camp Supply. Beneath these winking
eyes OF guidance there burst the red
glare OF a fire. Even as he saw 1t the
pony fell, but the exhausted man had
forgotten now everything but duty.
The knowledge that he had won the
long struggle brought him new
strength. He wrenched his feet free
from the stirrups, and ran forward,
calling to the guard. They met him,
and he stood straight before them, ev-
cry nerve taut-a soldier.
Il bring dispatches from Custer"
he said slowly, holding himself firm.
Take me to General Sheridan"
The corporal walked beside him,
down the trampled road, questioning
eagerly as they passed the line Of
shacks toward the double log house
where the commander was CHARTERED.
Hamlin heard, and answered briefly,
yet was conscious only Of an effort to
retain his strength. Once within, he
saw only the short, sturdy figure sit
ting behind a table, the shaggy gray
beard, the stern, questioning eyes
which surveyed him. He stood there
straight, motionless, his uniform pow.
dered with snow, his teeth clinched
30 as not to betray weakness, his
face roughened by exposure, grimy
with dirt, and disflgured by a weeks
growth Of beard. Sheridan stared at
him, shading his eyes from the glow
Of the lamp.
"You are from Custer?"
"Yes, sir"
He drew the papers from within his
o%vercoat, stepped forward and laid
them on the table. Sheridan placed
one hand upon them, but did not re-
move his gaze from Hamlin's face.
when did you leave?"
1.-THE evening Of the 9th, sir. I was
sent back with an Usage guide to
bring you this report"
And the guide?"
gave out on the Cimarron and
/ came on alone"
"And Custer? Did he strike Black
Kettle?"
I'VE found his camp on the evening
Of the 26th, and attacked at daybreak
the next morning. There were more
Indians with him than we expected to
hnd-between two and three thou
sand. warriors from all the southern
tribes. Their tepees were set up for
ten miles along the washita. We cap
tured Black Kettles village, and de-
stroyed It; took his pony herd, and
released q number Of white prisoners,
including some women and children.