The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-04-22

be well: they would be married, any
way. and there would be no more
trouble.
1T all sounded good to my mother ;
the little Crow expedition was to be
a holiday affair-soon over, military
honors, brave young husband-and all
that.
"She consented Frying Pan, the or
derby. arranged things. An old SER
geant, devoted to Father, rode out
with him one afternoon after antelope.
Mother rode out later alone Frying
Pan met her, and they rode down
the river! together and met Father.
Frying Pan and the old sergeant
were taken along for witnesses.
They made the camp and found the
black-robe. My mother belonged to
his faith. He made necessary inqui-
ries, told them he would marry them.
and asked them to come back the fol-
lowing day for the ceremony. They
begged to be married at once.
might had fallen. 1t was raining
to beat hell. But that wild night, in
that little Indian camp and in that
downpOur. before the gray-haired
padre, with Frying Pan. the sergeant,
and the Blackfeet lighting the scene
with pitch-pine torches, my father
married my mother.
"They got back to the fort. Came
next day the orders to start. There
were only half as many men fit as
should have been sent against the
meanest Indians ever bred in the
Rockies. My father was no greenhorn
he protested. The old man was iron
he listened to nothing. He waited
a few days and sent him out with
fewer men than he would have had
a week earlier.
"Any old scout, In the mountains.
can tell You the story of that fight.
Henry Roper followed the Crows a
week, and surprised them at daylight,
up past the lava beds. in Crawling
Stone wash. My father attacked.
Colonel Roper's scouts, who were no
good, had reported that the war party
numbered fifty-but a bigger party
had Joined them, and there proved to
be three hundred warriors in the
wash; Roper's men were surrounded
in thirty minutes.
He saw what he was up against.
He knew there was only one thing
to do-to cut through the ring and
make dash back for the lava beds.
"a few men-about a dozen-got
through. The old sergeant never
got his name-waS shot through the
head. Frying Pan was left for dead
on the field. My father did not reach
the lava beds. He fell at the head Of
his men, in Crawling Stone wash; his
body never was recovered"
Selwood paused. Gentlemen" he
said. wiping his forehead, "this cham
payne is for everybody. drink it be-
cause it steadies me. 1 can't drink
whisky. It's funny, but whisky makes
me want to kill somebody.
$50 my father didn't come back.
Smallpox broke out again that fall at
the fort. My mothers father took it
anu NASu AZ q WCCN. NAy LAOtHCE was
left alone. She was a thousand miles
from any woman she felt she could
turn to. Don't be afraid of the cham
payne, gentlemen; tell you, it will
steady you"
They watched the gambler pour and
drink glass after glass of the healy
French wine-but seemingly without
effect on the iron restraint under
which he held himself.
"My mothers condition." he re-
sumed, forced her to go to my grand
father. She told her story. He asked
for her proofs-buzzards were pick
ing them in the Crawling Stone wash.
HE told my mother his son had
never married her! He did, so help
me God! The post surgeon was more
merciful. He defied the old man, took
care of my little mother at the hospi-
tai; and Of all the damnable things
that could happen to woman in that
distress, my poor mother gave birth
to twins-a boy and a girl. am that
boy.
Even that didn't soften the old
wretch's heart. He was only broken
over the death of his handsome son.
My mother had no place in his grief.
Her very presence at the fort seemed
to irritate him. Before the snow was
off the ground he arranged to send