Part 33 (1/2)
”You must do your best, captain, do your best Defend the place to the last”
”I will, Colonel Fairfield,” answered the young officer ”And I trust you recover soon”
That day and the next passed without incident of a special nature Sick and wounded were cared for by the surgeon, and a detachment went out, accompanied by Sam Benson and Hank Leeson, to look for any of the soldiers who had been attacked by the Indians or desperadoes and who ht still be alive
When this party returned they brought in the bodies of two soldiers that had fallen
”The Indians are gathering in force,” said old Benson, who had been right a them in the darkness ”There are now over a hundred and twenty of them”
”And what of the desperadoes?” asked Captain Moore
”The desperadoes number twenty-six,” answered Hank Leeson ”I counted noses 'lar captain over 'em an' has 'em drilled like a company o' sharpshooters--an' I reckon thet's wot they are, consarn 'em!”
”Then the enemy, all told, nu captain
”How many men here fit for duty to-day, captain?” ca the cooks and stable help, Benson All the others are on the sick list--and some of them are pretty bad”
”Perhaps the crowd outside are a-waitin' till ye all git sick,”
suggested Leeson with a scowl ”'Taint fair fightin', is it? They ought all to be hung!”
”I ravely ”I can do noand two additional soldiers were taken sick, he decided to send a er to Fort Prescott, a hundred and sixty miles away, for assistance
Hank Leeson knew every foot of the territory, and was chosen for the o, but Captain Moore told him to remain where he was
”If the eneht-hand man, Benson,”
he said Then he added: ”I want to talk to you after Leeson is gone”
Since co two old soldiers very closely
These soldiers were named Moses Bicker and Jack Drossdell Their reputations were not of the best, and the black ainst the captain had heard that Bicker came of a family of Colorado desperadoes and that he had joined the ar a spasm of reformation
The actions of the pair did not suit Captain Moore in the least, and that night he took it upon himself to watch them more closely than ever
In the darkness he saw Bicker make his way to the stable, and to that spot, a little later, Drossdell followed
”So to find out what it is,” hehis opportunity he passed into the stable unobserved
At first he could hear nothing but the movements of the horses, but presently came a lowofficer climbed the ladder and stepped into the hay
Here he could hear the conversation between Bicker and Drossdell quite plainly
”They never suspected the butter,” he heard Bicker say ”It tastes a little strong, but they would rather have it that way than have none, and the saive the signal to the boys?” came from Drossdell