Part 10 (2/2)
When Custer learned that I was at the Post he asked that I be assigned to duty with hiht the next day--none too early, as Custer, with his staff and orderlies, was already in the saddle When I was introduced to Custer he glanced disapprovingly at the lad to meet you, Cody,” he said ”General Sherman has told me about you But I a that mule”
”General,” I returned, ”that is one of the best horses at the fort”
”It isn't a horse at all,” he said, ”but if it's the best you've got we shall have to start”
We rode side by side as we left the fort My eneral's horse most of the time in a half-trot
His anihbred, but for the kind of work at hand I had full confidence inI slyly spurred the mule ahead, and when he would start forward I would rein hi him not to be too fractious, as we hadn't yet reached the sandhills In this way I set a good lively pace--so
At Seneral, as impatient to be off, ordered a fresh start I told him we had still forty ait
”I have no tiht ahead”
Push right ahead we did I continued quietly spurringthe brute to take it easy Presently I noticed that the escort was stringing out far behind, as their horses beca back, noticed the sa too fast a pace for theht this was merely the usual pace for my mule and that I supposed he was in a hurry hethe next forty miles we had to stop to wait for the escort to close up Their horses, sweating and panting, had reached al th said:
”You see it over e overlooking pawnee Fork we again waited for our lagging escort As aited I said:
”If you want to send a dispatch to the officer in command at Fort Larned, I will be pleased to take it down for you You can follow this ridge till you coht down to the fort”
Custer swung around to the captain, who had just ridden up, and repeated to him my instructions as to how to reach the fort ”I shall ride ahead with Cody,” he added ”Now, Cody, I am ready for you and that mouse-colored mule”
The pace I set for General Custer fro” When we rode up to the quarters of Captain Daingerfield Parker, commandant of the post, General Custer dismounted, and his horse was led off to the stables by an orderly, while I went to the scouts'
quarters I was personally sure that my mule ell cared for, and he was fresh as a daisy the next rooeneral's quarters, waited for him to appear I saluted as he came out, and said that if he had any further orders I was ready to carry the, Cody,” he said ”My horse died during the night”
I said I was very sorry his aniot into too fast a class the day before
”Well,” he replied, ”hereafter I will have nothing to say against a ain on the Plains I shall try to have you detailed as uide, and then ill have time to talk over that race”
A few days after my return to Fort Hays the Indiansfive or sixoff a hundred orofficer, who io in pursuit of the raiders The Tenth Cavalry was a negro regiment Arms took a co as scout
On the second day out we discovered a large party of Indians on the opposite side of the Saline River, and about adown on us and there was no time to lose Arms placed his howitzer on a little knoll, liuard it Then, with the rest of the command, he crossed the river to ot hisback toward the knoll where the gun had been left,our negro gun-guard flying toward us, pursued byabout the gun, although they had not the slightest notion what to do with it
Arms turned back with his command and drove the redskins from their useless prize The men disht followed Five or sixMajor Arms, ounded, and a nuht proceeded, the enemy seemed to become steadily more nu froe party in the rear