Part 16 (1/2)

”I can't allow any such business as this, Cody,” he exclaimed ”What do you ons this tiht I would make the buffaloes furnish their own transportation”

The colonel saw the force of my defense, and had no more to say on the subject

No Indians had been seen in the vicinity during the day Colonel Royal, having posted his pickets, supposed that everything was serene for the night But beforeere aroused by shots, and i into camp with the announcement that there were Indians close at hand All the coer for action TheMany of them were excited

But, despite the alar to the post where the picket said he had seen them, none were to be found, nor could the faintest trace be discovered

The sentinel, an Irishman, insisted that there certainly had been redskins there

”But you must be mistaken,” said the colonel

”Upon me sowl, I'm not As sure as me name's Pat Maloney, wan iv them red devils hit me on th' head with a club, so he did,” persisted the picket

Whencame we made a successful effort to clear up the mystery

Elk tracks were found in the vicinity, and it was undoubtedly a herd of elk that had frightened the picket When he turned to flee helimb, which he supposed was the club of a redskin, bent on his murder It was hard, however, to convince him that he could have been ht us to Beaver Creek, where we encamped and where scouts were sent out in different directions None of these parties discovered Indians, and they all returned to camp at about the same time They found it in a state of excitement A few hours before the return of the scouts the camp had been attacked by a party of redskins, who had killed twoto Co the command started on the trail of the horse thieves

Major Broith two companies and three days' rations pushed ahead in advance of theunsuccessful in the chase, and nearly out of rations, the entire command marched toward the nearest railroad station and camped on the Saline river, threefor supplies ere joined by a new co officer, Brevet-Major-Greneral EA Carr, as the senior ht with him the celebrated Forsythe Scouts, ere coular-army officer

While in this camp, Major Broelcomed a new lieutenant, who had come to fill a vacancy in the command This was AB Bache, and on the day he was to arrive Major Brown had his private aht out and invited me to ride with him to the railroad station to meet the lieutenant On the way to the depot he said:

”Now, Cody, we'll give Bache a lively little ride, and shake hiiven a back seat in the aot off the train, and we headed for the camp

Presently Major Brown took the reins fro the allop he pulled out his revolver and fired several shots The road was terribly rough and the night was intensely dark We could not see where ere going, and it was a wonderful piece of luck that the wagon did not tip over and break our necks

Finally Bache asked, good-humoredly:

”Is this the way you break in all your new lieutenants, Major?”

”Oh, no,” returned the major ”But this is the e often ride in this country Keep your seat, Mr Bache, and we'll take you through on time,” he quoted, from Hank Monk's fa down a steep hill at full speed Just as we reached the bottom, the front wheels struck a deep ditch over which the , and Bache plunged forward headlong to the front of the vehicle

”Take the back seat, lieutenant,” said Major Brown sternly

Bache replied that he had been trying to do so, keeping his nerve and his teon out of the ditch and resu into camp under full headway, and created considerable anized the ambulance, and knew that Major Brown and I were out for a lark, so little was said about the exploit