Part 18 (1/2)
”Wild Bill” and I deter, and the beer destined for the soldiers at Fort Evans never reached theht down the thirsty throats of General Carr's co near Fort Evans had brewed the beer They were taking it to Fort Evans to sell to the troops But it found a betterso far It was sold to our boys in pint cups, and, as the weather was very cold, ar the ends of our picket pins, heated red-hot, into the brew before we partook of it The result was one of the biggest beer jollifications it has ever beenGeneral Carr summoned me to his tent He said he wanted to send some scouts with dispatches to Fort Supply, to be forwarded from there to General Sheridan He ordered ether and to select the o, but he replied that he could not spare me The distance to Camp Supply was about two hundred miles Because of the very cold weather it was sure to be a hard trip None of the scouts were at all keen about undertaking it, but it was finally settled that ”Wild Bill,” ”Little Geary,” a half-breed, and three other scouts should carry the dispatches They took their departure the next day with orders to return as soon, as possible
We scouted for several days along the Canadian River, finding no sign of Indians The general then returned to caon-train returned with provisions from Fort Lyon Our animals were in poor condition, so we re San Francisco Creek and on the North Fork of the Canadian till ”Wild Bill” and his scouts returned fro the scouts in Penrose's co them and the Americans a bitter feud existed When Carr united Penrose's comrew more intense than ever The Mexicans often threatened to ”clean us out,” but they postponed the execution of the threat from time to time
At last, however, ere all in the sutler's store, the long-expected fight took place, with the result that the Mexicans were severely beaten
On hearing of the row, General Carr sent for ”Wild Bill” and me From various reports he had ators of the affair After listening to e had to say, however, he decided that the Mexicans were as much to blame as ere It is possible that both ”Wild Bill” and I had i General Carr said to me:
”Cody, there are plenty of antelopes in the country You can do so while we stay here” After that my time was spent in the chase, and I had fine success I killed from twenty to twenty-five antelopes every day, and the camp was supplied with freshto the outfit had been sufficiently recruited to travel, we returned to Fort Lyon, reaching there in March, 1869 The co to the Department of the Platte, whither it had been ordered
At ranted me a month's leave of absence to visit my family in St Louis He instructed Captain Hays, our quartermaster, to let me ride my mule and horse to Sheridan, 140 miles distant At Sheridan I was to take the train for St Louis
I was instructed to leave the animals in the quartermaster's corral at Fort Wallace until I should coe of my old friend Perry, the hotel-keeper at Sheridan
After twenty days, pleasantly spent with my family at St Louis, I returned to Sheridan There I learned that my horse and mule had been seized by the Governent at Sheridan had reported to General Bankhead, co at Fort Wallace, and to Captain Laufer, the quartermaster, that I had left the country and had sold the animals to Perry Laufer took possession of the ani Government property He refused to pay any attention to Perry's statement that I would return in a few days, and that the animals had merely been left in his care
As soon as I found this out I proceeded to the office of the quarterave hi he richly deserved When I had finished with him he hastened to the fort, reported what had happened, and returned with a guard to protect hi a horse from Perry, I rode to Fort Wallace and demanded my horse and mule from General Bankhead I told hied to General Carr's command, and explained that I had obtained permission to ride theruffly orderedthat if I didn't leave in a hurry he would have ht do this and be hanged, using, very possibly, a stronger expression That night, while sleeping at the Perry House, I akened by a tap on my shoulder and was astonished to see the roouns all pointed at eant
”Now looka heah, Massa Bill; if you move we'll blow you off de fahm, suah!” Just then Captain Ezekial entered, and ordered the soldiers to stand back
”I'm sorry, Bill,” he said, when I demanded to knohat this meant
”But I've been ordered by General Bankhead to arrest you and bring you to Fort Wallace”
”All right,” said I ”But you could have hth Infantry with you”
”I know that, Bill, but you've not been in a very good humor the last day or two, and we didn't kno you'd act”
I dressed hurriedly and accompanied the captain to Fort Wallace When we reached there at two o'clock in thethe captain said:
”Bill, I'uardhouse”
I told hi out orders, and was uardhouse prisoner for the first and only tiuard, as an old friend from Captain Graha me to sleep in his own bed, and in a few minutes I was sound asleep