Part 29 (2/2)

Anyone who has seen that country in the daytime knows that it is not exactly the kind of a place one would pick out for pleasure riding

Iht, over such a country, filled with alinable obstacle to travel, and without any real roads, and you can understand the sort of a ride I had that night I was lad to see the dawn break, and to be able to pick h I could not increase the pace at which I had driven ht

There was no present prospect of carrying this out, however After I had taken lunch, General Terry asked me if I would carry some dispatches to General Whistler, and I replied that I would be glad to do so Captain Slad to accept the animal, as my oas pretty well spent He proved to be a fine ht in four hours, reaching General Whistler's stea

When Whistler had read the dispatches I handed him he said:

”Cody, I want to send infor the Indians that have been skir to induce soo”

”Get your dispatches ready, general,” I replied, ”and I'll take them”

He went into his quarters and cae, which he handed ht o'clock that evening reached Terry's headquarters, just as his force was about to march

As soon as Terry had read the dispatches he halted his command, which was already under way Then he rode on ahead to overtake General Crook, hoent request I accompanied him on a scout for Dry Fork, on the Missouri We marched three days, a little to the east of north When we reached the buffalo range we discovered so buffalo, and the evidences of their ere very plain Terry now called on me to carry dispatches to Colonel Rice, as still encamped at the hty ht had set in with a stor slippery, and made the blackness of the Western Plains still blacker I was entirely unacquainted with the section of the country through which I was to ride I therefore traveled all night and remained in seclusion in the daytime I had too many plans for the future to risk a shot fro ht I unsaddled my mount and hteda pillow of ue of the night's journey soon made me drowsy, and before I knew it I was fast asleep Suddenly I akened by a loud ru toward my horse, which I had picketed in a hidden spot in the brush near by where he would be out of sight of any passing Indians

Cli a steep hill, I looked cautiously over the country froreat herd of buffalo,hard and firing into the herd as they rode Others near by were cutting up the carcasses of the animals that had already been killed

I saddled my horse and tied him near me Then I crawled on my stomach to the su the progress of the chase

When the Indians had killed all the buffalo they wanted they rode off in the direction whence they had coo on my own expedition I made up my mind that their camp was located soer to have any coentlehtfall, I made a wide detour around the place where I believed their ca Colonel Rice's ca Indians almost every day since he encamped at this point He was anxious that Terry should know of this so that reenforceht be sent, and the country cleared of the redskins Of course it fell to my lot to carry this word back to Terry

I undertook the h, for by this tih a country beset with perils, and rather enjoyed it

The strain of my recent rides had told on ed in work of this kind, the exhilaration is such that he forgets all about the wear and tear on his syste in caood long sleep usually puts hiain

Many and many a time I have driven myself beyond what I believed was the point of physical endurance, only to find that I was ready for still further effort if the need should arise The fact that I continued in rugged health during all the tihoutoutdoors, despite its hardshi+ps, is far better for a man than any sedentary occupation can possibly be

I started back to overhaul General Terry, and on the third day out I found him at the head of Deer Creek He was on his way to Colonel Rice's ca too far east He asked ht course, which I did On arriving at Glendive I bade good-by to the general and his officers and took passage on the _Far West_, which was on her way down the Missouri At Bismarck I left the steamer, and proceeded by rail to Rochester, New York

It has been a great pleasure to me to meet and know and serve with such h on the Plains to know Indian fighters when I saw them, and I cannot close this chapter without a tribute to both of theseeneral of volunteers at the age, I think, of 26 or 27

He took naturally to Indian fighting He quickly divested himself of all the tactics that were useless in this particular kind of warfare, and learned as much about the Indians as anymy Wild West Show in Madison Square Garden, General Miles visited it asaround hih other arh reputation accompanied him on the visit

This Indian escort at last proved to be alo to any part of the Garden without four or five of the braves silently dogging his footsteps and drinking in his every word

When this was called to my attention I called one of the old men aside and asked hierly

”Heap big chief!” was the reply ”Hiest White Chief Heap likuiven to extravagant praise

When we have h to speak well of lad to have this opportunity of returning the compliment