Part 30 (2/2)

Such a friend was old ”Buffalo Chips,” who certainly deserves a place in theseonwithon crutches froedwhite hair, and thethat he see hily, and in response totold me that he had been rejected by the hospital because he had been a Confederate soldier and it was against their rules to accept any but Union veterans

I turned the stranger over to my sister, who prepared a meal for him while I went over to the adjutant's office to see what could be done I met General Emory in the adjutant's office, and on ave e, who said his na the treatment of which he stood in sore need

In a feeeks he had nearly recovered fro which had necessitated the use of his crutches Every day he came to my house to play with the children and to care for ruffly refused to accept any pay

Now and then he would borrow one of my rifles for a little practice I soon discovered that he was a splendid shot, as well as an unusually fine horseman My surprise at these accomplishments was somewhat lessened when he told me that he had spent his four years' war service as one of General JEB Stuart's scouts Stuart had no other kind of men in his coerous the errand,The first time he followed me I still remember vividly I had left the Post on a five days' scout, and was particularly anxious that no one should know the direction I was to take

When I was four or five miles fro in my direction about a mile in my rear When I stopped he stopped I rode on for a little way and looked around again He was exactly the same distance behind me, and pulled his horse up when I halted This maneuver I repeated several times, alith the same result Considerably disquieted by this mysterious pursuit, I decided to discover the reason for it I whipped up my horse and when I had put a sandhill between h a ravine, and came up in his rear Then I boldly rode up till I ca around when he heard irl when he sa I had tricked him

”Look here, White,” I de me in this way for?”

”Mrs Cody said I could follow you if I wanted to,” he said, ”and, well, I just followed you, that's all”

That was all he would say But I knew that he had co hurt if I was attacked, and would rather die than ad, and co he did

There was no need for his services on that occasion, but a little later he put ether into a border tohere there were a few gentle business who had reason to wishto some other sphere I left White to look after the horses as we reached the town, and went into a hotel to get a nip, for which I felt a very great need White noticed a couple of rough-looking chaps behind the barn as he put the horses away and quietly slipped to a here he could overhear their conversation

”We'll go in while he is taking a drink,” one of the, ”and shoot him from behind He'll never have a chance”

Without a word to ot behind the door Presently the two men entered, both with drawn revolvers But before they could raise them White covered them with his oeapon and commanded them sternly to throw up their hands, an order hich they instantly complied after one look at his face

I wheeled at the order, and recognized his two captives as thefor, a pair of horse-thieves and murderers whom I had been sent to apprehend My revolvers were put into instant requisition, and I kept theuns hich they had expected to put me out of their way

With White's help I conducted these gentlemen forty miles back to the sheriff's office, and they walked every step of the way Each of theot ten years in the penitentiary as soon as they could be tried They either forgave ot out, for I never heard of either of then of 1876 I secured employment for White as a scout He ith me when Terry and Crook's commands separated on the Yellowstone By this tiait,h mine at that time was brown, and his hite as the driven snow

We were e, which was peopled with very lively and very belligerent savages I had given White an old red-lined coat, one which I had worn conspicuously in a number of battles, and which the Indians had et on that account

A party of Indians had been driven froe, and soone after the tinder cover asthe opposite bluff, rifle in hand, looking for a chance at the savages huddled below, and hoping to distract their fire so they would do as little da in on the on all-fours till he reached a stunted tree on the briht his rifle to his shoulder in readiness to aim and raised himself slowly to his feet He was about to fire, when one of the Indians in the hole below spotted the red-lined coat There was a crack, a puff of sh his heart The coat had caught the attention of the savages, and thus I had been the innocentthem so hard, it is not likely that any of the warriors would have wasted a shot had they not thought they were getting Pa-ho-has-ka For a long time the Indians believed that I would be a menace to them no ood -Grounds as a sort of tribute to my friend

Poor old White! A more faithful man never took a trail, nor a braver

He was a credit to iven him in derision, but which afterward became an honor, the name of ”Buffalo Chips”