CHAPTER XIII.
And now indeed came for Marshall Dean a time in which he could see adivided duty. A camp of woodchoppers in one of the deep, sequesteredvalleys of the mountains had been suddenly set upon by a host of mountedIndians that seemed, like the warriors born of the dragon's teeth, tospring up from the earth, and yelling like fiends bore down upon thelittle guard. Happily for the woodchoppers, but unluckily for Lo, thecommander was a cool-headed veteran of the late war who had listenedtime and again to yells as frantic and had withstood charge after chargeten times as determined. Most unluckily for Lo the infantry company wasarmed with the new Springfield breech-loader, and when the band cameexultantly on, having, as they supposed, drawn the fire when full fourhundred yards away, they were confounded by the lively crackle andsputter of rifles along the timber in front of them, toppling many adashing warrior to earth and strewing the ground with slaughteredponies. That charge failed, but they rallied in furious force. Therewere only forty soldiers: they had five hundred braves, so on they cameagain from three different points, and again did Powell's sheltered bluecoats scatter them like red autumn leaves before the storm. Thrice andfour times did they essay to stampede the soldiers and sweep off theirown dead and wounded, and each time were they soundly thrashed, thanksto cool courage and the new breech-loaders. And Red Cloud, cursing hismedicine men, drew off his baffled braves and the hills that nightresounded to their vengeful war-whoops and echoed back the wailing ofthe Indian women mourning over the slain. "All well enough so far,lads," cried Folsom, when he heard the news. "Machpealota is unmasked.It's war to the knife now, so for God's sake send all the troops you canmuster to the aid of those already up there in the Big Horn. Next timehe hits he'll have all the Northern Sioux at his back, you mark mywords!"
But, who the devil is John Folsom? said the Bureau again. Arrest RedCloud. Bring his band in prisoners, were the orders to the agents, andthe agents called for troops to go and do their bidding. It's one thing,as I've had occasion to say before, to stand off with breech-loaders athousand Indians armed only with old percussion cap muskets, squirrelrifles, bows, clubs and lances; it's another thing for soldiers armedeven with the best the market affords, to march into an Indian positionand arrest an Indian chief. There were not soldiers enough north of thePlatte to do it, and the War Department knew it if the Bureau didn't.Hence the mustering in force along the river, and the mounting in hothaste of perhaps ten more troops and companies, nowhere near enough forthe work in hand, but all the nation had within a month's march thatcould possibly be spared from other work and work more important.
And there was wrath at Emory, where the colonel found himself ordered tosend all his transportation to Frayne forthwith, and all his remainingtroops except one of foot. "Damnation! I've only got two companies offoot," he screamed, in the shrill treble of piping senility. "And theymean to rob me of my cavalry, too! 'C' troop is ordered to be held inreadiness for special service."
The transportation, consisting of three wagons and two ambulances, withthe somber company of infantry, started next day, however, and Dean,with eager expectancy kept his men in camp, cooked rations ready,ammunition pouches filled, arms and equipments overhauled and in perfectorder, horses examined and reshod, ready for the word that might comeany minute and carry him--he knew not whither. Folsom and the girls hadto drive back to dinner without him. Despite the permission sent by thecolonel, he would not leave his troop and go in town. So back they camein the soft moonlight and spent a long, lovely summer evening with him,while the band played melodiously in the fort inclosure, and the starstwinkled over the peaks of the Rockies in the southern skies. Folsomspent the hours wiring to Omaha and conferring with such officers as hecould reach. They thought the lesson given Red Cloud would end thebusiness. He knew it would only begin it. Burleigh, saying that he mustgive personal attention to the selection of the teams and wagons, spentthe early evening in his corral, but sent word to Folsom that he hopedto see him in the morning on business of great importance. He had otherhopes, too, one of them being that now the order to send that big sum incurrency to the new stockade would be revoked. He had lost no time insuggesting to the chief quartermaster of the department the extremehazard. He quoted Folsom as saying that before we could send one hundredmen to Warrior Gap Red Cloud could call five thousand, and the chiefquartermaster, being a man of method and a stranger to the frontiersaid, as said the Bureau "Who the devil is John Folsom? Do as you aretold." But that answer only came the following day. Meantime there wasrespite and hope.
Long lived that beautiful evening in the memory of four young hearts. Asweet south wind had been gently playing all day and left the night warmand fragrant of the pines and cedars in the mountain parks. All FortEmory seemed made up of women and children now, for such few soldiers aswere left, barring the bandsmen, were packing or helping pack and storeabout the barracks. From soon after eight until nearly ten the musiciansoccupied their sheltered wooden kiosk on the parade, and filled the airwith sweet strains of waltz or song or stirring martial melody.
For an hour, with Elinor Folsom on his arm, young Dean was strolling upand down the moonlit walk, marveling over the beauty of her dark, yetwinsome face, and Loomis and Jessie, stanch friends already, saunteredafter them. For a time the merry chat went on unbroken. They weretalking of that never-to-be-forgotten visit to the Point--Pappoose'sfirst--and of the hop to which the tall cadet captain took the timidschoolgirl, and of her hop card and the distinguished names it bore, asnames ran in the old days of the battalion; of Ray, who danced sobeautifully and rode so well--he was with the --th cavalry now somewherealong the U. P., said Dean--and of Billings the cadet adjutant; he waswith a light battery in Louisiana. "Where this Captain Newhall isstationed," interrupted Pappoose, with quick, upward look. "I wonder ifhe knows him, Mr. Dean."
"He doesn't like him, I'll venture to say," said Dean, "if Newhalldoesn't suit you and Jessie, and I'm sure I shan't." And then they wenton to talk of the lovely dance music they had at the Point thatsummer, and how bewitchingly Elsen used to play that prettygalop--"Puckwudjies"--the very thing for a moonlit night. One couldalmost see the Indian fairies dancing about their tiny fires.
"It was that galop--my first at West Point--that I danced with CadetCaptain Dean," said Pappoose, looking blithely up into his steadfasteyes. "You've no idea what a proud girl I was!" They were at the upperend of the parade at the moment. The kiosk was only fifty yards away,its band lights sparkling under the canopy, the moonlight glinting onthe smooth surface of the dancing floor that an indulgent post commanderhad had placed there. Half a dozen young garrison girls, arm in arm andby twos, were strolling about its waxen face awaiting the next piece;and some of them had been importuning the leader, for at the moment,soft and rippling, sweet and thrilling, quick and witching, theexquisite opening strains of "Puckwudjies" floated out upon the night.
"Oh, Jess! Listen!" cried Elinor in ecstasy and surprise, as she turnedback with quickly beating heart.
"No, no, indeed!" replied her soldier escort, with a throb in his breastthat echoed and overmastered that in her own. "No time to listen--come!It was your first galop at the Point--let it be our first in Wyoming."And in a moment more the tall, lithe, supple, slender forms were glidingabout the dancing-floor in perfect time to the lovely music, but now herdark eyes could not meet the fire in the blue. Following their lead,Loomis and Jessie joined the dance. Other couples from along the rowhastened to the scene. In five minutes a lively hop was on at Emory, andwhen at last, breathing a little hurriedly and with heightened color,Elinor Folsom glanced up into his joyous and beaming face--"You hadforgotten that galop, Mr. Dean," she archly said, but down went the darkeyes again at his fervent reply.
"Yes, I admit it; but so long as I live I'll never forget this."
Small wonder was it that when Burleigh came driving out at tattoo for abrief conference with the colonel, his sallow face took on a darkershade as he suddenly caught sight of that couple standing at the momentapart from th
e dancers, seeing neither them nor him, hearing for themoment no music but that which trembled in the tones of his deep voice,for Elinor was strangely silent.
"Marshall Dean," whispered Jessie that night, as she hugged him beforebeing lifted to her seat, "tell me true, wasn't Pappoose's picture inyour heart pocket? Didn't that bullet crease it?"
"Promise on your honor not to tell, Jess," he whispered.
She nodded delightedly.
"Yes, and what's more, it's there now!"
Early on the morrow came further news. Troops from Steele and Bridgerwere on the move, but no word came for the cavalry at Emory, andMarshall Dean, hitherto most eager for field service, learned with joyhe felt ashamed to own that he had still another day to spend in thesociety of Jessie and her friend. But how much of that elation Jessiecould have claimed as due to her every sister whose brother is in lovecan better tell than I. At eight they came driving out to hear the bandat guard-mounting, though to old Pecksniff's pathetic sorrow he couldmount only twelve men all told. That ceremony over, they watched withkindling eyes the sharp drill of Marshall's troop; that soldierly youngcommander, one may feel well assured, showing his men, his horses, andhimself off to the best of his ability, as who would not have done undersuch scrutiny as that. Loomis was with them, but Elinor drove, for herfather had urgent business, he said, and must remain at his office.Major Burleigh, he added, was to meet him, whereat the girls weresilent.
"If you could have beard the major pleading with that cantankerous oldfool at the fort in Marshall's behalf you would get over your wrath atBurleigh just as I did," said Folsom, to both, apparently, and stillneither answered. Burleigh was evidently _persona non grata_ in the eyesof both. "He tells me Captain Newhall is still here, waiting for a trainto be made up to run back to Cheyenne. I'm afraid I'll have to ask himto bring the captain to dinner to-day. Do you think Mr. Dean will careto come?" he asked.
"I think he would rather not leave camp," said Jessie slowly. "Ordersmay come any minute, he says."
"Yes, I suppose so," answered Folsom, vaguely relieved. Something toldhim there was antagonism between the young fellow and Burleigh thatwould be apt to involve Newhall, too. "I'll ask them both, if you don'tvery much mind," he went on, whispering to Elinor. "And will you tellMrs. Fletcher? How is she this morning?"
"Just as usual, papa. She says she has rather violent headaches once ina while, and she thinks it prudent to keep her room to-day. But I canattend to everything." Indeed, thought the daughter, she wished she hadit all to do.
And so Folsom had gone to meet Burleigh, and the girls had planned, atleast Jessie had, that Marshall after drill should ride beside them intotown and have a chat in the parlor while she wrote to mother in thelibrary. But a thing happened that no one could have foreseen. Justbefore drill was over and while they were still watching it from theirseats in the covered wagon, a buggy drove up alongside and MajorBurleigh jumped out, gave the reins to his companion and bade him cometo him as soon as he had finished what he wished to do at the sutler's.The major's face was perturbed, that of his companion looked black andugly. It was Captain Newhall, and something was amiss. The latter barelytipped his hat in driving away, the former heaved a sigh of relief, thenturned to greet the girls.
Ten minutes passed in constraint and awkwardness. Burleigh felt that hewas unwelcome, but his eyes were fixed in fascination on Elinor Folsom,and he could not go. Presently drill was dismissed, and Dean, all aglow,came galloping up, his orderly trumpeter following. Not until he hadjoyously greeted both the girls did he see who was standing by theforward wheel on the opposite side.
"Good-morning, Mr. Dean," said Burleigh affably. "I never saw that trooplook so well."
"Good-morning, sir," said Dean coldly. Then turned to speak again toMiss Folsom when the buggy came whirring back.
"He isn't here, Burleigh," said the occupant petulantly. "He's in town,and you've got to find him right off. Come on!"
Burleigh turned livid. "Captain Newhall," he said, "you fail to notice Iam with friends."
"They are friends who will be glad to get rid of you, then," replied thestranger thickly, and it was easy to see that he had been drinking. Allthe same Burleigh went.