Starlight Ranch, and Other Stories of Army Life on the Frontier

by Charles King

  CHAPTER IV.

  CUT OFF.

  It was after ten o'clock when the waning moon came peering over thebarrier ridge at the east. Over an hour had passed since Sergeant Wells,on his big sorrel, had ridden away up the stream on the trail toFarron's.

  Phillips had pressed upon him a Henry repeating rifle, which he hadgratefully accepted. It could not shoot so hard or carry so far as thesergeant's Springfield carbine, the cavalry arm; but to repel a suddenonset of yelling savages at close quarters it was just the thing, as itcould discharge sixteen shots without reloading. His carbine and thebelt of copper cartridges the sergeant left with Ralph.

  Just before riding away he took the operator and Ralph to the back ofthe corral, whence, far up the valley, they could see the twinklinglight at Farron's ranch.

  "We ought to have some way of signalling," he had said as they went outof doors. "If you get news during the night that the Indians are surelythis side of the Platte, of course we want to know at once; if, on theother hand, you hear they are nowhere within striking distance, it willbe a weight off my mind and we can all get a good night's rest up there.Now, how shall we fix it?"

  After some discussion, it was arranged that Wells should remain on thelow porch in front of Farron's ranch until midnight. The light was to beextinguished there as soon as he arrived, as an assurance that all waswell, and it should not again appear during the night unless as amomentary answer to signals they might make.

  If information were received at Phillips's that the Indians were southof the Platte, Ralph should fire three shots from his carbine atintervals of five seconds; and if they heard that all was safe, heshould fire one shot to call attention and then start a small blaze outon the bank of the stream, where it could be plainly seen from Farron's.

  Wells was to show his light half a minute when he recognized the signal.Having arrived at this understanding, the sergeant shook the hand ofRalph and the operator and rode towards Farron's.

  "What I wish," said the operator, "is that Wells could induce Farron tolet him bring Jessie here for the night; but Farron is a bull-headedfellow and thinks no number of Indians could ever get the better of himand his two men. He knows very little of them and is hardly alive to thedanger of his position. I think he will be safe with Wells, but, allthe same, I wish that a troop of the Fifth Cavalry had been sent forwardto-night."

  After they had gone back to the office the operator "called up" Laramie."All quiet," was the reply, and nobody there seemed to think the Indianshad come towards the Platte.

  Then the operator signalled to his associate at Lodge Pole, who wiredback that nobody there had heard anything from Laramie or elsewhereabout the Indians; that the colonel and one or two of his officers hadbeen in the station a while during the evening and had sent messages toCheyenne and Omaha and received one or two, but that they had all goneout to camp. Everything was quiet; "taps" had just sounded and they wereall going to bed.

  "Lodge Pole" announced for himself that some old friends of his were onthe guard that night, and he was going over to smoke a pipe and have achat with them.

  To this "Chug" responded that he wished he wouldn't leave the office.There was no telling what might turn up or how soon he'd be wanted.

  But "Lodge Pole" said the operators were not required to stay at theboard after nine at night; he would have the keeper of the stationlisten for his call, and would run over to camp for an hour; would beback at half-past ten and sleep by his instrument. Meantime, if needed,he could be called in a minute,--the guard tents were only three hundredyards away,--and so he went.

  Ralph almost wished that he had sent a message to the colonel to tellhim of their suspicions and anxiety. He knew well that every officerand every private in that sleeping battalion would turn out eagerly andwelcome the twenty-five-mile trot forward to the Chug on the report thatthe Sioux were out "on the war-path" and might be coming that way.

  Yet, army boy that he was, he hated to give what might be called a falsealarm. He knew the Fifth only by reputation, and while he would not havehesitated to send such a message to his father had he been camped atLodge Pole, or to his father's comrades in their own regiment, he didnot relish the idea of sending a despatch that would rout the colonelout of his warm blankets, and which might be totally unnecessary.

  So the telegraph operator at Lodge Pole was permitted to go about hisown devices, and once again Ralph and his new friend went out into thenight to look over their surroundings and the situation.

  The light still burned at Farron's, and Phillips, coming out with abundle of kindling-wood for the little beacon fire, chuckled when he sawit,--

  "Wells must be there by this time, but I'll just bet Farron is givingthe boys a little supper, or something, to welcome Jessie home, and nowhe's got obstinate and won't let them douse the glim."

  "It's a case that Wells will be apt to decide for himself," answeredRalph. "He won't stand fooling, and will declare martial law.--There!What did I tell you?"

  The light went suddenly out in the midst of his words. They carried thekindling and made a little heap of dry sticks out near the bank of thestream; then stood a while and listened. In the valley, faintly lightedby the moon, all was silence and peace; not even the distant yelp ofcoyote disturbed the stillness of the night. Not a breath of air wasstirring. A light film of cloud hung about the horizon and settled in acumulus about the turrets of old Laramie Peak, but overhead thebrilliant stars sparkled and the planets shone like little globes ofmolten gold.

  Hearing voices, Buford, lonely now without his friend, the sergeant'shorse, set up a low whinny, and Ralph went in and spoke to him, pattinghis glossy neck and shoulder. When he came out he found that a third manhad joined the party and was talking eagerly with Phillips.

  Ralph recognized the man as an old trapper who spent most of his time inthe hills or farther up in the neighborhood of Laramie Peak. He hadoften been at the fort to sell peltries or buy provisions, and was amountaineer and plainsman who knew every nook and cranny in Wyoming.

  Cropping the scant herbage on the flat behind the trapper was a lank,long-limbed horse from which he had just dismounted, and which lookedtravel-stained and weary like his master. The news the man brought wasworthy of consideration, and Ralph listened with rapt attention and witha heart that beat hard and quick, though he said no word and gave nosign.

  "Then you haven't seen or heard a thing?" asked the new-comer. "It'smighty strange. I've scoured these hills--man and boy--nigh onto thirtyyears and ought to know Indian smokes when I see 'em. I don't think Ican be mistaken about this. I was way up the range about four o'clockthis afternoon and could see clear across towards Rawhide Butte, andthree smokes went up over there, sure. What startled me," the trappercontinued, "was the answer. Not ten miles above where I was there wentup a signal smoke from the foot-hills of the range,--just in here to thenorthwest of us, perhaps twenty miles west of Eagle's Nest. It's thefirst time I've seen Indian smokes in there since the month they killedLieutenant Robinson up by the peak. You bet I came down. _Sure_ theyhaven't seen anything at Laramie?"

  "Nothing. They sent Captain McCrea with his troop up towards Rawhidejust after dark, but they declare nothing has been seen or heard ofIndians this side of the Platte. I've been talking with Laramie most ofthe evening. The Black Hills stage coming down reported trail of a bigwar party out, going west just this side of the Butte, and some of themmay have sent up the smokes you saw in that direction. I was saying toRalph, here, that if that trail was forty-eight hours old, they wouldhave had time to cross the Platte at Bull Bend, and be down hereto-night."

  "They wouldn't come here first. They know this ranch too well. They'd goin to Eagle's Nest to try and get the stage horses and a scalp or twothere. You're too strong for 'em here."

  "Ay; but there's Farron and his little kid up there four miles aboveus."

  "You don't tell me! Thought he'd taken her down to Denver."

  "So he did, and fetched her back to-day. Sergeant Wells has gone up
there to keep watch with them, and we are to signal if we get importantnews. All you tell me only adds to what we suspected. How I wish we hadknown it an hour ago! Now, will you stay here with us or go up toFarron's and tell Wells what you've seen?"

  "I'll stay here. My horse can't make another mile, and you may believe Idon't want any prowling round outside of a stockade this night. No, ifyou can signal to him go ahead and do it."

  "What say you, Ralph?"

  Ralph thought a moment in silence. If he fired his three shots, it meantthat the danger was imminent, and that they had certain information thatthe Indians were near at hand. He remembered to have heard his fatherand other officers tell of sensational stories this same old trapper hadinflicted on the garrison. Sergeant Wells himself used to laugh at"Baker's yarns." More than once the cavalry had been sent out to whereBaker asserted he had certainly seen a hundred Indians the day before,only to find that not even the vestige of a pony track remained on theyielding sod. If he fired the signal shots it meant a night of vigil foreverybody at Farron's and then how Wells would laugh at him in themorning, and how disgusted he would be when he found that it wasentirely on Baker's assurances that he had acted!

  It was a responsible position for the boy. He would much have preferredto mount Buford and ride off over the four miles of moonlit prairie totell the sergeant of Baker's report and let him be the judge of itsauthenticity. It was lucky he had that level-headed soldier operator toadvise him. Already he had begun to fancy him greatly, and to respecthis judgment and intelligence.

  "Suppose we go in and stir up Laramie, and tell them what Mr. Bakersays," he suggested; and, leaving the trapper to stable his jaded horseunder Phillips's guidance, Ralph and his friend once more returned tothe station.

  "If the Indians are south of the Platte," said the operator, "I shall nolonger hesitate about sending a despatch direct to the troops at LodgePole. The colonel ought to know. He can send one or two companies rightalong to-night. There is no operator at Eagle's Nest, or I'd have him upand ask if all was well there. That's what worries me, Ralph. It wasback of Eagle's Nest old Baker says he saw their smokes, and it issomewhere about Eagle's Nest that I should expect the rascals to slip inand cut our wire. I'll bet they're all asleep at Laramie by this time.What o'clock is it?"

  The boy stopped at the window of the little telegraph room where thelight from the kerosene lamp would fall upon his watch-dial. The soldierpassed on around to the door. Glancing at his watch, Ralph followed onhis track and got to the door-way just as his friend stretched forth hishand to touch the key.

  "It's just ten-fifty now."

  "Ten-fifty, did you say?" asked the soldier, glancing over his shoulder."Ralph!" he cried, excitedly, "_the wire's cut!_"

  "Where?" gasped Ralph. "Can you tell?"

  "No, somewhere up above us,--near the Nest, probably,--though who cantell? It may be just round the bend of the road, for all we know. Nodoubt about there being Indians now, Ralph, give 'em your signal. Hullo!Hoofs!"

  Leaping out from the little tenement, the two listened intently. Aninstant before the thunder of horse's feet upon wooden planking had beenplainly audible in the distance, and now the coming clatter could beheard on the roadway.

  Phillips and Baker, who had heard the sounds, joined them at theinstant. Nearer and nearer came a panting horse; a shadowy rider loomedinto sight up the road, and in another moment a young ranchman gallopedup to the very doors.

  "All safe, fellows? Thank goodness for that! I've had a ride for it, andwe're dead beat. _Indians?_ Why, the whole country's alive with 'embetween here and Hunton's. I promised I'd go over to Farron's if theyever came around that way, but they may beat me there yet. How many menhave you here?"

  "Seven now, counting Baker and Ralph; but I'll wire right back to LodgePole and let the Fifth Cavalry know. Quick, Ralph, give 'em your signalnow!"

  Ralph seized his carbine and ran out on the prairie behind the corral,the others eagerly following him to note the effect. Bang! went the gunwith a resounding roar that echoed from the cliffs at the east and camethundering back to them just in time to "fall in" behind two otherringing reports at short, five-second intervals.

  Three times the flash lighted up the faces of the little party; set andstern and full of pluck they were. Then all eyes were turned to thedark, shadowy, low-lying objects far up the stream, the roofs ofFarron's threatened ranch.

  Full half a minute they watched, hearts beating high, breath comingthick and fast, hands clinching in the intensity of their anxiety.

  Then, hurrah! Faint and flickering at first, then shining a few secondsin clear, steady beam, the sergeant's answering signal streamed out uponthe night, a calm, steadfast, unwavering response, resolute as thespirit of its soldier sender, and then suddenly disappeared.

  "He's all right!" said Ralph, joyously, as the young ranchman put spursto his panting horse and rode off to the west. "Now, what about LodgePole?"

  Just as they turned away there came a sound far out on the prairie thatmade them pause and look wonderingly a moment in one another's eyes. Thehorseman had disappeared from view. They had watched him until he hadpassed out of sight in the dim distance. The hoof-beats of his horse haddied away before they turned to go.

  Yet now there came the distant thunder of an hundred hoofs bounding overthe sod.

  Out from behind a jutting spur of a bluff a horde of shadows sweep forthupon the open prairie towards the trail on which the solitary rider hasdisappeared. Here and there among them swift gleams, like silverstreaks, are plainly seen, as the moonbeams glint on armlet or bracelet,or the nickel plating on their gaudy trappings.

  Then see! a ruddy flash! another! another! the muffled bang offire-arms, and the vengeful yell and whoops of savage foeman float downto the breathless listeners at the station on the Chug. The Sioux arehere in full force, and a score of them have swept down on that brave,hapless, helpless fellow riding through the darkness alone.

  Phillips groaned. "Oh, why did we let him go? Quick, now! Every man tothe ranch, and you get word to Lodge Pole, will you?"

  "Ay, ay, and fetch the whole Fifth Cavalry here at a gallop!"

  But when Ralph ran into the telegraph station a moment later, he foundthe operator with his head bowed upon his arms and his face hidden fromview.

  "What's the matter,--quick?" demanded Ralph.

  It was a ghastly face that was raised to the boy, as the operatoranswered,--

  "It--it's all my fault. I've waited too long. _They've cut the linebehind us!_"