by Charles King
CHAPTER XIV.
Another day Dean and Troop "C" were held in camp awaiting orders forspecial service, and no orders came. "Old Pecksniff" had an eye forpretty girls, a trait by no means rare in soldiers old or young, andprettier girls than Pappoose and Jessie he had never met. Mrs. Stevenswas accordingly bidden to invite them to luncheon that very day, andDean and Loomis were of the party, as were other young people of thepost, and, despite the rising war clouds in the north and the recentunpleasantness at Emory and an odd manner indicative of suppressedexcitement on part of both Dean and Loomis, a very joyous time they haduntil the damsels Had to drive home to dress for dinner. Folsom hadnamed six as the hour. Burleigh, Newhall and the two boys were mentionedas his guests. Burleigh accepted for self and partner, Loomis forhimself, with mental reservation. Dean at once had begged to be excused.After the morning's disappearance of Burleigh and "Surly," as MissFolsom promptly named the pair, Marshall had ridden into Gate City atthe side of the Folsom carriage, and was welcomed by the old traderhimself, who looked pained when told he could not attend the dinner."Surely Colonel Stevens will let you off," said Folsom, but thatobviously was not the reason.
"I'm the only officer with my troop," said Dean, "and so cannot ask."
But when Folsom took his daughter in his arms a little later andinquired whether there were not some graver cause behind the oneassigned, Elinor calmly answered that she thought there was, and thatthe cause was Major Burleigh.
"But, daughter dear," said he, "that's just one reason I wish to bringthem together. Then Dean could see how pleasantly disposed the majoris," and he was amazed when she replied:
"Major Burleigh may be pleasantly disposed, but Mr. Dean is not, by anymeans, nor would I be were I in his place, papa."
"My child," said he, "what do you know about it?"
"Everything that Jessie knows, besides what we heard on the train.Mar--Mr. Dean told her of several things Major Burleigh had said anddone to his discredit, and no wonder he declines to dine with a man whohas deliberately maligned him."
"I wish I had thought of that," said Folsom, his knotty hands deep inthe pockets of his loose-fitting trousers. "I saw Burleigh this morningon some business, and he seemed to want to help Dean along. What tookhim out to the fort, do you suppose?"
"I don't know," she answered gravely. "He had Captain Newhall with him,in quest of somebody who wasn't there."
"Ah, yes, Griggs, the sutler. I heard of it," interposed Folsom,fingering his watchchain.
"Very possibly. The captain was ugly and rude in manner and MajorBurleigh very much embarrassed. Indeed, Daddy dear, I should not begreatly surprised if others of your party failed to come."
"Burleigh, do you mean, or his queer guest?"
But Pappoose did not reply. She seemed listening intently, and then withswift, sudden movement darted across to the heavy Navajo blanketportiere that hung at the doorway of a little room back of the library.Her voice was far from cordial as she asked:
"Were you looking for any one, Mrs. Fletcher? I thought you were in yourroom."
"For Mr. Folsom, please, when he is at leisure," was the answer, inunruffled tones. "I believe it easier to take active part in thepreparations than to lie there thinking."
At one the girls were to lunch at the fort, as has been said, and it wastime for them to dress. There were other matters on which Elinor muchwished to talk with her father and, with more reluctance than she hadyet experienced, she left him to hear what Mrs. Fletcher might have tosay. The conference was brief enough, whatever its nature, for presentlyhis voice was heard at the foot of the stairs.
"I'm going over to the depot a few minutes, Daught. I wish to seeBurleigh. Don't wait for me. Start whenever you are ready. Where do theboys meet you?"
"Here, Daddy, at half-past twelve."
It was high noon now, and the ruddy-faced old fellow grew redder as thesummer sun beat down on his gray head, but he strode sturdily down thebroad avenue that led to the heart of the bustling new town, turned tothe right at the first cross street beyond his own big block, and tenminutes' brisk tramp brought him to the gateway of Burleigh's stockadedinclosure. Two or three employees lounging about the gate were gazingcuriously within. Silently they let him pass them by, but a sound ofangry voices rose upon the heated air. Just within the gate stood theorderly trumpeter holding two horses by the reins, one of them MarshallDean's, and a sudden idea occurred to Folsom as he glanced at the openwindows of the office building. There was no mistaking the speakerwithin. It was Burleigh.
"Leave my office instantly, sir, or I'll prefer charges that willstick----"
"Not till I've said what I came to say, Major Burleigh. I've abundantevidence of what you've been saying at my expense. You asserted that Ilost my nerve the day we met Red Cloud's band--you who never dared getout of the ambulance until the danger was over. It's common talk in thetroop. At Frayne, at Reno, and here at Emory you have maligned me justas you did in the cars to my friend here, Mr. Loomis, and in hearing ofmy sister. I will not accept your denial nor will I leave your officetill you swallow your words."
"Then, by God, I'll have you thrown out, you young whipsnapper!"
And then Folsom, with fear at his heart, ran around to the doorway tointerpose. He came too late. There was a sound of a furious scufflewithin, a rattling of chairs, a crunching of feet on sanded floor, andas he sprang up the steps he saw Dean easily squirming out from thegrasp of some member of the clerical force, who, at his master'sbidding, had thrown himself upon the young officer, who then deftlytripped his heels from under him and dropped him on the floor, whileLoomis confronted the others who would have made some show of obeyingorders. And then there was the whirr of a whip-lash, a crack and snapand swish, and a red welt shot across Burleigh's livid face as hehimself staggered back to his desk. With raging tongue and frantic oathhe leaped out again, a leveled pistol in his hand, but even before hecould pull trigger, or Folsom interpose, Loomis's stick came down like aflash on the outstretched wrist, and the pistol clattered to the floor.
"Good God, boys! what are you doing?" cried the trader, as he hurledhimself between them. "Stop this instantly. Sit down, Burleigh. Comeout, Dean--come out at once! And you, too, Loomis."
"I'm entirely ready--now," said the cavalry lieutenant, though his eyeswere flaming and his lips were rigid. "But whenever Major Burleigh wantsto finish this he can find me," and with these words he backed slowly tothe door, face to the panting and disordered foe.
"Finish this! you young hound, I'll finish you!" screamed Burleigh, ashe shook his clinched fist at the retiring pair.
"Go, boys, go!" implored Folsom. "I'll see you by and by. No--no--sitstill, Burleigh. Don't you speak. This must stop right here."
And so the old man's counsels prevailed, and the two friends, withgrave, pallid, but determined faces, came out into the sunshine, andwith much deliberation and somewhat ostentatious calm proceeded to wherethe orderly waited with the horses.
"You will see--the ladies out to camp, Loomis?" asked Dean. "I mustgallop on ahead."
"Ay, ay, go on, I reckon----"
But on this scene there suddenly appeared a third party, in the partialguise of an officer and the grip of Bacchus. Lurching down the officesteps, with flushed face and bloodshot eyes, came Captain Newhall.
"Gen'l'm'n," said he thickly, "le'm 'ntroduce m'self. Haven't th' honory'r 'quain's. I'm Ca'm New(hic)'ll. Cap'n N-n-(hic)oohaul (this costprodigious effort and much balancing), an'--an' you sherv'd that f'lerper-per-flicky ri'. He's dam scoun'rl--gen'lemen--an' ole frien' mine."
For an instant he stood swaying unsteadily, with half-extended hand. Foran instant the two young officers gazed at him in contempt, then turnedabruptly away.
"Good Lord, Marshall," said Loomis, as they cleared the gate, "if that'sthe only approbation this day's work will bring us what will the resultsbe? You served him right, no doubt, but--" and an ominous shake of thehead wound up the sentence.
"But or no but," said Dean, "it'
s done now, and I'd do it again."
There was no dinner party at Folsom's that evening. At two a messengertrotted out to the post with a note for Miss Folsom to apprise her ofthe fact, and without a word or change of color she put it into herpocket. The garrison girls were bent on having them spend the afternoon,but presently Miss Folsom found a moment in which to signal to Jess, andat three they were driving home.
"You will surely come out this evening and hear the music and have adance," were the parting salutations, as with skillful hands the younggirl took up the reins.
"We hope to," was her smiling answer. Jess was clinging to her brother'shand as he stood by the wheel, and Loomis had already clambered inbeside her.
"Please come, Marshall," pleaded Jessie; but he shook his head.
"I must be at camp this evening, sister mine. We go to stables in anhour. You will come back, Loomis?"
"As soon as I've seen--" and a significant nod supplied the ellipsis.
Something ominous was in the wind and both girls knew it. Loomis,usually gay and chatty, was oddly silent, as the light, covered wagonsped swiftly homeward. Beside the fair charioteer sat a young officer ofthe infantry who, vastly rejoicing that Dean could not go, hadlaughingly possessed himself of the vacant place, and to him Miss Folsomhad to talk. But they parted from their escorts at the gate and hastenedwithin doors. Just as Elinor expected, papa had not come home. It wasnearly six when she saw him striding slowly and thoughtfully up theroad, and she met him at the gate.
"Tell me what has happened, Daddy," was her quiet greeting, as shelinked her hands over his burly arm, and looking into her uplifted,thoughtful eyes, so full of intelligence and deep affection, he bent andkissed her cheek.
"By Jove, daughter, I believe it's the best thing I can do. Come intothe library."
That night the moon beamed brightly down on the wide-spreading valley,glinting on the peaks, still snow-tipped, far in the southern sky, andsoftening the rugged faces of the nearer range, black with theirclustering beard of spruce and pine. The band played sweetly on thebroad parade until after the tattoo drums had echoed over the plains andthe garrison belles strolled aimlessly in the elfin light--all nature solavishly inviting, yet so little valued now that nearly every man wasgone. Out in the camp of "C" Troop men were flitting swiftly to and fro,horses were starting and stamping at the picket ropes, eager eyes andtilted ears inquiring the cause of all this stir and bustle among thetents. In front of the canvas home of the young commander a grave-facedgroup had gathered, two gentle girls among them, one with tear-dimmedeyes. Old Folsom stood apart in murmured conference with Griggs, thesutler. The regimental quartermaster was deep in consultation with Dean,the two officers pacing slowly up and down. One or two young people fromthe garrison had spent a few minutes earlier in the evening striving tobe interesting to the girls; but Jessie's tearful eyes and Miss Folsom'sgrave manner proved hint sufficient to induce them to withdraw, eachbidding Dean good night, safe journey and speedy return, and thehand-clasps were kind and cordial. The colonel himself had paid a briefvisit to camp, his adjutant in attendance, and had given Mr. Dean tenminutes of talk concerning a country Dean knew all about, but that"Pecksniff" had never seen. "It is a responsibility I own I should haveexpected to see placed on older shoulders," said he, "but prudenceand--and, let me suggest, cool-headedness--will probably carry youthrough. You will be ready to start----"
"Ready now, sir, so far as that's concerned; but we start at three."
"Oh, ah--yes, of course--well--ah--it leaves me practically with nocommand, but I'll hope to have you back, Mr. Dean. Good-by." Then as hepassed Folsom the colonel whispered: "That's ten thousand dollars asgood as thrown away."
"Ten thousand dollars!" answered the trader in reply. "What do youmean?"
"That's what those boys are to run the gauntlet with. My--ah--protestsare entirely unavailing."
For a moment Folsom stood there dumb. "Do you mean," he finally cried,"that--that it's beyond Frayne that they're going--that it's moneythey're to take?"
"Hush! Certainly, but it mustn't be known. Every road agent in Wyomingwould be out, and every Indian from the Platte to Hudson's Bay would beon the watch. He's to take ten men and slip through. The money comes outfrom Burleigh to-night."
The colonel turned away, and, beckoning to his staff officer to join us,stumped onward to the garrison. The prolonged wail of the bugle, aidedby the rising night wind, sent the solemn strains of taps sailing downthe dimly-lighted valley, and with staring eyes old Folsom stood gazingafter the departing officers, then whirled about toward the tents. Therein front of Dean stood Pappoose, her hands clasped lightly over the hiltof the saber the "striker" had leaned against the lid of the mess chestbut a moment before, her lovely face smiling up into the owner's.
"You'll come back by way of Hal's, won't you?" she was blithely saying."Perhaps I can coax father to take us there to meet you."
"By heaven, Burleigh," muttered the old trader to himself, "are you thedeepest man I ever met, or only the most infernal scoundrel?"
