Some Of Our Friends Have Found Pleasure In Teasing Me About My
Sporting Taste, Private Arena, And So On, But I Do Not Mind So Very
Much, Since The Fight Brought About Peace, And Proved That Hal Has
Plenty Of Pluck.
Those two Knight dogs are looked upon as savage
wolves by every mother in the garrison, and when it is known that they
are out, mothers and nurses run to gather in their small people.
Hal has developed a taste for hunting that has been giving trouble
lately, when he has run off with Magic and the other hounds. So now he
is chained until after guard mounting, by which time the pack has
gone. The signal officer of the department was here the other day when
Faye and men from the company were out signaling, and after luncheon I
told West to go out to him on Powder-Face and lead King, so he could
ride the horse in, instead of coming in the wagon with the men. Late
in the afternoon West came back and reported that he had been unable
to find Faye, and then with much hesitation and choking he told me
that he had lost Hal!
He said that as they had gone up a little hill, they had surprised a
small band of antelope that were grazing rather near on the other
side, and that the hound started after them like a streak, pulling one
down before they had crossed the lowland, and then, not being
satisfied, he had raced on again after the band that had disappeared
over a hill farther on. That was the last he saw of him. West said
that he wanted to bring the dead antelope to the post, but could not,
as both horses objected to it.
My heart was almost broken over the loss of my dog, and I started for
my own room to indulge in a good cry when, as I passed the front door
that was open, I happened to look out, and there, squatted down on the
walk to the gate was Hal! I ran out to pet him, but drew back in
horror when I saw the condition he was in. His long nose and all of
his white chest were covered with a thick coating of coarse antelope
hair plastered in with dried blood. The dog seemed too tired to move,
and sat there with a listless, far-away look that made me wish he
could tell all about his hunt, and if he had lost the second poor
little antelope. West almost danced from joy when he saw him, and lost
no time in giving him a bath and putting him in his warm bed.
Greyhounds are often great martyrs to rheumatism, and Deacon, one of
the pack, will sometimes howl from pain after a hunt. And the howl of
a greyhound is far-reaching and something to be remembered.
Very soon now I will be with you! Faye has decided to close the house
and live with the bachelors while I am away. This will be much more
pleasant for him than staying here all alone.
FORT LYON, COLORADO TERRITORY,
October, 1873.
THE trip out was tiresome and seemed endless, but nothing worth
mentioning happened until I got to Granada, where Faye met me with an
ambulance and escort wagon. It was after two o'clock in the morning
when the train reached the station, and as it is the terminus of the
road, every passenger left the car. I waited a minute for Faye to come
in, but as he did not I went out also, feeling that something was
wrong.
Just as I stepped off the car, Mr. Davis, quartermaster's clerk,
appeared and took my satchel, assuring me that Faye was right there
waiting for me. This was so very unlike Faye's way of doing things,
that at once I suspected that the real truth was not being told. But I
went with him quickly through the little crowd, and on up the
platform, and then I saw Faye. He was standing at one corner of the
building - all alone, and I recognized him instantly by the long
light-blue overcoat and big campaign hat with brim turned up.
And I saw also, standing on the corner of the platform in front of
him, a soldier with rifle in hand, and on the end of it glistening in
the moonlight was a long bayonet! I had lived with troops long enough
to know that the bayonet would not be there unless the soldier was a
sentry guarding somebody or something. I naturally turned toward Faye,
but was held back by Mr. Davis, and that made me indignant, but Faye
at once said quietly and in a voice just loud enough for me to hear,
"Get in the ambulance and ask no questions!" And still he did not move
from the corner. By this time I was terribly frightened and more and
more puzzled. Drawn up close to the farther side of the platform was
an ambulance, also an escort wagon, in which sat several soldiers, and
handing my trunk checks to Mr. Davis, I got, into the ambulance, my
teeth chattering as though I had a chill.
The very instant the trunks were loaded Faye and the sentry came, and
after ordering the corporal to keep his wagon and escort close to us,
and telling me to drop down in the bottom of the ambulance if I heard
a shot, Faye got on the ambulance also, but in front with the driver.
Leaning forward, I saw that one revolver was in his hand and the other
on the seat by his side. In this way, and in perfect silence, we rode
through the town and until we were well out on the open plain, when we
stopped just long enough for Faye to get inside, and a soldier from
the wagon to take his seat by the driver.
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