Wellington's Quest - Robert F. Clifton (beach books .TXT) 📗

the Sioux. Were they on the move towards or away from Sibley's advancing army? It was his task to find out as it was for him to know and to report. He headed towards the Missouri River, hoping to find signs of the tribe moving west. He peered at the ground as the sun began to rise giving him a faint, daylight. He brought his mount to a halt. Looking at Jim he said, “Bout time you made yourself useful. I want you to go left from here about a hundred yards. Then start lookin for sign. You'll be lookin for unshod pony tracks, travois tracks cut in the ground, things like that. You find somethin you let me know. Meanwhile’s, I’ll do the same here”.

Jim nodded and turned the Cayuse roan and rode out as instructed.

He he rode he searched the grass. He looked for tell tale signs of someone or something that had moved and passed over the land. With animals it could be foot or hoof depressions, close cropped grass where they fed, and dung. With humans it might be mistakes made, such as dropping a tool, a bone from a meal, a bloody bandage, anything that represented humans passing through the area.

The morning air warmed as the rising sun moved higher in the sky. Jim rode the Cayuse back and forth over the hundred yard area he searched. Stopping he took a swig of water from his canteen. As he replaced the canteen cap he caught the sight of a foreign object, something that did not belong on the grassland. He got down from his mount and with the reins in one hand bent down and picked up a small piece of buffalo horn. Inside the horn were the remains of red vermillion.

Jim looked for Abner. Seeing that he wasn't too far away, as taught and instructed he gave a call, imitating the prairie chicken. “Whoo-doo-dooh! Whoo-doo-dooh!”, he called.

Abner turned towards the sound, then saw Jim beckon to him. He rode up to Jim, dismounted and took the bison horn. With his index finger he touched the vermillion colored fat finding it still moist. “Still wet. Probably a young warrior. Painted himself up for battle then tossed this away. Since there ain't no other sign who ever it were was probably a straggler trying to catch up with the main party. Mount up. We’ll keep heading towards the big river. That's where the Sioux will place the women, children and old ones”, said Abner.

Shortly after noon they rode up a rise and pulled on the reins of their mounts. Ahead of them, perhaps a mile they saw nothing else that indicated that the Sioux were in the area. “We'll keep going till we reach Stony Lake. That's where the General wants to camp and rest the men and animals”, said Abner.

Five hours later, Sibley's troops made camp. Word went through the encampment that General Sibley was irritated that he had to stop and rest his command. He wanted to pursue the Sioux, punish them and most of all prevent them from crossing the Missouri River.

At sunup the next morning, Sibley had his force on the move. They had traveled approximately five miles when the first war party struck. The General gave the orders to take defensive positions. When they did the Santee and Tetons Warriors probed for a weakness in the white soldiers lines. Finding none, the Sioux began a strategic withdrawal, fighting a delaying action.

“What are they doing?”, asked Jim.

“Stalling, buying time so their families can get across the river, Abner explained.

Sandy Cahill rode up, stopped and from the saddle said, “Looks like we'll be on the move again. The General is going to stay on the attack. He wants to know if General Sully is in position to stop the Sioux attempting to cross the river. I want you to come with me Abner”.

Abner Dooley climbed quickly on to his horse.

“Can I come?”, asked Jim.

Cahill thought for a moment, then answered. “Alright, but you'll have to keep up. We'll be traveling fast.”

The three men rode through miles of wheat grass and as they did meadowlarks feeding on insects were forced to fly, coming up out of the prairie grass and taking wing to another location ahead of the riders.

Cahill allowed his horse to walk. As it did it suddenly began acting strange. “Somethings wrong. This critter only acts this way when he smells Indians. He don't like em”, he said.

As the three men approached a high mound each man checked his weapons. Cahill checked the position of the sun in the sky. Locating it he positioned himself so the sun was at his back. Abner and Jim followed, doing the same thing. Before they reached the rise five mounted Sioux came riding fast from behind the knoll. As they came they screamed their war cries. Each warrior was painted. One rode a buckskin pony, another a mule. As they came on Cahill was the first to draw and fire, using his revolver. Jim concentrated on the Sioux riding the buckskin. He noticed the hatred in the man's eyes as he approached, saw the black and white and white paint on his face. He saw the white froth formed in the pony's mouth. He smelled the sweat of the animal and the odor of rancid fat from the war paint as the man came nearer. Then, he watched with satisfaction as the shot from his revolver struck the rider coming at him causing the warrior to leave the buffalo hide saddle and fall backwards to the ground. Then, he heard the buzz of a rifle ball pass by his head. It was a near miss caused by the shooter who had to look into bright sunlight as he took aim.

Cahill downed another Sioux. As Jim looked for another target he saw a mounted warrior racing towards Abner. The rider carried a long lance and as Abner fired at him the shot missed. Jim yelled in horror as he saw the lance penetrate and punch through his friend's body.

Still screaming, Jim rushed the Cayuse towards the lance carrier. When he was close enough he left the saddle in a leap crashing into the mounted Indian causing both men to fall to the ground. The plunge to the ground knocked the wind out of the Sioux. In anger, Jim quickly placed his left hand on the enemy's throat and at the same time reached back for the Bowie knife in the scabbard on his belt. When the knife came free and in his hand he screamed and stabbed. Then, he stabbed again and again.

“That's enough! That's enough! Damn it Jim the Indian's dead. Stop it”, ordered Cahill.

Jim got up and off of the body of the man he had just killed. He looked at Abner Dooley, saw that the man was dead and he began to cry.

“Go ahead Jim. Let it out. Let it all out. The fights over. We won, but we lost a friend, a damn fine man”, said Cahill.

Later, they tied Abner Dooley's body to his horse. “We'll take him out on the prairie and bury him. If we do it here they'll dig him up and mutilate his body. Besides, knowing Abner that's he would want to be. Out there with the grass, the wind and the sky', said Cahill.

Jim walked over to where they had placed the lance on the ground. He picked it up and then drove the pointed end into the soil. Then, he went to the body of the Sioux he had just killed and after taking out his knife scalped the warrior. Swinging the hair and flesh in the air displaced the blood from the tissue. Satisfied, he then went to the standing lance and tied the trophy to the shaft of the weapon, leaving a message for those who found the bodies of the dead warriors.

Both riders now headed for the Missouri River. A few miles out they found a place for Abner Dooley's grave. There, prairie flowers grew. Both men took turns digging as the wanted the grave to be deep preventing animals getting to the body. It took them awhile using their hands and pine sticks they had picked up on the way since they lacked a shovel. When they finished each man removed his hat and said good by in their own way.

Hours later they stood on the banks of the Missouri River. Where they stood the river bank was overgrown with reeds and here and there dead branches lay that were once drift wood. The water muddy on this day moved slowly. An osprey flew low over the water as the sun began to set. Still, there were no signs of General Sully.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Seven

Fort Pierre

 

On orders from General Sibley the Army scouts were told to either find the Sioux or General Sully. Jim rode with Sandy Cahill along the eastern side of the Missouri River. A slow current carried grass and muddy water, both visible to the eye. Sandy stopped his horse and gazed upon the watercourse. “What we're looking for is up ahead. That much floating grass is probably the result of many travois, ponies and people tearing up prairie as they moved. Looks like they crossed over. Both Sibley and Sully are too late”, said Cahill.

Thirty minutes later the riders came upon a section of earth torn and flattened by the hoofs and feet of Sioux ponies and people. Here, the river was shallow. Several sandbars could be seen, exposed, some of them in the middle of the river, others near the far bank.

“Looks like the perfect place to cross”, said Jim.

“Yep. Don't forget that this is the hunting ground of the tribes. They know this land a hell of a sight better than we do. This is probably where the buffalo cross from time to time. Sioux hunters probably found this place a hundred years ago”, Sandy replied.

On the way back to Sibley's command they saw an advance column approaching. Sandy stopped and waited. “Makes no sense to ride there and meet them then turn around and ride back here. We'll wait and let them come to us”, he said.

When the blue uniformed Calvary rode up to them Sandy reported to Major Winfield Burns. “They crossed about two miles up river I figure. Looks like they moved the entire villages of both the Santee and Tetons tribes. If General Sibley comes on quick-like he can still catch them”, he said.

“Your job is to scout and report Mister Cahill, not to formulate army tactics”,replied Burns.

Cahill fought the anger and his temper and then saying nothing turned his horse and rode away.

The next day Sibley led his troops on patrol along the east side of the river. Upon reaching the tributary known as the James River he crossed over to the western side.

Jim followed, not sure of the General's plan of operation. Sandy Cahill rode up along side of him and offered his right hand. “This is it Jim. Time for me to go. Sibley's heading south, going back to Minnesota. He'll claim he won another great battle against the Sioux. Those in Washington will probably promote him, just like they did when he took to the field for this expedition. Meanwhile, General Sully is coming north. I'm under contract to the army, so it appears he'll be my next boss. I want you to know it's been a pleasure knowing you. Take care and keep your hair”, he said.

Taken by surprise, Jim took the man's hand and held it. “Wait a minute! If he's going back to Minnesota, then he's going the wrong way. I've got to go north or west, go where ever the Sioux are until I find Virginia. Hell, I

Ill look inside every tipi I come across”, said Jim.

“As much as I like you I know that you wouldn't last two days out here on your own. I'd probably find your scalp hanging on some lodge pole. Guess