In Barracks and Wigwam — page 162: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

152 A Mysterious Column of Smoke. bly a blind, and intended to draw the column away from the main line of retreat. But there was. another side of the question to be con- sidered, and after a brief hesitation Major Dallas ordered Troop A to swing out of line and follow this trail. “You may stumble on a big bunch of Sioux, Norman,” he said, “and that is a chance not to be missed. Be very wary, and don't let yourself get trapped. And be sure © to turn back by two o’clock in the afternoon, at the latest. Head diagonally for our line of march, and try to strike us at Powder River. I expect to reach there by sunset.” “All right, major,” assented Captain Norman, and a moment later he and his detachment, accompanied bv Lowther, the scout, were riding off at right angles from - the main column. Linn exulted in the hope of striking something exciting, but Lieutenant Dimsdale told him that in all likelihood this expedition would prove as much of a wild-goose chase as the ones that had preceded it. The lieutenant’s judgment turned out to be correct, so far asit went. ‘The trail thinned gradually, and after fo!- lowing it for ten miles it disappeared entirely. The Sioux seemed to have scattered in all directions. True to his instructions, Captain Norman pushed ot until two o'clock, and then turned southwest to rejoin the main column. It was still raining, and not a sign of In- - dians was visible in any direction. ‘The horses were ex- hausted and the men were hungry and ill tempered. _ The troop had pushed wearily on for several miles when the captain suddenly brought his command to a halt, and pointed one hand off to the right. Half a dozen miles to _ the northwest, over a rolling swell of land, lay a pine-clad range of hills, interspersed with rocky buttes. And from between the two nearest peaks a thick pillar of smoke was — ¥ curling straight up into the air. The men watched it in- e ; tently, discussing its meaning in noe tones, | en comicb 90Ks ein