"
"Well, the authorities _have_ taken every possible precaution," replied
Mr. Melton. "Jim Hotchkiss, the sheriff, told me that word had been
passed to officers of the forts to have the troops in readiness for
instant action. But the 'noble red man' is cunning in his own way, and
lays his plans carefully. And when he is ready to strike he strikes
quickly, like the snake. A marauding band will attack and sack a
farmhouse, and be forty miles away before the troops arrive on the scene.
And in a country as large and wild as this it is something of a task to
corner and subdue them."
"There hasn't been any trouble of the kind for a long time, has there?"
asked Dick.
"No, not for a good many years," answered Mr. Melton; "and that inclines
me all the more to take the present situation seriously. These uprisings
come only at long intervals now, but it seems impossible to prevent them
altogether. After an outbreak has been put down the Indians are very
quiet for a time. They have probably suffered considerable loss of life,
and been severely punished by the government.
Pages:
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155