The lieutenant had almost fainted. It was several minutes before he could speak again. He and the doctor had had a terrible two days. The doctor said that they had wounded a buffalo with three balls, the first evening, but it had made off. All that night they had sat up, among some rocks, nearly freezing to death while they waited for morning. Then they had sighted a herd of buffalo, at daybreak, and had crawled a mile through the snow—had shot eight times, wounded three, and the whole herd had escaped.
That second day they had tramped until the lieutenant was about spent with hunger and lack of rest. Matters had looked very bad. But they both decided that they would rather die looking for game, than return and disappoint the men. Just at dusk, when they were aiming for a point of timber, there to spend another night, they saw a third herd of buffalo. The lieutenant managed to run and hide behind a cedar. When the buffalo were about to pass, he shot, and this time crippled one. The doctor ran, and with three more shots they killed the buffalo. Hurrah!
Then they butchered it, without stopping to eat; and carrying as much as they could they had traveled for six hours, bringing the meat to the camp.
“It’s a story hard to beat,” said Sergeant Meek, simply. “You may not be one of the army, yourself, sir; but as officer and man we’re proud to follow you—you and the cap’n, sir.”
“The lieutenant and I wondered what you men were thinking, when we didn’t return,” the doctor proffered. “You had a right to expect us sooner? Did you plan to march on and try to save your lives?”
“No, sir; not exactly that,” replied rugged Sergeant Meek. “We knew you hadn’t forgotten us, and there was no complaining. Seemed like we’d best search for you, and the same time find meat if we could; and that we’d ha’ done, the first thing in the morning, sir.”
“Your plan, and the way with which you received us, do you all credit before the world,” spoke the lieutenant, who overheard. “As your comrades we thank you, men; and as your officer I am proud of you. My reports to General Wilkinson and the Secretary of War shall not omit the devotion to duty that has characterized your whole march.”