papa!”
After spending over an hour with Major General Alden, John looked at his pocket watch. “Well, General, Paul and I had better head back to Denver. We’ve taken up quite a bit of your time.”
Smiling, Fort Logan’s commander said, “I’ve loved every minute of it. But I realize you have things to take care of at home.”
General Alden rose to his feet. John and Paul did the same. When the general stepped outside with them, Paul’s attention was drawn to a shiny wagon standing a few yards away. Two soldiers had drawn up in it and had just finished unhitching the horse team that had pulled it, and now were leading the harnessed horses toward the corral several yards away.
“Wow!” Paul eyed the wagon as it glistened in the bright sunlight. “I have never seen a wagon made completely of metal before. And I’ve never seen a wagon with a big cage built into the wagon bed either. What is it used for?”
“Well, Paul,” replied the general, “the wagon is made of iron. The army has iron wagons just like this one all over the West. You know there are wild, angry Indians all over the West making war against the white people because they have been or are being forced onto reservations.”
Paul nodded. “Yes sir.”
“When the army has to battle the fierce Indians and capture some of them during a battle, the soldiers take them in these iron wagons to places where the warriors are imprisoned for their acts of violence.”
“I understand, sir. I just never knew these iron wagons existed.”
Chief Brockman interjected. “General, I know about the iron wagons, but I have never seen one up close.”
“Well, come on, Chief. I’ll let you get a close look at this one.” General Alden led father and son to the wagon that was shining in the sun. “The wagon bed is eight feet wide and twelve feet long. As you can see, the cage fits the bed exactly. The iron straps that form the cage are four inches wide, and the straps run vertically and horizontally.”
Father and son nodded.
“Each opening between the straps is only two inches square. This is to make it so no captive can reach between the straps and grab a soldier. The cage is six feet high.”
Looking again at the top of the cage, then down to its floor where it sat on the bed of the wagon, John said, “That’s what I guessed. Six feet.”
The general showed them the hinged iron gate at the rear ofthe cage, which was held shut by a heavy-duty padlock. “In using these iron-caged iron wagons, soldiers have been known to cram more than a dozen Indian warriors into them.”
Paul sighed. “I hope that one day soon, the Indians will decide to make peace with the white people and make no more war against them.”
The general and Paul’s father agreed. Then John and Paul swung into their saddles.
John took the reins in hand. “Thanks for showing us the iron wagon, General. It’s quite interesting.”
“Sure is, General Alden,” Paul agreed.
Then John said, “We’ll look forward to seeing you at church tomorrow.”
With a wide smile adorning his face, Alden said, “I definitely plan to be there.”
Looking down from his mount at Fort Logan’s new commander, Paul said, “General Alden, I am very glad that I got to meet you.”
As John and his son rode away, they looked back toward the fort a few times and talked about how much they liked Major General Ryan Alden.
“It won’t hurt Chance if I put him to a mild trot before we head for home,” Paul said.
“Sure. Chance can’t gallop anymore, but a mild trot won’t bother him. Let’s go!”
T EN
A t Central City’s gold mine, Wayne Shelby was forty feet down into the earth, using a steel-headed pick to chip gold from a solid wall of it by the light provided from a flaming kerosene lantern. He was working alone, but he could hear miners in other areas at his level using their picks.
As Shelby swung the pick, his mind went back to his conversation with the chief U.S. marshal in
After spending over an hour with Major General Alden, John looked at his pocket watch. “Well, General, Paul and I had better head back to Denver. We’ve taken up quite a bit of your time.”
Smiling, Fort Logan’s commander said, “I’ve loved every minute of it. But I realize you have things to take care of at home.”
General Alden rose to his feet. John and Paul did the same. When the general stepped outside with them, Paul’s attention was drawn to a shiny wagon standing a few yards away. Two soldiers had drawn up in it and had just finished unhitching the horse team that had pulled it, and now were leading the harnessed horses toward the corral several yards away.
“Wow!” Paul eyed the wagon as it glistened in the bright sunlight. “I have never seen a wagon made completely of metal before. And I’ve never seen a wagon with a big cage built into the wagon bed either. What is it used for?”
“Well, Paul,” replied the general, “the wagon is made of iron. The army has iron wagons just like this one all over the West. You know there are wild, angry Indians all over the West making war against the white people because they have been or are being forced onto reservations.”
Paul nodded. “Yes sir.”
“When the army has to battle the fierce Indians and capture some of them during a battle, the soldiers take them in these iron wagons to places where the warriors are imprisoned for their acts of violence.”
“I understand, sir. I just never knew these iron wagons existed.”
Chief Brockman interjected. “General, I know about the iron wagons, but I have never seen one up close.”
“Well, come on, Chief. I’ll let you get a close look at this one.” General Alden led father and son to the wagon that was shining in the sun. “The wagon bed is eight feet wide and twelve feet long. As you can see, the cage fits the bed exactly. The iron straps that form the cage are four inches wide, and the straps run vertically and horizontally.”
Father and son nodded.
“Each opening between the straps is only two inches square. This is to make it so no captive can reach between the straps and grab a soldier. The cage is six feet high.”
Looking again at the top of the cage, then down to its floor where it sat on the bed of the wagon, John said, “That’s what I guessed. Six feet.”
The general showed them the hinged iron gate at the rear ofthe cage, which was held shut by a heavy-duty padlock. “In using these iron-caged iron wagons, soldiers have been known to cram more than a dozen Indian warriors into them.”
Paul sighed. “I hope that one day soon, the Indians will decide to make peace with the white people and make no more war against them.”
The general and Paul’s father agreed. Then John and Paul swung into their saddles.
John took the reins in hand. “Thanks for showing us the iron wagon, General. It’s quite interesting.”
“Sure is, General Alden,” Paul agreed.
Then John said, “We’ll look forward to seeing you at church tomorrow.”
With a wide smile adorning his face, Alden said, “I definitely plan to be there.”
Looking down from his mount at Fort Logan’s new commander, Paul said, “General Alden, I am very glad that I got to meet you.”
As John and his son rode away, they looked back toward the fort a few times and talked about how much they liked Major General Ryan Alden.
“It won’t hurt Chance if I put him to a mild trot before we head for home,” Paul said.
“Sure. Chance can’t gallop anymore, but a mild trot won’t bother him. Let’s go!”
T EN
A t Central City’s gold mine, Wayne Shelby was forty feet down into the earth, using a steel-headed pick to chip gold from a solid wall of it by the light provided from a flaming kerosene lantern. He was working alone, but he could hear miners in other areas at his level using their picks.
As Shelby swung the pick, his mind went back to his conversation with the chief U.S. marshal in
Similar Books
