Nebraska Newspapers

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WC L. WILLIAMS,
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V
VOL. IX.
NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1893.
NO. 51.
MHL
T
I HOUSE
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FOR CASH ONLY.
Mi
forth
i
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Such as Clothing for Men,
Boys and Children Gents'
Furnishing Goods, Hats,
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Will be Sold at
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thing goes AT COST FOR CASH. ONLY. Now
is your time to buy goods according ro";the rimes.
Model ; Cloth ingf House,
North Platte National :Bglc,
NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
IPaid xip Capital,
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w vr limoE,
c. r. IDDINOS,
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DIRECTQBS:
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,. A. D. BCCKWORTn.
All business intrusted to us handled promptly, carefully, and at lowest-rates.
I LUMBER, I
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.coal, ;
Order by telephone from Newton's Book Store.
Dr. N. McOABE, Prop. J. E. BUSH, Manager
NORTH PLATTE PHARMACY,
Successor to J. Q. Tbafcker. "
NORTH IPJLTTE,
WE AIM TO HANDLE THE .BEST GRADE OF ffOODS,
"SELL THEM AT REASONABLE PRICES, AND WARRANT
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CHAPTER II.
Late that night, with jaded steeds, a
little troop of cavalry was pushing
westward across the desert. The young
May moon was sinking to rest, its puro
pallid light shining faintly in contrast
with the mddy glow of some distant
beacon in the mountains beneath. Ever
since nightfall the rock buttress at the
pass had been reflecting the lurid glare
of the leaping flames as, time and
again, unseen but busy hands heaped
on f resbufuel and sent the sparlcs whirl
ing in fiery eddies to the sky. Languid
and depressed after a long day's bat
tling with the fierce white sunshine,
horses and men would gladly have spent
the early hours of night dozing at their
rude bivouac in the Christobal. Ever
since, 9 in the morning, after a long
night march, they had sought such
shade as tho burning rocks might
afford, scooping jip the tepid water from
the natural tanks at the bottom of the
canyon and thanking providence it was
not alkali.
' The lieutenant commanding, a tall,
wiry, keenfaced young fellow, had made
the rounds of his camp at sunset, care
fully picking np and scrutinizing the
feet of his horses and sending the far
rier to tack on hero :uid there a starting
shoe. . Gaunt and sunburned were his
short coupled California chargers, as
were their toughlooking riders; fetlocks
and beards were uniformly ragged;
shoes" of leather and shoes of iron
riiowed equal wear. A bronze faced
sergeant, silently following his young
enter, watcnea nwi wrra inqumng'eyGj
and waited for tho decision that was to
condemn tho command to another night
march -across tho desert, or remand
them to rest until an hour or so before
tho dawn.
"How far did. you cay it was to Cer
alvo's, sergeant?"
"About 22 miles, west."
' "And to Moreno's?"
"About 15, sir; off here."- And the
sergeant pointed out across tho plain,
lying like a duncolorcd L" -ket far
toward the, southern horizon.
"Wo can get barley and water at
both?"
"Plonty, sir."-
"The men would .rather wait here,
I suppose, until 2 or 8 o'clock?"
"Very much, sir; they haven't been
able to rest at all today. I'vo icd out
the last of the barley, though."
Tho lientenant reflected- a moment.
,pafflSV studying thoieglJjf fee trum
peter a horse.
"Is thero any chanco of Moreno's
people not having heard about tho
Apaches in tho Christobal?"
"Hardly, sir; they aro nearer the Tuc
son road than we are. The stage must
have gone through this morning early.
It's nothing new anyhow. I've never
known tho time when tho Indians were
not in the neighborhood of that range.
Moreno, too, is an old hand, sir."
The lieutenant looked long and in
tently out over tho dreary flats beyond
; the foot hills. Like the bottom of some
prehistoric lake long since sucked dry
by .tho action of tho. sun, tho parched
earth stretched away in mile after mile
of monotonous, life ridden desert, a Sa
hara without sign of an oasis, a sandy
barren Bhunncd even by scorpion, and
centipede. Already the glow was dy
ing from the western sky. Tho red rim
of the distant range was purpling. The
golden gleam that flashed from rock to
rock as tho Bun went down . had van
ished from all but the loftiest BummitB,
and deep,; dark shadows were creeping
.sfowiy otit across the plaiU' Over the
great jexpanse hot sonuch as tlie faint-.
:est -spark'- could He seen. "'Aloft, the
Igreater -stars were fceginning io. peep
through "the "veil Of -pallid lilue, wtiilo
over tho distant pass the sun's fair
handmaiden and trainbearer. with slow,
stately mien, was sinking in tho wako
of her lord, as though following him
to hia rest. Not a breath of air was
ast'r. ., - - . .
Tho night came on stifl as tho realms
of i'olitude. Only tho -sjow'.chatter of
ilie" "men; tUd occasional' stamp" of iron
6hod hoof or the munching jaws ot tho
tired Bteeds broko in upon tho perfect
silence. From their covert in the west
ward slopo of tho Christobal tho two
sentries of tho little command looked
upon a lifeless world. Beneath, them,
whiffing their pipes after their frugal
rapper, the troopers were chatting in
low tones, somo of them already spread
ing their blankets among the shelving
rocks. The embers from the cook's fire
glowed a deeper red as the darkness
gathered in the pass, and every man
seemed to start oa though stung with
sudden spur when sharp, quick and
imperative there came the cry from tho
lips of the farther sentry :
"Fire, sir-out to the west!"
In an instant Lieutenant Drummond
had leaped down tho rocky canyon, and
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In an Instant Lieutenant Drummond was
standing by the sentry's side
fieldglaaa in hand was standing by the
sentry't tide. No need to question
"Whers away?"
Far cnt across the intervening plain
a column of flame was darting upward,
gaining force and volume with every
moment. The lientenant never even
paused to raise the glass to his eyes.
No magnifying power was needed to
m the distant pyre; no prolonged
search to tell him what -was meant.
The troopers who had spinng to their
i feet and were already eagerly follow
ing turnert snort in their tracks at his
first word.
"Saddle up, men. It's the beacon
atthe6ignal peak."
Then came a scene of bustle. No
words were spoken; no further orders
given. With the Bkill of long practice
the men gathered their few belongings,
! shook out the dingy horseblankets and
1 then, after careful folding, laid them
creaseless back of the gaunt withers of
their faithful mounts. Tho worn old
1 saddles were deftly set; lariats coiled
and swung from thocantle rings; dusty
old bits and bridles adjusted; then came
the Blipping into carbino slings and
thimble belts, the quick lacing of Indian
moccasin or canvas legging, the filling of
canteens in the tepid tanks.below, while
all the time the cooks and packers
were flying about gathering up the
pots and pans and storing rations, bags
and blankets on the roomy apparejos.
Drummond was in tho act of swinging
into saddlo when his sergeant hastened
"Beg pardon, lieutenant, but shall I
leave a small guard with the pack train,
or can they come right along-?"
I "They'll go with us, of course. We
i can't leave them here. Wo must head
for Cera'lvo's at once. How could those
Indians have got over that way?"
"It is beyond me to say, sir. I didn-'t
know they ever went west of the Santa
Maria."
"I can hardly believe it now, fc$tH
there s no doubting that signal; it is to
call us thither at all speed wherever
we may bo and means only one thing
'Apachea here.' Sergeant Wing is
not the man to get stampeded.. Can
they have jumped the stage, do yon
think, or attacked somo of Ceralvo's
people?"
"Lord knows, sir. I don't seo how
they could hsro swung around there.
There's nothing to tempt them along
that rango- until they get to the pass
itself. They must havo come around
south of Moreno's. ' '
"I think not, sergeant."
Tho words were spoken in a very
quiet voice. Drummond turned in sur
prise, his foot in tho stirrup, and looked
at the speaker, a keen eyed trooper of
middle age, whoso hair was already
sprinkled with gray. .:-
"Why not, Eland?" '
" Because wo havo been along "the'
Tango for nearly 50. miles below here.
siL and haven't-crossed a si cm- abo-
causel understand now what rcdradnifr
account for at 2 o'clock what. (I
thought must bo imagination."
"What was that?"
"Smoke, sir, off toward tho Gila,
north of Ceralvo's, I should say, just
about north of w.st of where wo are."
"Why didn't jou report it?"
"You were asleep, 6ir, and by the
timo I got tho glasses and looked it had
faded out entirely, but it's my belief tho
Indians aro between us and tho jipf;
or were over thero north of Ceralvo's
today. If not Indians, who?"
"Yon ride with me, Bland. I'll
talk wi th you'f urther about this. Come
on with the men as soon as you have
tho packs ready, sergeant." And so
saying Lieutenant Drummond mounted
and rodo' .slowly down the winding
trail among tho bowlders. At tho foot
of the slope, where the water lay gleam
ing in its rocky bed, ho reined his horse
to tho. left to givo him his fill of the
pool, and hero tho troop addressed as
Bland presently joined him.
"Where was it you enlisted, Bland?"
was tho younger soldier's first ques
tionr "I understand you aro familiar
with: all this country. "
"At Tucson, sir, six months ago, aft-
i er the stagecompsny discharged me..
"I remember," was tho answer as
the lieutenant gently drew rein to lift
his horse's head. "I think you were bo
frank as to givo tho reason of your
quitting their employment."
"Well, there was no sense trying to
conceal .it. or anything elseLa man.may
dqnt here, lieutenants Thej-fired me
for drinking too much at the wrong
time." Tho section boss said ho couldn't
help himself, and I don't Buppose ho
could."
"As I remember, " said Drummond
presently, and with hesitation, for he
hated to pry into the past of a man who
spoko so frankly and who made no
effort to conceal his weakness, "you
wero driver of the buckboard tho Mo
rales gang held up last November over
near the Catarinas."
"Yes; that's tho time I got drunk,
sir. It's all that saved me from being
killed, and between keeping sober and
losing my life or getting drunk and
losing a job I preferred the latter."
"Yet you were in a measure respon
sible for the safety of your passengers
and mail, were you not ?"
"Well, no, sir; not after the warning
I gave the company. I told them
Ramon Morales was in Tucson the night
before we had to pull out, and wherever
he was that infernal cutthroat of a
brother of his wasn't far away. I told
them it was taking chances to let Judge
Gillette and that infantry quartermas
ter try to go through without escort. I
begged to throw up tho job that very
night, but they held me to my contract,
and I had to go. We were jumped not
10 miles out of town, and before any
one could draw a derringer every man
of ns was covered. The judge might
have known they'd Ehoot him on sight
ever since that greaser f rom Hermosillo
was lynched. But they never harmed
the quartermaster."
"Huh! The devil fliey didn't!"
laughed the lieutenant. "They took
his watch and his money and every
thing ho had on except his undercloth
ing. How long had you been driving
-when that happened?"
"Just eight months, sir, between
Tucson and Grant."
"And did you never servo with the
cavalry beforo? You ride as though
you had."
"Host men hereabouts served on one
side or other," said Bland calmly, as
his horse finished his long pull at the
water.
"And your aide was"
"Confederate," was the brief reply.
"I was born in' Texas'. Here comes the
troop, sir."
"Come on, then. 1 want to ask you
about that trail to Crittenden as we
ride. We make first for tho Picacho
pass from here."
Why, that's south of west, sir, " an
swered Bland. " I had thought perhaps
the lientenant would want to go north
ward toward the Gila to head off any
parties of tho Apaches that might bo
striving to get away eastward with
their booty. They must havo picked
up something over at the Bend."
"They're more likely to go south
ward. Bland, for they know where
we' ' been scouting all tho week. No,
I'll march straight to the signal. There
they must know whero tho Indians
have gone."
"Aye, aye, sir, but then yon can only
pursue, and a stern cliaso is a long
one."
Drummond turned in his saddle as
they rode forth upon the darkfalda and
gazed long and fixedly at the trooper by
his side. Imperturbably -Bland con
tinned to look straight ahead. Queer
stories had been afloat regarding this
new acquisition. Ho mingled but lit
tle with tho men. He affected rather
the society of the better class of non
commissioned officers, an offense not
likely, to be condoned in a recruit. Ho
was already distinguished for his easy
Mastery of every detail of a cavalry
man's duty, and for his readiness to go
at any or all times on scout, escort or
patrol, and tho more hazardous or lonely
ihe task the better he seemed to like it.
Then he was helpful about tho offices
in garrison, wrote ft neat hand, was of
ten pressed into service to aid with the
qnartermaster or commissary papers,
and had been offered permanent daily
duty as company clerk, but begged off,
saying ho loved a horse and cavalry
work too well to be immured in an office.
Ho was silenco and reticence itself on
matters affecting other people, bnt the
soul of frankness apparently where
ho was personally concerned. Any-
.body was welcome to know his past, ho
said. Ho was raised m Texas; had
lived for years on the frontier; had
been through Arizona with a bull team
in tho fifties, and had 'listed under tho
banner of the Lono Star when Texas
wont the way of all the sisterhood of
southern (not border) states, and then,
being stranded after the war, had "bull
whacked" again through New Mexico;
had drifted again across the Mimbrcs
and down to the old Spanish-Mexican
town of Tucson ; had tried prospecting,
mail riding, buckboard driving, gam
bling ; liad been ono of tho sheriff's posse
that cleaned out Sonora Bill's little
band of thugs and cntthroats and had
expressed entire willingness to officiate
as that lively outlaw's executioner in
case of his capture.
He had twico been robbed while driv
ing the stago across tho divide and had
"been left for dead in tho Maricopa
jange, an episouo wnicn no said was
'the primal cause of his dissipations
later. Finally, after a summary dis-
crtargejie naa como to the adjutant at
iCampL.owell, presented two or three
certificates or goou cnaracter anu Drav
ery in tho field from officers who boro
famous names in tho southern army,
and tho regimental recruiting officer
thought he could put up with an occa
sional drunk in a man who promised to
make as good a trooper under tho stars
and stripes, as ho had made under the
stars and bars. And so ho was enlisted,
and to the surprise of everybody hadn't
taken a drop since.
Now this, said tho rank and file, was
proof positive of something radically
wrong, either in his disposition or his
record. It was entirely comprehensible
and fully in accordance with human
nature and tho merits of tho case that a
man should quit drinking when he quit
the army, but that a man with the blot
of an occasional spree on his escutcheon
should enlist for any other cause than
sheer desperation and should then be
come a teetotaler was nothing short of
prima facie evidence of moral deprav
ity. "Thore's something behind it all, fel
lers," said Corporal Murphy, "and 1
mean to keep an eye on him from this
out. If he don't dhrink next payday,
look out for him. He's a professional
gambler laying for your hard earned
greenbacks."
And so while tho seniors among the
sergeants were becoming gradually tho
associates, if not tho intimates, of this
fine looking trooper, tho mass of the
regiment, or rather tho little detach
ment thereof stationed at Lowell, looked
upon Bland with the cyo of suspicion.
Thero was ono sergeant who repudiated
him entirely, and who openly professed
his disbelief in Bland's account of
himself, and that was Feeny. "He
may havo testimonials from all Texas, "
said ho hotly, "but I'vo noussfor that
sort of credentials. Who can vouch
for his goings and comings hereabouts
before ho joined us ? I think Murphy's
right, and if I waa stationed at Lowell
and belonged to his troop you bet I'd
watch him close. "
Now, in all the command it would
have been a hard matter to find a sol
dier in whoso favor appearances were
so unanimously allied. Tall, erect,
sinewy and active, he rode or walked
with an easy grace that none could fail
to mark. His features wero fine and
clear cut; his eyes a dark hazel, with
heavy curling lashes and bushy, low
arched brows ; his complexion, naturally
dark, was bronzed by sun and sand
storm to a hue almost Mexican. Ho
shaved clean all but tho heavy mus
tache that drooped over his firm lips,
and the sprinkling of gray about the
brows, temple3 and mustache was
most becoming to his peculiar style.
One prominent mark had he which
the descriptive book of his company
referred to simply as "saber scar on
right jaw," but it deserved mention
more extended, for tho whitish streak
ran like a groove from just below the
ear tip to the angle of the square, reso
lute chin. It looked as though in some
desperate fray a mad sweep had been
made with vengeful blado straight for
the jugular, and, just missing that,
had laid open the jaw for full four
inches.
"But," said Feeny, "what could ho
have been doing, and in what position
could he have been, sitting or standing,
to get a.saber 6troke like that? Whero
was his guard ? A bowie knife, now' '
and there the suggestion ended.
j But it was the scarred side of Eland's
soldierly face that young Lieutenant
Drummond was so closely studying as
they rode out into tho starlit Arizona
night. He, too, had heard tho camp
I chat about this apparently frank, opeu-
hearted trooper, and had found himself
moro- than onco speculating as to his
riding in silence
Tho
other
asked
real past, not the past of his-imagination
or of his easy offhand description.
By this time, in perfect silence save for
the occasional clink of canteen, the
gurgle of imprisoned water, or, onco in
a while, tho click of ironshod hoof, tho
troop was marching in shadow col
umn of twos well out bej-ond tho falda
and over tho almost dead level of tho
plain. Far ahead the beacon still
blazed brightly and beckoned them on.
It was time for precaution,
j "Sergeant," said Drummond, "send
a corporal and four men forward. Let
them spread out across the front and
keep 300 or 400 yards ahead of us.
Better tako thoso with tho freshest
horses, as I want them to scout thor
oughly and to bo on the alert for tho
faiutest sound. Any of our men who
know this valley well?"
"None better than Blend here, sir,"
was the half hesitant reply.
"W-o-1-1, I need Bland just now.
Put somo of the old hands and older
heads on, and ;im't let anything escape
their notice."
"Beg pardon, lieutenant, but what's
to bo tho lino of direction ? When wo
started it waa understood that wo wero
to tako tho shortest cut for Ceralvo's,
and now we're heading for tho Pi
cacho." "No, wo mako for tho pass first;
that's tho quickest way to reach the
signal station, then wo learn whero to
strike for tho Indians. Bid you ever
hear of their being as far west as the
Maricopa rango before?"
"Never, sir, in tho whole timo we've
been here, and sinco tho lieutenant
joined they'vo never been heard of
crossing tho Santa Maria valley."
"What on earth could tempt them
out so far? There's nothing to be
gained and every chanco of being cut
off by troops from Grant and Bowie,
even if they do succeed in slipping by
us."
"That's moro than I can tell, sir:
Tho men sa' tho paymaster's coming
along this week ; they heard it from the
quartermaster's train wo passed at the
Cienega thrco days ago."
Trooper Bland was
on tiio lelt cl tee detachment com
mander as he had been directed,
sergeant had como up on tho
flank.
"What men heard this?"
Drummond, quickly.
"Why, Patterson told me, sir, and
Lucas and Qninn, and 1 think Bland
hero was talking with tho train escort
and must havo heard it. "
"Did you, Bland?" asked tho lieu
tenant, as ho whirled suddenly in his
saddle and faced tho trooper. .
"Yes, sir," was tho prompt reply;
"several of tho men spoko of it. It'3
about tho most welcoino pieco of news
they could give to fellows who had four
months' pay due."
In tho isolation of this mountain
scouting business, when, as often hap
pens, one officer is out alono for weeks
with no comrades or associates but his
detachment, it naturally results that a
greater freedom cf intercourse and
speech is developed between the com
mander and some, at least, of his party
than would ever bo tho case in years
of garrison lifo; and so it happened that
for tho moment Drummond forgot the
commander in the man.
"It is most extraordinary, " ho said,
"that just when a paymaster is anxious
to keep secret tho date and routo of his
coming tho whole thing i3 heralded
ahead. Wo havo no telegraph and j-et
three days ago wo Imew that Major
Plunimer was starting on his first trip.
Ho ought to havo been at Ceralvo's
last night. By Jupiter! suppose ho was
and had but a small escort? What
elso could that signal firo mean? Here!
get those men out to tho front now at
onco; wo must push ahead for all we're
worth."
And so at midnight, with steeds
panting and jaded, with the pass and
tho Picacho only four miles ahead, the
little detachment was tripping noise
lessly through tho darkness, and, all
alert and eager, Drummond was riding
midway between his scouts and the mam
body so that no sound closo at hand
might distract his attention from hails
or signals farther out. Suddenly ho
heard an exclamation ahead, tho snort
of a frightened horse, then some" muffled
objurgations, a rider urging a reluctant
steed to approach somo suspicious ob
ject, and, spurring his own spirited
charger forward, Mr. Drummond camo
presently upon tho corporal just dis
mounting in the darknets and striving
to lead his boon companion, whom ho
could not drive, up to some dark object
lying on the plain. This, too, failed.
A low whistle, however, brought one of
the "other scouts trotting in to the rescue.
"Hold
the
"There's something out hero this brute
shied at and I can't get him near it
again." With that ho pushed out to
tho front while tho others listened ex
pectant. A moment later a match was
struck, and presently burned brightly
in tho black and breathless
Then camo tho ptartled crv :
"My Gcd, lieutenant, it's Corporal
Donovan and his horse both dead."
And even there Mr. Drummond noted
that Bland was about tho first of tho
column to como hurrying forward to
tho scene.
Ten minutes' investigation threw bnt
little light upon tho tragedj'. Somo
stumps of candles were found in tho
saddlebags and packs, and with these
tho men scoured the plain for signs.
Spreading well out from the center,
they closely examined tho sandy level.
From the north camo the trail of two
cavalry horses, shod alike, both at tho
lope, both draggy and weary. From
the point whero lay Donovan and his
steed thero was but ono horse track.
Whirling sharply around, the rider had
sent his mount at a thundering gallop,
back across the valley; then 100 yards
away, in long curve, ho had reined him
to tho southeast. Tho troopers who
followed the hoof marks out about an
eighth of a mile declared that, uu-
wounded, both horse and rider wero
making tho best of their way toward
Moreno's ranch. Farther search, not
CO yards to the front, revealed tho fact
that at the edge of a little depression
and behind somo cactus bushes threo
human forms had been lying prone,
and from this point probably had sped
the deadly bullet.
"Apaches, by God!" muttered one
of the men.
"Apaches, your grandmother!" was
tho sergeant's fierce reply. "Will you
never learn sense, Moore? When did
Apaches take to wearing store clothes
him
corporai,
a minute, Burke," said
handing up tho reins.
night.
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8 a
here. Move out farther, somo of you
fellows, and see whero they hid their
horses. Corporal Donovan was with
C troop down tho Gila last week, sir.
They wero to meet and escort tho pay
master mcst like. It's my belief he
was ono of tit) guard and that tho am
bulanco has been jumped this very
aight. Theso are road agents, not
Apaches, and God knows what's hap
pened if they'vo got away with Patsy.
Suro ho was ono of tho nerviest men in
tho whole troop, sir."
Drummond listened, every nerve
a-tingle, oven whilo with hurried hands
ho cut open tho shirt at tho brawny
throat and felt for fluttering heart beat
or faiutest sign of life. Useless. The
shot hole under tho left eye told
plainly that tho leaden micsilo had
torn its way through tho brain and
that death must havo been instan
taneous. Tho soldier's arms and ac
contermeuts, tho horse's equipments,
wero gone." Tho bodies lay unmuti
lated. Tho story was plain. Separated
in somo way from the detachment, Don
ovan and hi3 companion had probably
sighted the signal blazing at the pass
and come riding hard to reach tho spot,
when the unseen foe crouching across
and heeled boots?
in this, lientenant.
There's no Apache
Look here, sir, and
A match teas struck and burned brightly
in the black and breathless night.
their path had suddenly fired the fatal
shots. Now, whero was tho paymas
ter? Whero the escort? Whero the
men who fed the signal firc tho fire
that long before midnight had died ut
terly away ? Whither should the weary
detachment direct its march ? Ceral
vo's lay a dozen miles off to tho north
west, Moreno's perhaps eight or nino
to the southest. Why had tho escaped
trooper headed his fleeing, steed in that
direction? Had there been pursuit?
Aye, 10 minutes' senrchover tho still
and desolato plain revealed tho fact
that two horsemen lurking in a sand
pit or dry arroyo had pushed forth at
top speed and ridden away fall tilt
across the desert, straight :is tho crow
flies, toward Moreno's well. Even
whilo Drummond. holding brief consul
tation with his sergeant, was deliberat
ing whether to turn thither or to push
for the signal peak and learn what he
could from tho littlo squad of blue
jackets thero on duty, tho matter was
decided for him. Sudden and shrill
thero came tho cry from the outskirts
of tho now dismounted troop clustered
about tho body of their "comrade.
' ' Another fire, lieutenant ! Look !
out hero toward tho Santa Maria."
The sergeant sprang to his feet,
shouldering his burly way through tho
excited throng. Ono moment moro and
his voico was heard in louder, fiercer
tones;
"No signal this time, sir. By God,
they'vo fired Moreno's ranch t"
CHAPTER IH.
Shortly after sunset on this same hot
evening tho sergeant in charge of tho
littlo signal party at tho Picacho camo
strolling forth from his tent puffing at
a battered brier root pipe. Southward
and a few hundred feet below his perch
tho Yuma road came twisting through
tho pass, and then disappeared in tho
gathering darkness across tho desert
plain that stretched between them and
the distant Santa Maria. Over to tho
east tho loftiest crags of tho Christobal
wero still faintly tinged by the last
touch of departed day. Southward
still, beyond tho narrow and tortuous
pass, tho rango rose high and precipi
tous, covered and fringed with black
masses of cedar, stunted pine and juni
per. North of west, on tho lino of the now
invisible road and far 'out toward the
Gila, a faint light was just twinkling.
Thero lay Ceralvo's. and nowhere
else, save where the embers of tho cook
fire still glowed in a deep crevice among
tho rocks, was theie light of any kind
to be seen. A lonely spot was this in
which to spend one's days, yet tho sol
dier in charge seemed in no wise op
pressed with sense of isolation. It
was his comrade, sitting moodily on a
convenient rock, elbows on lmees and
chin deep buried in his brown and hairy
hands, who seemed brooding over the
desolation of his surroundings.
Watching him in silenco a moment,
a quiet smile of amusement on his lips,
Sergeant Wing sauntered over and
placed a friendly hand on the broad
blue shoulder.
"Well, Pikey, are you wishing your
self back in 'Frisco?"
"I'm wishing myself in Tophet, ser
geant ; it may be hotter, but it isn't as
lonely as this infernal hole."
"No, its populous enough probably,"
was the response; "and," added he,
with a whimsical smile, "no doubt
you've lots of friends thero, Pike."
"Maybe I have, aud maybe 1 haven't.
At all events, I've nono here. Why in
ihundcr couldn't you let mo look into
that business over at Ceralvo's instead
! of Jackson? He gets everything worth
liaving. I'm shelved for his sake day
after day."
"Couldn't send j-ou, Pike, on any
such quest as that. Those greasers have
' sharp eyes, and cue look at your face
would convinco them that we'd lost
; our grip or wero in for a funeral.
Jackson, now, rides in as blitho as a
1 May morning a May morning out of
Arizona, 1 mean. They never get the
best of him. The only trouble is he
stays too long; ho ought to be back here
"Humph! he'll be apt to como back
in a hurry with Pat Donovan and those
C troop fellows spending their money
like water at Ceralvo's."
"You still insist they're over there,
do yon, Pike? I think they're not. I
flagged old Feeny half an hour ago
that they hadn't come through here."
"Who was that fellow who rode back
hero with the noto?" asked Pike.
"I don't know his name. 'Dutchy'
they call him in C troop. He's on
his second enlistment.'"
"Moro fool he! Tho nan who re-enlists
in this territory must bo either
drunk or Dutch." And Pike relapsed
into gloomy silenco again, his eyes
fixed upon tho faint flicker of tho bar
lights at Ceralvo's miles away, but
Wing only laughed again, and still
puffing away at his pipe went on down
tho winding trail to whero in the deep
shelter of tho rocky walls a pool of
water lay gleaming. Hero he throw
himself flat, and lying aside his pre
rious pipe drank long and eagerly; then
with a sudden plunge ho doused his hot
face in tho cooling flood and camo up
dripping.
"Thank tho Lord 1 have no desert
march to make today all on a wild
gooso chase," was his pions ejacula
tion. "What on earth could havo in
duced tho paymaster to send a detach
ment over to the Gila?" He took from
his pocket a penciled note and tlowly
twisteditin his fingers. It was too
dark to read, but in its soldierly brevity
ho almost lenew it by heart.
"Tho major sent Donovan with half
the escort back to tho Gila on an Apacho
scare this morning. They will prob
ably return yonr way. empty handed.
Signal if they have passed. Latham
knows your code and we havo a good
glass. Send man to Ceralvo's with
orders for them to join at once if they
haven't come, and flag or torch when
they pass you. It's my belief they've
gono there."
This was signed by Feeny and over
and again had Wing been speculating
as to what it all meant. When the es
cort with the ambulance and paymaster
went through before the dawn, Feeny
had roused him to ask if anything had
been heard of Indians on the warpath
"between them and the Sonora line, and
the answer was both prompt and posi
tive, "No." As for their being north
or north of west of his station, and up
toward the Gila, Wing scouted the sug
gestion. Ho wished, however, that
Jackson wero back with such tidings as
he had picked up at Ceralvo's. It was
always best to be prepared, even though
this was some distance away from tho
customary raiding ground of the tribe.
Just then there came a hail from
aloft. Pikey was shouting.
"All right," answered Wing cheer
ily; "be there in a minute," and then
he went springing up the trail as though
the climb of 400 feet were a mere bag
atelle. "What's up? Jackson here?" he
asked, short of breath, as ho reached tho
littlo nook in which their brush covered
tents wero pitched. Thero was no reply-
"Pike! OPike! Where are you?"
he called.
And presently, faint and-far, some-
whero down in the dark canyon to the
south, a voice replied :
"Down hyar. Something's coming
up tho road."
Surely enough. Probably a quarter
mile away a dim light as of a swing
ing lantern could be seen following the
winding of tho rough and rock ribbed
road. Then came the click of ironshod
hoofs, tlie crack of the long mule whip.
and a resonant imprecation" in Spanish
leveled at tho invisible draft ani
mals. Bounding lightly down the
southward path. Sergeant Wing Boon
reached tho roadside, and there found
Pike in converse with a brace of horse
men. "It's old Harvey's outfit, from Yuma,
making for Moreno's," vouchsafed tho
soldier.
"Oh, is that you, Sergeant Wing?
I ought to havo known you were here.
I'm Ned Harvey." And the taller
horseman held out a hand, which Wing
grasped and shook with cordial fervor.
"Which way, Mr. Harvey, and who
are with you?"
"Home to Tucson. My sisters are in
Concord behind us, going to visit tho
old folks for a few weeks before their
trip to Cuba."
"You don't tell me!" exclaimed
Wing. "They're the first ladies to pass
through hero sinco I came on duty at
the station two months ago. You stay
at Moreno's, I suppose-?"
"Yes; tho governor meets us there
with relays and four or five men. W
knew thero would be no danger weal
of the Santa Maria."
"W-e-1-1, did you stop at Ceralvo's
or see any of their people?"
''No, I never put in there. Father's
very suspicious of that gang. Why dc
you ask, though?"
Wing hesitated. "There was some
story afloat about Apaches," he finally
said. "The paymaster's escort threw
The taller horseman held out his hand,
ichich Wing shook with cordial fervor.
off a detachment toward tho Gila this
morning, and I sent one of my two men
(CONTINUED OX FOURTH PAGE.