0. L. WILLIAMS,
Tobacco Cigars,
Eruits and Nuts of all Kin ds!
t
x
If P
C, L, WILLIAMS,
We arc making Fresh Candies
daily. Come and see.
YOL. X.
NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY IT, 1894.
NO.
2.
f
Great : Clearing : Sale
-AT THE-
Our first annual clearing sale will commence on
SATURDAY, JA.INnXA EY 13 th,
and continue the balance of the month. Everv article in our store will
be sold regardless of value in order to close out "all our winter goods be
fore going to the eastern markets for our spring stock.
READ OUR PRICE-LIST.
The very best Outing Flannel, in dark colors, worth 11 to 15 cents,
go at this sale at 8 cents; real indigo blue prints, worth 8 conts, at this
sale for o cents; the genuine German blue prints, vard wide, at this sale
at 9 cents; 2,000 yards unbleached muslin, worth 8 cents, at this sale for
5$ cents; all-wool scarlet flannel, worth 30 cents, at this sale for 22 cts.;
extra fine scarlet flannel, worth 50 cents, goes at 38 cents; all-wool beav
er shawls, worth from So to 0, at this sale for 3.15; all-wool children's
hose, worth 35 ceuts, at this sale for 22i cents; ladies' wool hose at 20
and 30 cents, worth one-third more. To close out our children's under
wear we make two lots, one lot worth 35 to 50 cents, your choice for 25
cents; second lot worth from 45 tn ftft
all our ladies' natural wool underwear, worth from 50 to G5 cents, vour
uuuice atoo cents eacn; zu dozen tine linen damask towels, worth from
2o to 40 cents, your choice for 20 cents; 1.50 ladies' shoes at 1.00 per
imir; .s.uu snoes reauced to l.zo; all our ladies' tine shoes, worth from
3.50 to 5.00 your choice at 2.95; children's school shoes, former price
1.00, reduced to seventy-five cents; 1.25 shoes reduced to 1.00, and 2.00
shoes redur.prt to 1 9.f. mon'c nutn
reduced to 40 cents: 1.25 underwear r?rinivrl fn fin rPnf5 fiff.v hnvs nvpr.
coats to close out at 50 cents on the dollar, 500 men's pants at 75 cents
and 1.00, the very best overalls, warranted not to rip, any size, at GO cts.,
suits and overcoats at fifty cents on the dollar, all-wool scarlet blankets,
j-u ana n quarters, sold all over for 5.00, at this sale for 3.25 per pair,
Nothing will be reserved, everything will be sold at prices that will as
tonish the people of Lincoln county. Yours for bargains,
BOSTOU STOBE,
J. PIZER, Prop. The only cheap store in Lincoln Co. Grady Block
Happy Greeting to All !
Davis, the Hardware Man,
Has just received the
Nicest Assortment of Lamps
to be found in the west. Also a nice line of silver-plated
Tea and Coffee Pots and Tea-kettles; something new,
combining beauty and durability. We handle the
ACOBIT STOVES,
cook and heating, for either soft or hard coal, which will
be sold regardless of cost for the next three weeks. Re
member we carina full line of Hardware, Stoves and
-yinware and would be pleased to have you call and see . us.
A. E. DAVIS, - - - CASH STO.KE.
Repairing Promptly Executed.
North Platte National Bank,
NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.
3?aid up Capital,
a75,ooo.
W.W BIRQE,
C. F. IDDINGS,
A. F. STKEtTZ,
DIRECTORS:
O. M. CARTER,
M. C. LINDSAY,
H. OTTEK,
D. W. BAKER.
M. OBERHT,
A. D. BUCKWORTH.
All business intrusted to us handled promptly, carefully, and at lowest rates.
C F IDDINQS,
LUMBER, i
I COAL, j
Order by telephone from Newton's Book Store.
Dr. N. McOABE, Prop. J. E. BUSH, Manager.
NORTH PLATTE PHARMACY,
Successor to J. Q. Thacker.
NORTH PLATTE, - NEBRASKA.
WE AIM TO HANDLE THE BEST GRADE OF GOODS,
SELL -THEM AT REASONABLE PRICES, AND WARRANT
EVERYTHING AS REPRESENTED.
orders from the country and along the line of the Union
- - - Pacific Railway Solicited.
IT. J. BBOEKER,
Merchant Tailor,
iABGE STOCK OP PIECB GOODS,
embracing all the new designs, kept on hand and made to.prder.
PERFECT FIT GUARZlNTEED.
PRICE'S LOWER THAN EVER BEFORE
Spruce Stre t, between Fifth and Sixth.
Druinmond looked curiously about
him eo far as was possible without
moving his painstricken head. Ho was
lying in a deep recess in soiuo dark and
rocky canyon whose sides were vertical
walls. Tumbling down from the wood
ed heights above rare sight in Arizona
a little brook of clear, sparkling
water came brawling aud splashing over
its stony bed at his feet and went on
down the gorge to its opening on tho
sandy plain. There, presumably, it
burrowed into the bosom of the earth,
for no vestige of running stream could
tho Cababi valley show. Tho walls
about him were in places grimy with
tho smoko of cook fires. Overhead,
not 50 feet away, a gnarled and stunted
littlo cedar jutted out from some crev
ico in tho rocks and stood at tho edge
of tho cliff. A soldier was clinging
to it with ono hand and pointing out
toward tho east with the other. Druin
moud recognized the voico as that of
ono of his own troop when tho man
called out:
"Two of our fellers aro coming with
tho old yellow ambulance, sergeant,
but I can't 6ce the others."
"All right, Patterson. Try to see
where tho rest have gone and what
they're doing. I'll send tho glass up to
you presently. What I'm afraid of,
lieutenant, is that in their raga over
Donovan's death, and Mullan's. and all
tho devil's work done thero at Moreno's,
and your mishap, too, tho men have
become uncontrollable and will never
let up on the pursuit until they have
killed the last ono of that gang. These
two who are coming in with the bodies
of the Morales brothers probably have
wornout horses, or perhaps Lee ordered
them to stay and guard the safe. The
last I saw of any of tho gang they were
disappearing over the desert to tho
south, striking for Sonora pass."
"I wonder they didn't all come in
here," said Druinmond.
"Well, hardly that, lieutenant. They
knew they would bo followed here, pen
ned up, where their capture would only
bo a question of time. A hundred cav
alrymen would be around ihem in a J
very few hours,'and we could send to
Lowell for those old mountain howitzers j
and just leisurely shell them out.
Then, when they surrendered as they'd
have to the civil authorities would
immediate' step in and claim jurisdic
tion claim the prisoners too. We'd
simply have to turn them over to jus
tice as a matter of course, and you
know, and they know, that tho only
judge apt to sit on their case would be
that of our eminent frontiersman and
fellow citizen Lynch. They are scat
tering like Apaches through the moun
tains and will reassemble and count
noses later on. Thanks to you and C
troop, they have lost all they had gained
and th'.-ir leaders besides. No, sir, they
tvon't stop this side of the Mexican
line."
"There's one, Wing, I hope to hcav
211 they'll never lose sight of till they
run him ibm-ii."
"Who's that sir?"
"Tho fellow who was enlisted in C
troop last wint ;r at Tucson and desert-
last night to join this gang. He
drove for the stage company last year
and was disch
as Bland."
"Bland! Henry Bland!" exclaimed
Sergeant Wing, leaping to his feet in
uncontrollablo excitement. "Do you
mean it, sir? Had ho enlisted? Do
you mean that ho was the man Miss
Harvev spoke of tho disguised soldier,
die called him?"
And Druinmond, amazed at "Wing's
emotion, gazed up to see tho sergeant's
features working almost convulsively,
his face paling, his eyes full of intense
anxiety.
"Why, I cannot doubt it, sergeant.
Ho ran away from us on tho discovery
of Donovan's body and rodo straight
for Moreno's, beating us thero proba
bly by an hour or so, for no cno hap
pened to miss him.'
Wing's hands were raised on high in
a gesture almost tragic, then dropped
helplessly by his side. With a r.tiiled
groan the tall soldier turned abruptly
away and went striding toward the
opening of tho canyon, leaving Druin
mond wondering and perplexed.
"When, a quarter of an hour later, the
. 1 Tit 1
sergeant returned, onngmg wmi mm
some improvised splints and bandages,
and Drummond believed it his duty
to make inquiry as to whether he knew
Bland and what was the cause of his
excitement, Wing turned his grave,
troubled face and looked his young su
perior straight in tho eye.
Mr. Drummond, I have known that
man for good and for ill many a long
year. If our fellows have killed him,
let his crnncB dio with him. If ho is
brought in alive brought to trial I
may have to spprf. but not now, sir.
Bear with me, lieutenant not now."
Was Drummond dreaming ? He could
have declared that tears were starting
in the sergeant's eyes as ho turned has
tily away, unable for tho moment to
continue the setting and bandaging of
the broken arm.
"Take your own time, Wing," said
the young officer gently. "Speak or
keep 6ilent as you will. You have
earned the right." And the sergeant
mutely thanked him.
The primitive surgery of the frontier
took little time, and with his arm com
fortably and closely slung Drummond
lay impatient for the coming of his
men, impatient perhaps to hear a softer
voice, to feel again the light touch of
slender fingers, yet in his weakness and
exhaustion dropping slowly off to sleep.
All efforts to keep awake proved vain.
His heavy eyelids closed, and presently
he was in dreamland.
Meantime Sergeant Wing had busied
himself in many a way. First ho had
one to loosen old Moreno s bonds
enough, at least, to relieve his pain, yet
hold him securely. The soldier sitting
irged.
Ho gavo his name
far away is that ambulance now, Pat
terson?" ho called to tho man on look
out. "Halted down at tho edge of the
plain, sergeant. That's where they
struck water first, and reckon they
couldn't maiio up their minds to come
farther. I can make out ono or two
of tho fellows coming back far down tho
desert to tho south. Horses playttl cut
probably. ' '
"Anything to ho seen across tho val
ley along tho trail wo came?"
"Nothing, sir; not a pxiff of dust.
But here's something I don't nndei
stand off here in tho range south of us
well up toward tho top. ' '
"What's that?" asked Wing, drop
ping the coil of lariat ho held in his
hand and looking quickly up.
"Well, it's moro like signal smoko
than anything else. Just exactly such
smoko as we havo seen in the Chirica
hua and Catarinas and Well, just
como up hero with j-our fieldglass, if
you can, sergeant. I believe there's an
answer to it way down to tho southeast
t'other side of the valley."
In an instant Wing turned. ' ' Sorry
for you, Se-nor Moreno," he grimly mut
tered. "But as only two men aro with
me, and both are otherwise engaged, I'll
havo to securo you temporarily. It
isn't pleasant, but it serves you right."
In vain the Mexican pleaded and pro
tested. A rawhide riata was wound
and looped about him in a few scien
tific turns, and ho was left reclining e caves, Had such confidence m tho
"What's up, sergeant?" queried
another, springing out from tho wil
lows. "Leo told us to wait here, or
wherever we could find shade and
water."
"Wait? How long and what for?"
"Blessed if I know how long. None
of 'em ain't in sight from hero coming
hack, but 'what for' is easy to answer.
The paymaster's chest."
""tho paymaster's chest?" cried
Wing. "Why, isn't that here in tho
ambulance?"
"Not a hinge of it. Thoso greasers
swapped it onto an apparejo whilo wo
wero all running for Harvey's daugh
ters. The money's half way," to Sonora
by this time." "
CHAPTER IX.
Peaceful as was his rest, Drummond
slept only an hour or so. For months
he had lived in the pgen air, "on the
warpath, " said his captain, a veteran
who had won hisspurs twice over in
tho war of the rebellion and declared
himself quite ready to take his ease
now and let the youngsters see for
themselves the hollowness of military
glory. Weariness and physical exhaus
tion had lent their claims, and despite
bruises and many a pang, despite tho
realization of the presenco of tho fair
girls whom his dash and energy had
rescued from robber hands, tho young
fellow had dozed away into dreamland.
Why not? The object of his mission
was accomplished. Fanny and Ruth
Harvey wero safe. All that was left
for tho party to do now was rest in
quiet until another morn, then it would
be quito possible to start on tho return
without waiting for tho coming of their
friends. Before sunset his men would
bo reassembled. They could have a
long night's sleep, and with the rising
of tho morrow's sun, convoying their
three wagons and their captured trea- i
snres, tho little detachment would take
tho back track for tho Tucson road,
confident of meeting "old Harvey"
and probably a doctor on tho way.
Ho himself, though most iii need of
i surgical attention when they reached
against tho rock, conquered yet inward
ly raging, while Wing stole in to Drum
mond 's rude couch, slipped the field
glass from its case, then, with a long
ing look into the darker depths beyond,
and a moment's hesitation, he stepped
to tho projecting rock that seemed to
divido tho cave into two apartments
and called in lower tone, "Miss Har
vey. ' '
"Here, Mr. Wing. "What is wanted?"
And at tho instant, prompt, alert,
even smiling, Fanny Harvey appeared
before him. The pallor was gone. The
disheveled hair had been twisted into
shape. Food, rest, relief from dread
and misery and that littlo appreciated
beautifier, fresh water, had wrought
their transformation here. Wing's
handsome eyes glistened as he removed
his hat.
"I have to go up to that point yonder r
a few minutes, leaving
alone, bound, to be surej
or daughter might slip o:
him. Vj11 you hay
take this -and shoot it
make the attempt?"
her his pistol.
"I'll see to it that no one interfer
with him, Mr. Wing. What has hap
pened ? Are the others coming ? ' ' And
I
and practiced hand,
deepened in Wing's
she took the revolver, balancing it in
her accustomed
Tho admiration
gaze.
"I see yon handle a pistol as though
you had uh.:1 one. You're a true fron
tiersman's daughter. I'll have to bo
away for a fevr minut t. I'm going up
to look from our rock above there.
Some of onr men, ihvy say, are in sight
slowly returning, and tho paymaster's
ambulance is only a mile away, proba
bly waiting for the rest of tho part.
How is Miss Ruth?"
"Sleeping like a baby, bless her
heart."
"Well, I havo promised Mr. Drum
mond that she should bo his nurse. I
hope j'on will consent. Ho is sleeping
too. No fever yet, I am thankful to
say."
"Ruth will bo ready, and so will I,
to help in any way we can. But when
aro you to have a rest, may I ask?"
"O-oh by and by. Lee and the
others must have theirs first. They
havo been in saddle much longer and
farther than I. When is Miss Harvey
to havo her rest, may I ask?"
know. I'll say,
' too. Look, that
"W-e-1-1, I don't
'perhaps "by and by
man is calling yon."
Whirling about, Wing saw his senti
nel beckoning, and in a moment ho went
clambering up the rocky trail, active
as a mountain Apache.
"What is it, Patterson?" .
"It is signal smoke, sir, across tho
valley. That ain't moro than eight
miles away, and down here in the range
ain't more than Eix. What Indians
could bo out here, I would like to know ?
Do they grow everywhere in this in
fernal country?"
Wing took his glasses and long and
earnestly studied tho bluish white
clouds rising in puffs, faint and barely
distinguishable in the opposite heights,
then fixed his gaze upon the filmy col
umn soaring up among the dark pines
at the heart of the rango to the south
ward. His face grew graver every min
ute. "Stay here and watch." ho said. "I
must go and get thoso other men in
with the ambulance. Of course if it is
Apaches, they've sighted that party
and the few men straggling back, and
those signals mean, 'close in on them.'
I'll send the team right in and then ride
and hurry the other fellows out."
The sun was retiring behind the
Cababi range as Wing
down the trail.
"Sorry for you, Dick, eld boy," he
said to his horse, who was drowsing in
tho shade. "More work for us both
now."
Never stopping to saddle, ho leaped
upon tho bare, brown back and went
clattering down the canyon.
"Keep your eye on Moreno, there!"
he shouted up to the lookout. "If he
tries to slip away, shoot him."
Ten minutes' brisk gallop through
the windings of tho gorge brought him
to the edge of the sandy plain. There,
under a little clump of willows, was
the ambulance, its mules unhitched and
hoppled securely, nibbling placidly at
such scant herbage as they could find.
The horses of the two guards, unsad'
drowsily on the rock beside the prisoner j died, were drooping in the shade, too
gladly accepted permission to put aside
'his carbine and go to sleep.
"I'll watch him, Slat," said Wing.
"You lie down there, Moreno, and see
to it that you make no effort to slip a
knot while I'm at work here. How
tired to hunt for anything to eat,
"Saddle up, men. Hitch in and get
that team to the head of the canyon, live
ly now," was his brief order to the
sleepy trooper who greeted him, caibine
in hoad.
skill of Sergeant Wine as to feel that
his arm was sot as perfectly as could
be done by almost any other practition
er, and before dropping off to sleep had
quite determined that ho would inako
the morning march in saddle.
Still, he could not sleep for any great
length of time. The instinct of vigi
lance and the sense of lesponsibility
would not leave him. In his half
dreaming, half waking state, he once
thought he heard a light footfall, and
presently as ho dozed with eyelids shut
there came a soft touch upon his tem
ple. Lifting his hand he seized that of
his visitor Fanny Harvey.
"Why are you not resting?"' he asked.
"And where is Ruth?"
4itnth is sleeping, as we hoped yon
might be 'Tired nature's sweet re
itorer' is all you need, Mr. Drummond,
J'ljt you do mt seem to have had more
'a cat nap. Twice 1 havo stolen
to see yon, and then, though I
earful of waking you, you slept
fully through it all."
-r i. I f --.1. 1
Cll, x must 1IUVCJ EIUpL il CUUpiB Ul
anyway, and I slept soundly until
n t-ic last lew minutes, fias
of tho men got back yet. Miss
Harvey? Do you know what time it
is? I suppose Wing is sleeping."
"Mr. Wing ought to be sleeping, but
ho isn't. The sentry Patterson I think
thoy call him summoned him up to
tho lookout therein the rocks, oh. about
an hour ago, and when the sergeant
came back ho mounted his horse and
rodo away down the canyon. IIo said
thero was something requiring his at
tention. But you aro to drink this
chocolate and lie still."
Drummond slowly strovo to rise.
He was too anxious, too nervous, to re
main where he was.
"And none of them has returned
yet?" ho asked. "I cannot understand
that. No, please do not strive to detain
mo here. I'm perfectly able to be up
and about, and if Wing ia gone it's my
business to look after things."
Over among the rocks across the
narrow canyon tho first object to meet
his gaze as he arose was Moreno, reclin
ing there bound and helpless, while at
hand a soldier had thrown himself on
his saddle blanket and was sound asleep.
Tho plash of tho waters in the brook,
dancing and tumbling down the chasm,
made sweet, drowsing music for his
ears, a lulling, soothing sound that ex
plained perhaps tho deep slumber of
his trooper friend.
"I heard Mr. Wing tell that man to
lie down and sleep," said Miss Harvey
as the young officer's eyes seemed to
darken with menace at tho sight of a
sentry sleeping on guard. "Moreno is
securely tied, and both Patterson up
there and I hero are now his keepers.
Tho senora and her daughter are in the
other cave, forbidden to go near him."
Glancing up at tho stunted cedar
where Patterson stood faithful to his
trust, Drummond saw that ho was
peering steadily southward through tho
black fieldglasses.
"What do yon see, Patterson?" he
hailed. "Where is Wing? Any of the
men coming back?'
"Wing has gone on down the valley,
sir. Some of our fellows, U or three
only, wero coming back, but they
didn't come fast enough to suit him.
The ambulance will be here in a minute
or two it's just below us down tho
canyon now."
Indeed almost at the moment the
click of iron shod hoofs was heard, and
the dejected mule team came into view
around a jutting point, the dingy yel
low ambulance jolting after them, one
soldier in the driver's seat handling the
reins, the other ridins behind and lead-
went leaping j ing his comrade's horse.
"Come up here to the mouth of the
cave, Merrill," called tho lieutenant.
' ' You can unhitch and unharness just
beyond, but I want that safe unloaded
and put in here."
"Tho safe's gone, sir."
"What?"
"The safe's gone, sir. We never got
it. That's what took Sergeant Wing
off down the valley, I reckon. I sup
posed you knew it, sir, and him. too,
but ho didn't. Thoso Morales fellows
got away with it on burro back while
we were chasing the white wagon."
For a moment Drummond stood as
tounded. "Man alive!" he at last exclaimed,
"why was I not told of this? Get me
a horse at once, Walsh," ho ordered.
"I'll take Patterson's. You two re
main here and see that that old scoun
drel don't get loose Moreno there and
that no harm befalls the ladies. I'll
ride down after Wing."
"Oh, Mr. Drummond, you must not
think of going," exclaimed Miss Har
vey. '"'You're far too seriously hurt,
far too weak, to attempt such a thing.
Please lie down again. Surely Mr.
Wing will do all that any man conld
do to recover the 6afe. . All the others
are in pursuit. They must have over
taken them by this time. Come ; I am
doctor now that he is awav. Obey me
and lie still."
Drummond's one available hand
found itself clasped by warm, slender
fingers. He would havo drawn it away
and striven to carry out his design, but
a glance at his two troopers told him
that they plainly and earnestly advo
cated Miss Harvey's view of the case.
He was in no condition to make tho at
tempt. And at the moment, too, even
as ho strove to release his hand, another
voice was heard, almost imploring:
"Oh. don't let him co. Fan. Don't
let him try to ride!"
And turning suddenly at the sound
Mr. Drummond found Ruth Harvey
standing closo behind her sister, her
eyes suffused, her cheeks blushing red.
It was the first timo he had seen her to
speak to since they landed at the old
wharf at San Francisco a year gone by,
and for the moment he forgot the safe,
the funds, tho crippled arm, tho band
aged head' and every other item that
should havo occupied his thoughts.
"Why, Ruthie, is this yon? How
you have grown!"
And then tho imprisoned hand was
released only to be transferred to the
clasp and keeping of another. In her
fear that her knight, her soldier, would
leave them, and wounded though ho
was insist on attempting to foiiow hi3
men in their pursuit, the shyness of
maidenhood was forgotten. Ruth had
seized and clasped tho long, brown fin
gers, and Drummond forgot for the mo
ment all thought of quitting her pres
ence for the field.
And then having as she supposed
won her point, and having caught the
new light in his admiring eyes, it be
came necessary to struggle for the re
lease of the hand she had so unhesitat
ingly used to detain him. This might
have proved a difficult matter, judging
from the expression in Drummond's
face, but for a sudden hail from Patter
ton :
"Can the lieutenant come up here a
moment ? There's
flown there I can't understand.
something going on
Old Moreno, whoso bonds could not
restrain his shifting, glittering eyes,
glanced quickly upward. Tlwn, as he
caught a menacing look in tho sunburn
ed face of tho Irish trooper Walsh, he
becamo as suddenly oblivious, to all
earthly matters beyond tho palo of his
own physical woes. And now it was
Ruth's hand that would retain its
clasp and Drummond's that was again
struggling for release. In a moment
tho lieutenant stood under Patterson's
perch.
"What did you see? What was it
like ? How far away ?"
"Six or seven miles, sir. The valley
is broad and open, and three of our fel
lows wero riding slowly back on tho
west side, whilo Wing was galloping
as though to meet them, and when they
Weren't more than a milo apart -Wing's
horse went down looks no bigger than
a. black speck and the other thrco
sheered off away from tho rocks on
this sido and seemed to bo scattering
apart."
Tho words were low spoken so as to
reach only his ear. Nov it was no
easy scramble for a man in Drummond's
condition to make, but it took him only
a littlo timo to clamber to Patterson's
side.
"There's something back of all this,
and you know it, Patterson. What
Apache sign havo you seen?"
"Smoke, sir, on both sides. But wo
agreed, tho sergeant and 1, that tho
young ladies mustn't bo alarmed nor
you aroused. Then ho rodo away to
hurry in any of our fellows who wero
in sight and warn them to keep out
from tho rocks. What I'm afraid of is
that they'vo been ambushed, or at least
that the Indians havo ambushed him.
His horso is down, and those others yon
see are away out on tho plain now.
They'ro working around toward tho
horse as tho:jh ho were lying behind
it, and they appear to bo firing mount
ed." What was Drummond to do? To
Ieavo his charges here, unprotected, was
out of tho question. Fail to go or
send to Wing's relief ho could not.
Decide ho must and decido qui ckiy.
"Patterson, that part' of Apaches
can't bo over a dozen strong, or they
would havo rushed out of their cover
by thiB time, yet they are too strong and
too securely posted to bo driven by
that littlo squad, especially it Wing is
Vounded. I can't shoot now, but I
can rido and direct. Every man who
can shoot may bo needed here. You
havo four now and can stand off 40
Apaches Tonto or Chiricahua in
such a position as this, so I leave you
in charge. Yon have everything to
help you stand a siege. Now seo to it
that tho ladies aro kept well under
cover, and I'll hurry back with Walsh
and what men I can find."
Then down ho scrambled, giving one
look at Moreno and his sleeping guard
ian as ho passed, then gavo r. low toned
order to Walsh :
"Saddle your horso again .and rido
just to tho other sido of that rock yon
der and wait for me."
Well ho understood that it would bo
impossible for him to ride away without
Fanny Harvey's knowing that some
thing of a serious nature was impend
ing, and that ho could not get away at
all without their knowing it. What
ho desired was to conceal from them
that thero was any danger from
Apaches.
Just as ho expected, both girls were
eagerly awaiting him at the entrance to
the cave. His revolvers wero in there
beside the rude couch on which ho had
slept so peacefully.
"Nov are you ready to return to hos
pital and proper subjection?" asked
Miss Harvey laughingly. "It is high
time. Wbat could have tempted you
to climb to that high point?"
"Why, it's the first chanco I've had
of n look around," was the answer.
"This is an awfully strong spot for a
place of refuge. You are 6afe here,
safer than anywhere between Yuma
and Tucson, now that the former pos
sessors are scattered. But did you hear
what took Wing off?"
"No, he didn't stop to explain mat
ters. Ho simply dashed away without
even a saddle. 'Something 1 must
look after, ' was all he vouchsafed to
say."
"Well, the men just in tell me tho
paymaster's safe was spirited off. Con
found that little green box of green
backs! Some shrewd packer among
Awarded Highest Honors World's Fair.
D P RICES
otiW Pure Cream of Tartar Pi
Used in Miliious of Homes-
No Ammonia; io Alum.
Years the Standard.
Morales' peoplo whisked it out of the
wagon and onto a burro, and now wo
are all keen to get it back. Of course
I can't sleep again until wo know.
Soino of our peoplo aro coming slowly
up tho valley, and Wing went on down
to meet them."
But all tho timo ho talked so airily
with tho elder sister. Ruth stood watch
ing him with suspicious eyes.
"Mr. Druunnond, pleaso do not go,'
6ho broko forth. "You havo no right
to now. " And James, tho dissembler,
found himself trapped.
"Go I must, Ruthie," ho said, with
sudden change of manner. "I know
you will not blame mo or detain when
I tell you, ns 1 feel forced to tell you
now, that Sergeant Wing is hurt. His
horso has fallen with him far out on
tho desert. I'll be back very soon."
Then with sudden impulsive move
ment ho bent, kissed her forehead and
turned as suddenly away.
When tho sisters looked into each
other's eyes a moment later, one face
was blushing liko tho dawn, tho other
was pallid with a new and deep anx
iety. And now we. too, must follow Wing.
Ho was n total stranger, it is to bo re
membered, to the regiment when, after
its years of battling in the Army of the
Potomac, it was sent into exilo on the
far Pacific coast and speedily lost to
sight in tho deserts of Arizona. The
typo of noncommissioned oliicer most
familiar to the rank and filoaswell as to
their superiors was tho old fashioned
"plains raised," "disciplin furst and
rayson afterward" class of which Feeuy
was so prominent an exponent. Brave
to rashness and faithful to tho very
death, they had reason to look for re
spect and appreciation. They wero
men whoso only education was that
picked up in tho camps and campaigns
of tho famous old regiments to which,
when moro recruits, they had been as
signed. They were invaluable in the
army and would havo been utterly mis
judged and out of their element any
whero else. That "book learning" and
soldiering could ever go hand in hand
no man. in tho old dragoons would over
havo lielicvcd for an instant. Such
scholars as had drifted into the ranks
were, as a rule, irreclaimable drunk
ards, lost to any chance of redemption
at home, and only tolerated in the serv
ico in tho rough old days because of
their meek and uncomplaining perform
ance of long hours of extra duty in the
troop or regimental offices when, their
whisky and their money alike exhaust
ed, they humbly went back to their
desks, asking only to live in tho hope
Vj'U " VAsec.;, -----
lie hc:it and hissed her forehead.
of another drunk. Hundreds of the
old dragoons could barely sign their
names, many could only touch tho pen
when called upon to make "his (X)
mark." "Another busted clerk" was
the general expression when the young
Californian came forward to enlist.
Yet ho was tho picturo of clear eyed,
athletic manhood, was accepted with
much hesitancy by tho officers and un
doubted suspicion by the men, yet speed
ily proved a splendid horseman, scout,
shot and. as was the final admission,
"all round trooper," despite tho fact
that he was well educated and spoke
Spanish like a native. Still, such was
the prevailing faith, as it ever is among
veteran soldiers, that tho old stylo was
tho best, it was long before ho won pro
motion. No one who has not known
both can begin to imagine tho differ
ence between tho army of n quarter cen
tury ago and tho army of today. Just
as Fecny was a resolute spc "men of the
old, so was Wing a pioneer of his class
in the new. At the moment when the
latter struck spurs to tho wearied flanks
of poor Dick and called on him for one
moro effort, the stalwart and handsome
sergeant sped away on the path of duty,
confident of tho fact that by this time
every man in his own troop and every
soldier who knew him at all would
stake his last dollar on Bob Wing's tac
kling the problem before him as fear
lessly and intelligently as any veteran
in the regiment.
Having ordered the ambulance up the
gorge, he himself spurred away to gath
er in all stragglers within reach, so as
to re-enforce tho littlo garrison at the
caves in tho event of attack from the
Apaches. To his practiced eye no ves
tige of doubt remained as to tho char
acter and purpose of tho signal smokes.
Not a moment was to bo lost. Within
that very hour perhaps unseen Indians
would como skulking, spying, "snak
ing" upon their refuge, would bo able
infallibly to determine the number and
character of its occupants, and if their
own force were considerable and that
of tho garrison weak God alone could
help those innocent women.
When last noted, the westward signal
was puffing slowly up into tho cloudless
sky from a point in tho rango perhaps
six miles below Patterson's station in
tho rocks. Tho three wearied troopers,
dragging slowly back from the chase,
could bo seen coming up tho valley prob
ably four miles away, somo distance,
therefore, ahead of tho supposed position
of the foe. Wing well knew with what
goatliko agility tho mountain Indians
could speed along from rock to rock and
still keep under cover, and every man
who had served a month in Arizona
conld have predicted thatnf Indians in
any forco wero within n day's march of
thoso three stragglers ambush and death
would bo their fate, perhaps even when
I within view of their lomred for ronl.
That they had not seen tho sign, that
they wero ignorant of the possible pres
enco of Apaches in the range. Was man-
J ifest simply becanso they rodo closo
j along under the foot hills, often over
tho bowlder strewn outskirts of the
i falda, and, though still far frotn them,
! such was Wing's anxiety for their safe-
ty that he rodo furiously along, signal
I ing with his left hand as though to
say: "Keep out! Keep to your right! "
Don't go so closo to the rocks!"
j In this way, urging Dick to his speed
and never thiuking of his own safety,
intent only on saving his comrades
from possible death, believing, too,
that no Apacho could yet havo worked
his way so far up tho range. Wing was
riding, straight as the crew flies, from
tho littlo oasis at tho mouth of tho
canyon toward tho ambling laggards to
tho south. His course led him along
within 100 yards of many a bowlder or
"suwarrow." though his path itself was
unobstructed. Tho sun had gone west
ering, and ho w;is in the shadow. Pres
ently, however, as Dick panted painful
ly, heavily, up a very gentle slope, and
tho sergeant camo upon the low crest of
a moundlike upheaval, ho saw some
slOO yards ahead a broad bay of sun
light stretching in from tho glaring sea
to tho east, and glancing to his right
noted that there was a depression in the
range something like a broad cleft in
tho mountains, possibly a pass through
to tho broader desert on tho other side.
Ho gavo it little thought, however.
There, only a mile or so away now.
came his fellow troopers, two in front,
another lagging somo distance behind,
riding sleepily toward him and danger
ously close to a number of sheltering
rod's. Intent only on them and still
wishing to attract their attention, ho
swung his broad brimmed hat, waving
it off to the left, but with no apparent
result. Confound them! Wero they
sound asleep? Could they never bo
made to see? Poor Dick was able now
only to strike a feeble canter, so utterly
was ho used up, and just when Wing,
looking only to tho front, was thinking
that he might as well discontinno tho
spur and let his poor horse rest, they
labored forth from the sheltering shade
full upon the tawny, sunlit sand. Then,
whilo the sergeant's eyes wero tempo
rarily blinded by the glare, there came
from tho rocks to his right a sudden
flash and report. IIo felt at tho same
instant a stinging pang in the leg. Ho
had just timo to grasp his own carbino
and to attempt to swing off when tho
second shot echoed loudly from tho -rocks.
Ho felt poor Dick start and
swerve ; ho felt him going headlong, aud
the next thing ho knew he was vainly
striving to peer into tho face of tho
evening sun from over the quivering
body of his faithful friend, unable for
the moment to see the faintest sign of
an enemy, and then tho blood came
welling through tho littlo hole in his
worn cavalry trousers, midway between
tho hip bono and tho knee, and ho
knew ho had received a serious perhaps
desperate wound.
For tho moment, therefore, ho could
do nothing more but look for succor.
A glance down the desert told him his
fellows wero at last rudely awakened.
True to tho practice of the craft, tho
instant fire was opened from tho rocks
each man had put spurs to his horso
and dashed away to a safer distance
with such speed as was possible with
their jaded mounts, each trooper warily
scanning tho dark lino of the foot hills
in search of the foo and striving as he
rode to unfasten tho flap that held his
carbine, in tho fashion of tho day,
athwart the pommel of his saddle, and
now, circling farther out upon tho
plain, in wido sweep, with carbines
advanced, they wero hastening to tho
succor of their comrade. Presently ono
of their number suddenly drew rein,
halted his startled "broncho," aimed
to tho left of tho horse's head and fired,
then, cramming a cartridge into tho
chamber, came riding farther. Tho
others, too, followed suit, shooting at
somo object apparently among the rocks
in front of the sergeant's position. Ono
of tho men threw himself from his sad
dle, and kneeling on tho sands drove two
or three shots at long range. Eager to
add his own firo to theire?. Wing pulled
his hatbrim over his eyes, threw for-
Wing threw forward the barrel over the
now stilled carcass of poor Dick.
ward tho barrel over the now stilled
carcass of poor Dick, and peered eagerly
up the ravino in search of somo foo at
whom to aim. Blindly he searched
for dusky Apacho skulking from rock
to rock. There was no moving thing
in sight. But what was this this ob
ject that suddenly shot out from behind
a little ledge, and turning sharply to the
left went clattering into the depths of a
dark and frowning gorge? Could ho
believe his eyes? Did tho Chiricahuas,
then, have horses and wear trooper
hats? Bending low over his steed and
spurring him to the uttermost exertion,
a tall, even soldierly, form had darted
ono instant into view and then gono
thundering out of. sight. Up to this
moment Wing never had lost full con
trol of his faculties. Now his brain
reeled. Beforo his. eyes rose a denso
tCONTi:LEi UX 1-Ot.KTH l'Al.U. J
