San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-02-08


q slight accident to the tram ahead OF
.us, replied the conductor.
Then / Will take run to the
nils, said Gus.
There are Apaches III this vicinity;
ID is not safe to leave the road.
Should you go return in an hour"
Gus entered the palace car, and
soon returned carrying u repeating
rifle, and followed by Irene, who IN
sisted on accompanying him.
We may be attacked by Indians, "
said Gus, by way of frightening her
from going. p
If we are, you can protect me, l
Go not fear!
The point where the train was de-
tanned was in a deep mountain gorge,
through which the Rio Grande wends
It's way to the sea.
Perpendicular walls rose on either
hand for nearly two thousand feet.
/ At the foot of the giant wall Oh the
right the river skirted the case of the
bluff, it's waters deep and sluggish.
Slaughter and Irene, by taking
circuitous route, climbed to the top OF
the bluff, on the right and opposite
side Of tAe river.
When they arrived at the summit
they found level mesa stretching
away to the distant Saddle-Flym oun-
tains. The palm-like amole waved
their poisoning tufts i'll the gentle
zephyr. Maguey plants, and the tlut-
ed gigantic ceres, stood in silent gran
deur, while wonderous varieties OF
blooming cactus exhaled their fra
GRANGE on the air. Short mountain
chains bound the horizon on every
hand, except where the river wound
its course, It's banks lined with Palo
verde, mesquite and cottonwood .
trees.
AS the lovers-for such was their
relation-walked slowly over the
plain, talking OF the hopeful future,
an antelope sprang from q clump OF
cactus, and jumping few steps it
stood gazing on the lovers, only as an
antelope can gaze under like clrcum-
stances.
1t was the work Of a moment for
Gus to bring his rifle to position and
fire the unsophisticated gentle beast
to the happy land of Canaan. They
the slain animal, and as
tie distance from the train Was not
great Slaughter proposed carrying 1t
III.
While preparing the animal for
transportation, Irene was looking oil
over tAe mesa, gazing at some moving
objects not fur from them, III the
hlgA cactus.
Gus, love, there are more deer!"
"Wuero?" he asked.
There; moving through the tall
cactus"
Irene, those are not deer but In
dams. We are lost!'
As he spoke, the Indians arose with
a veil, and Slaughter found that they
we've surrounded on three sides, with
the perpendicular wall OF over Il thou
sand feet On their front.
Hun toward tLe lIyer, Irene, | viii
protect you. There are but seventeen,
aud l have twenty Shots.
Tie Indians now began to fire and
pursue. Gus and Irene lodged the
Dullets--Iong practice had enabled
to tell by the sound the d-
Iecuon of the balls. They had now
reached the verge OF the giant wall.
The Indians on the right and left had
also reached the same point.
"Gustavus, my darling, we are cap
ured; there isno escape. We cannot
20 over The cliff"
"True!" he replied; butas lie spoke
the ground gave way beneath the feet
Of hene, ana she quickly disappeared
from view. I.
She is lost!" he cried, "and what
is lie to me? But L Will make those
red devils pay dearly for this; and at
the same tune lodging the seventeen
bullets fired by the inturiated savages,
he spang boldly over the cliff. 4
III.
Irene when she found herself sink |
ING, thought the bluff had caved away I
With her, but it was not so.
The material of the bluff was cal :
,areous limestone, which had been 1
worn BY the action of tie elements {
INTO pet-holes and tunnels. Irene I