, 1884-02-12
THE PERRY GANG.

when Sinclair helped his vile on tine tram at
Pawnes junction. Tho station-master's face
fell az he saw the lady, but he Saluted the
engineer with as easy an air as he could
assume, and watched for an opportunity to
speak to him alone. Sinclair read the dis
patches with an unmoyed countenance, and
after a few minutes reflection, simply said:
"All right Be sure to keep the matter per-
fectly quiet" At breakfast he was distrait-
so much SO that his wife asked him what was
the matter. Taking her asids, he at once
showed her the kilograms
%You SEQ my duty" he said my only
thought is about you, my dear child. viii
you stay hereP
she simply replied, looking into his face
without a tremor:
Ny place is with you" Then the conductor
called @An aboard" and the train once more
started.
Sinclair asked Foster to Join him in the
smoking compartment and tell the prom
ised story, which the latter did. His rescue
at Barker's, no frankly and gratefully said,
had been the turning point in his life. In
brief, ho had Sworn of" from gambling and
drinking, had found honest employment, and
was doing we'll
ave two things to do now, MAJOR he
addod "irst, l must show my gratitude to you
and next1" he hesitated a little-"I want to
find that poor girl that I left behind at
Barker'S. Sho was engaged to marry me,
and when / came to think of it, and what a
life I'd have made her lead, l hadn't the heart
till now 10 look for her; but, seeing I'm on
the right track, Pm going to find her, and
get her to come with mo. Her fathers a
- old scoundrsl, but that amt her fault,
and l amt going to marry him"
Foster" quietly asked Sinclair, do you
know the Perry gangfT
Tho mans brow darkoned.
@Know themF' said he. " know them
much too well. Perry is az ungodly a cut
throat as svor killed an emigrant in cold
blood. and he's got in his gang noarly all
those hounds that tried to hang me. Why do
you ask, major"
Sinclair handed him tho dispatched You
are tho only man on tho train to whom l have
shown them" said he.
Foster read them slowly, bis syes lighting
up az he did so. "Looks as IL 1t was true"
said he. "Let me Seol Fort. Yes, that's
tho til infantry. Two Of their boys were
killed ut Sydney last summer by some Of the
samo gang, and the regiments sworn
vengeance. Major. IL this story's on tho
square, that crowds goose Is cooked, and
don't you forget it'll say, you must give me
a hand In it"
Foster, " said Sinclair, AZ am going to put
responsibility on your shoulders. have no
doubt that, II we be attacked, the soldiers
will dispose OF the gang; but l must = take all
possible precautions for the safety Of the pas
sengers We must not alarm thsm. They
can be made to think that the troops are go
ing on n scout, and only a certain number of
r~ssoluto men need be told Of what we ex-
pect Can you, late this afternoon, go
through the cars, and pick them outi 1 will
then put you in charge of the passenger cars,
and you can post your men on the platforms
to act in case Of need. Ny place will DO
ahead"
"Major, you can depend on me" was Fos-
ter's reply. 4rn go through the train and
have my eye on some boys OF the right sort,
and that's got their shooting-irons with
them"
Through the hours OF that day on rolled
the train, still over the crisp buffalo grass,
across tho well-worn buffalo trails, past the
prairis-dog vilages. The passengers chatted,
dozed, played cards, read, all unconscious,
with the exception Of three, of the coming con-
6ict between the good and evil forces bearing
on their fate; Of the fell preparations making
for their disnstsr; Of the grim preparations
making to avert such disaster; OF all OF
which the little wires alongside of them had
been talking back and forth. Watkins had
autographed that he still saw no reason to
doubt the good faith of his warning, and Sin
clair had reported his receipt of authority
and his acceptance thereof. Meanwhile, also,
there had been set in motion a measure of
that power to which appeal is SO reluctantly
made in time OF peace. At Fort -, a lonely
post on the plains, the orders had
that morning been issued for twenty
men under Lieut.. Halsey to parade
at 4 p. m, with overcoats, two days
~rations, and ball cartridges; also for A Assistant
Surgeon Kesler to report for duty with tho
parfV HrlaFa N q 70 la9tt-atNa..
municated direct to the lisutsnant from tho
post commander, and on the minute the little
column moved, taking the road to tho station,
The regiment from which it came had been
in active service among the Indians on the
frontier for n long time, and the officers and
men were tried and seasoned fghterE. Lieut.,
HRlssy had boon well known at tho West
Point balls as the "lsadsr OF the german"
From the last Of these balls he had gone
straight to the n0ld, and three years had
given him IN snviabls reputation for
sang froid and determined bravery. He
ioOksi every inch the soldier az he
walked along the trail, his cloak thrown
back and his sword tucked under his
arm. The doctor, who carried n Modoc bull
let in some inaccessible part OF his Scared
body, growled good-nnturedly ut the need of
walking, and the mon, envelopsd in their
army blue overcoats, marched easily by
fours. Reaching the station, the lieutenant
called the agent aside, and with him in
spected, on a siding. a long platform car on
which benches had been placed and secured.
Then no took his seat in the station and
quietly waited, occasionally twisting his long
blonde mustacho. The doctor took a cigar
with the agent and the men walked about or
sat on the edge Of the platform. One of
them, who obtained q surreptitious glance at
his silent commander, told his companions
that there was trouble ahead for somebody.
That's just tho way the leftenant looked,
boys, said he, "when we was laying for them
Apaches that raided Jones ranch and killed
the women and little children"
In a short time the officer looked at his
watch, formed his mon, and directed them to
take their places on the seats of the car.
They had hardly done so, when the whistle
of the approaching train was heard. When
it came up, the conductor, who had his
instructions from Sinclair, had the engine
detached and backed on the siding for the
soldiers car, which thus came between it
and the foremost b~aggage-oar, when the
trim was again made up. As
arranged, it was announced that the troops
were to DO taken n certain distance to Join "a
scouting party, and the curiosity OF the pas
sengers was but slightly excited. The sol
diers sat quietly In their seats, their repeating
riies held between their knees, and the officer
in front Sinclair Joined the latter and had
a few words with him as the train moved on.
A little later. when the stars were shining
brightly overhead, they passed into the e1-
press car, and sent for the conductors and
other trainmen. and for Foster. In a fow
words Sinclair explained the position Of
aisHinL His statement was received with per
Ladies' approve of your smoking
| NI iAAln- InlrnE