Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-08-17

gallantrv BETTING the occasion.
Cad danced every set and seemed IN
one of her happiest moods, but Bill
stood IN silence IN one corner of the
room. He never offered to dance
with any one, and seemed to be alb
sOrbed IN watching Cad as she glided
about the room.
just as the fun was at its height a
clatter of hOOfS was heard on the
hard beaten trail leading past the
ranch. and a few moments afterwards
an excited hOrseman drew rein III
front of the door The rider proved
to be a Mexican vacGuerO from one
of the neighbOring ranches, and his
evident fright caused everyone to
rush from the ball room and gather
round him to learn what had hap
pened. In broken English and Span
ish he made known the startling fact
that the Indians were in the valley,
and that only a few hours before
they had attacked the ranch where
he and two other vacquerOs were at
work, and after killing his companions
had driven of some stock. HealOne
had escaped by fight.
The terrible news which the man
brought put an end to all mirth, for
he reported the Indians to be in force.
and that they were moving down the
valley where they would undoubtedly
strike the unexpected ranchers below.
The girls with blanched faces gath
cred in the inner court of the adobe
house, While the men busted them
selves in looking after their horses
and getting everything in order N
case of any possible emergency. A
guard was mounted around the
ranch, and the men in a brief council
decided that people down the valley
must be warned. Apache Bill was
first to volunteer to perform the
perilOus task, for he was accustomed
TO such work in times Of danger, and
in q few minutes he was in the corral
| getting ready for his trip.
1t was now about midnight, but
the moon had risen above the noun
tain tops and the whole valley was
almost as bright as day Bill had
finished saddling up and was leading
his horse to water at the stream. when
! just as he passed into the shadow of
the willow trees a wOman's form Gid
/ ed quickly to his side He saw at Il
/ glance that it was Cad, and he
paused abruptly as the girl in a soft
! vOiceaddressed him:
Bill are you going away alOne?'
| "GOing alOne?' he answered Ger
tainly | am. 1 have made trips be-
| fore, why can / do so nOw?"
''Oh! 1 don't know" tremuOusly
! added Cad. "I'm so nervous to-
night, and I'm afraid something viii
! happen to you"
! Happen to me-" replied Bill, and
/ there was bitterness in his tone when
/ he asked. ''What difference would
/ that make to anybody in this wOrld?''
please don't talk that way, Bill, :"
pleaded the girl, and then continued
/ earnestly:
''When Traced with you thelast time
/ / didn' I intend to be mean. told you
l hated you because you were so wild.
/ But only did it to make you better,
Bill, and now thatyOu have reformed
1 am proud Of you, and 1 cOuldn' t
let you go away tonight thinking
that I had been unzind."
To these words Bill made no reply,
but dropping the bride Of the horse
/ he had been leading. he threw both
arms around the girl, drew her to
him, and held her in one long pas
siOnate emil brace. She did not repell
/ his caresses, but gently releasing her
self, raised her lips to receive his fare
( well kiss, and without either one say
: ING another word, she left his side
. He watched her until she disappeared
in the house, then mounting his horse
/ rode rapidly away.
There was very little sleep in the
ranch that night, and by daylight
everybody was astir. 1t was q dreary
/ Christmas morn, and there was none
OF the gayety which had marked the
/ preceding day. Themeu Were-seriOus
and had little to say, and the girls
looked pale and haggard. Two or
three times during the day Indians
were seen lowering in the distance,
but none of the ranchmen went in
pursuit, for there were scarcely
enough men at the ranch to permit
any OF theparty to leave.
The day wore YEARLY on, and just
as the sun was going down, a soil
tary hOrseman was seen coming over
the prairie at a rapid gait. As he
drew near it could easily be seen that
it was Apache Bill returning from his
mission of mercy, and the men vel
coined him with a loud hallOO. They
thought 1t strange that he did not
answer them in his usual CHEEKY style,
and as the horse dashed up and stop
ped short in front Of the corral, it
was seen that he was deathly pale
and made no effort to dismOunt.
Several men rushed toward him he
reeled in the saddle and fell heavily
TO the ground.
/ Willing hands bore him To a cot In
the house, where every effort was
made to staunch the blood which