The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-04-05

bad medicine" to another. or 10 the
same person at a different time or IN
der other circumstances
How many times the Percy Office was
''ealled'' during the long hours Of the
afternoon will never be known. aud no
doubt the Operatur Wss more than once
Soundly rated for inattention to duty.
As the shadows Of night commenced
to settle slowly over the valley. blotting
out the rocky prOminences aud the sil-
very sheen Of the river. sydney Realf
began % turn over in his mind plan
after plan for the relief Of the be-
leaguered people.
matters couldn't be very much
worse" he mutterrd. ~ hr sat ia a
dark corner. br"~ling. with bowed
head. over the hnpelessness OF The out
look. Here We are. cOrraled like 50
many cattle. We are worse or than
cattle. for they generally have enough
TO eat and drink. We haven't any
thing. and not much to look forward
TO. Thst train from the West will not
be along till nine O'Clock ia the morn
ing. aud II lis behind time. as il usu-
ally is. Il won't be here till ten. And
when il comes. what good will il do?
The officer Of the railway don't know
that we're cooped up here. ! don {
suppose they have the slightest idea the
Cheyennes have got this far south.
and Percy Is the last place At which One
would expect To find them.
Sydney had learned. from the hur-
ried and excited messages that we're
constantly living over the wires when
he was last ia the Office. that the Chey-
ennes were rrireating toward the Ter
ritOry. And he also CLEANED the in
formation that they were expected 10
cross the Arkansas at point some
fifty miles from Percy. aud that troops
were being hurried to that place.
''If the train stops al the station I'M
aware Of this turn Of affairs. the only
result will be that the people On it will
be massacred without chance to de-
fend themselves Seems % me the
operator ought TO know that much.
but he's so eVcitcd he hardly accnunt-
able for what he says.
For long time sydney >at in that
darkened corner. hr"kiug over the
subject A. last hr looked mp For
more than an hour th,. Indians had rp-
mained perfectly quiet. and few Of
/ ~. L., .,.,.,;.r,..f Ill t...rstt, g.. hs.t.a
they had departed The little srutfle-
hold leading To- the roof WIS unob-
structed. and his ewes lighted mp rs he
noticed the attention If almost every
one was drawn Ia the Opposite end of
the room.
'I'll do it!'' he muttrrri. III ! .old
anybody. they wnuid refuse to let me
go
He removed hi -hnr> and crcpi cau-
tiOuSly tu ih, ladder and Ouf upnn the
roof Herr hr stretched himself flat
upon the shingles AMI booked about.
There was ~" moon. anl th.. stars >h"ne
feebly. N"ihiug rewarded his gazr
| Every thing wa> 50 quiet be- wa con-
| viuced that the ChrVrnn'> had rrally
departed. A, he prepared 10 descend.
his clothing caught ou projecting
nail Hs. pulled il ont and ia >pduiug
loo>ened the shinglr. which f-ll with a
clatterimg noise ~ h- l,.tpo,l lightly 90
the ground He rrouchei hrrathlr,-ly
in the deepest shadow. fearing the
noise had been heard by the Indians
Il had not. hut keen ear within the
adobe had caught the sound
''Whal va, that?
The inquiry ramr iu caution, tones.
| Il was addressed %, ,"m, nn,. ia the in
side. and without h'aring the reply,
Sydney rrept away through ih. tangled
grass. H> intcntion WIS 10 pass the
Gordon of Che, epnrs and gain the tele-
graph office. Once inside Of that. he
would send a message for help. II his
life paid the forfeit the next instant.
| His progress was slow and tOilsume.
Every few minutes he halted to peer
about ia the darkurs> and listen. lie
had covered half the distance. when the
sound Of vOir.> ram- To him from
the path directly shead. The