The weekly messenger., 1889-07-20

arr0wI L know, lOr jim was WOunutu
the same way the year after we were
married, when we were living in Mon
tana. Keep your eye on those tiends-
| know Just what to dO!'
And before had an idea of her pur-
pose, Mrs. Rainsford dropped on hel
knees and applied her warm, fresh lip,
to the ragged puncturc, which, owing
to the presence of the poison, perhaps,
had bled very little. My expostula-
tions were in vain. Ejccting the poi
sonous fluid, and repeatedly rinsing her
mouth with the raw spirit, of which she
forced me to drink from time to time,
this bravest of women continued her pc
culiar treatment till l felt a sensible de-
crease in the pain, and the swelling it
self began slowly to subside.
"You'l do now," she abruptly re-
marked, rising to her feet with glance
at my face, to which | knew the color
was fast return inc. But the situation
was an almost desperate one. Night
was fast approaching, and though the
Apachcs were making no definite move
toward dislodging US, We of course pre-
sumed that they only waited the cover
of darkness to carry out their purpose.
Which shows how easy it is to be mis-
taken-cspecially in reference to the
movements of the willy Apache. For,
unperccivcd by either of us, one of the
red fiends had separated himself from
the rest, and making long dctour un-
der cover of the willows along the river
bank, crcpt up in the rear of the build
ing and fired it at the two corners.
The first intimation we had of this
new disaster was the cloud of sitting
smoke that came pouring through the
chinkS of the cottonwood logs, which
were rs dry and almost as ;nfiammablc
as tindcr by their long exposure to the
baking sun and raritied air. Immediately
following we heard the sharp crackle Of
the flames, kindled into additional
strength by Il strong westerly breeze,
and above all rose the exulting yells of
the Apaches, who of course expected
that we should very shortly be driven
from cover.
81 don't know how you feel about it."
said my companion in the same hard,
voice, ''but l had rather
burn to death hundred times than fall
into the hands of those fiends."
Before could reply. great tongue
of fire burst through into the interior.
\ sudden thought seemed 20 come to
the brave woman at my side.
This way-quck. she exclaimed.
And pulling upa trap door in the rough
flooring, she dropped lightly through
following-lct,iug the trap fall back
to place.
There was no time for standing on
ceremony. Reaching out IA small hand,
that was icy cold, though firm as a rock,
Mrs. Rainsford, taking my own.
drew me to the further end
Of the rude cellar. In those parts
it was customary to construct sort of
cellar few feet away from the
house, in addition to the one under the
dwelling. for winter use. But Rainsford,
from some whim of his own, had dug
his place of winter storage in one end of
the main cellar itself, roofing it over on
the outside with slabs of gray sandstone
from the river bottom. All this his
widow hastily explained as we groped
BUR way to the heavy door of thick
in the side of the cellar wall.
md, having entered, pulled it to after
Is.
1t was indeed last resort, and it is
40 wonder that for some time neither of
Is was inclined for conversation. Over
head was the roaring of flames, followed
| little later by the crash of falling tim
,ers and beams. The heat was almost
'tif1ing, but luckily the wind blew the
ire and smoke directly away from the
covering above, or else. despite the
lperturcs left for ventilation, we should
have been smothercd.
We cOuld hear tho Anacbos' or; e