The Florida agriculturist., 1889-11-27

butt with stunning crash down on the
ranchman's defenseless head.
There was instant rush and commotion.
In vain old Maitland feebly piped his
protests from the veranda; In vain the
overseer seized and held back one or two
of the men and furiously called off the
rest Aided by the darkness which
yelled them, the others made simulta-
neous rush upon the young officer and
sought to drag him from his plunging
horse. Perry held his pistol high in air,
threatened with the butt the nearest as
sailant, yet loath to use further force.
He was still in the broad glare of the
parlor lights-a conspicuous mark; eager
hands had grasped his bride rein at the
very bit, and he could not break away;
and then missiles began to fly about his
devoted head, and unless he opened fire
he was helpless. While two men firmly
held Nolan by the curb, half dozen
others were hurting from the ambush of
darkness scattering volley of wooden
billets and chunks of coal. He could
easily have shot down the men who held
him.
1t was sore temptation, for already he
had been struck and stung by unseen
projectiles; but just as the manager
sprang forward and with vigorous cuffs
induced the men to loose their hold on
his rein, there came three horsemen
charging full tilt back into the crowd,
scattering the assailants right and left;
and, this time unrebuked, Sergt. Leary
leaped from the saddle and, with a rage
of fierce delight, pitched headlong into
battle with the biggest ranchman in his
way. And this was not all; for behind
them at rapid trot came other troopers,
and in moment the open space was
thronged with eager, wondering COM
rades-full half Of Stryker's company
in whose overwhelming presence all
thought of promiscuous combat seemed
to leave the ranchmen. They slipped
away in the darkness, leaving to their
employers the embarrassment of ac-
counting for their attack.
LearY was still fuming with wrath and
raging for further battle and shouting
into the darkness fierce invective at the
vanished head of his opponent. He
turned on the overseer himself, and but
for Perry's stern and sudden prohibition
would have had round with him, but
was forced to content himself with the
information conveyed to all within hear
ing that he'd fight any tin min" the
ranch contained if they'd only come out
where the lieutenant couldn't stop him.
The troopers were making eager inquiry
as to the cause of all the trouble, and,
fearing further difficulty, Perry prompt
~ ordered the entire party to ''fall in. F"
Silence and discipline were restored in a
moment, and as the platoon formed rank
he inquired of sergeant how they came
to be there. The reply was that it had
grown so dark on the prairie that further
search seemed useless, Capt. Stryk and
most of the men had been drawn off by
signals from the Cheyennes up the val
ley towards the post and these men who
had been beyond Dunraven on the north
ern prairie were coming back along the
Monee trail when they saw the lights
and heard voices over at the lower shore
There they found Leary. who was excit-
ed about something, and before they hao
time to ask he suddenly shouted, They re
KILN the lieutenant Come on, boysP
and gaIloped off with his own party; SO
they followed Perry quietly ordered
them to leave corporal and four men
with him, and told the senior sergeant
to march the others back to the post; he
would follow i'm five minutes Then he