Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-27

had gone at the first alarm; then, str1k-
ing spurs to his horse, pushedon at rapid
| gailop, while the troopers maintained
their steady trot. A mile from Dun
raven, in the dim light Of early morning,
the captains keen eyes caught sight OF
shadowy forms of mounted men ON the
opposite shore, and, despite their efforts
to escape on their wearied sseeds, three
Of them were speedily run down and
captured. One of them was Corp Donos
van, and Donovan's face was white and
his manner agitated. Bidding him ride
alongside as they pushed ahead towards
the ranch, Stryker questioned him rs 70
what had taken place, and the corporal
never sought to equivocate:
"We've been trying for several nights,
sir, to get horses and go down and nave
it out with those blackguerds at the
ranch. We took no arms, sir, even those
of us who had pistols of our own. All
we asked was a fair fight, man against
man. They wouldn't come ont Of their
hole-they dasn't do it, strand then
they fired on us. We'd have burned the
roof over their heads, but that Lieut..
Perry galloped in and stopped us. ]
came away Their, sir, and SO did most of
US. We knew twas all up when we saw
the lieutenant; but there was more fir
ing after l left. This way, captain Out
across the prairie here. We cut down
the fence on this side And SO saying,
Donovan led the little troop to broad
gap in the wide barrier, and thence
straight across the fields to where lights
were seen fitting about liz the dark
shadows of the buildings of the ranch.
Another moment, and Stryker had dis
mounted and was kneeling beside the
PROSTATE and unconscious form of his
lieutenant. Some misguided sanclaman,
installing for new assailant the tall
young soldier who galloped into the
midst of the swarm Of tanning Irish
men, had fired the cruel shot. There
lay Nolan dead upon the sward, and
here, close at hand, his grief stricken
master had finally swooned from loss
of blood, the bullet having pierced his
leg below the knee. Beside him knelt
the doctor: he had cut away the natty
riding boot, and was rapidly binding up
| the wound. Close at hand stood Gwynne,
world of anxiety and trouble in his
bruised and still discolored face.
Grouped around were some of the as
sailing party, crestfallen and dismayed
at the unlocked for result of their foray
but ashamed to attempt to ride away,
now that their favorite young officer
was sore stricken as q result of their mad
folly. Mr.. Even, too, had come out
and was busting about, giving direc-
lions to the one or two of his hands who
had ventured forth from the Office build
ing The big frame house under whose
walls the group was gathered was evi-
IDENTIFY used as a dornlitory for number
of men, and this had been. the objective
point of the attack, but not soul had
issued from its portals; the occupants
were the men who made the assault on
Perry the night of his first visit, and
now they deemed it best to keep within.
Everything indicated that Perry had got
to the scene just in time to prevent q
bloody and desperate fracas, for the few
ranch people who appeared were still
quivering with excitement and dread.
Even was almost too much agitated to
speak:
''Go to Mr.. Maitland as soon as you
can, doctor; this has given. him fearful
shaking up. Mrs. Cowan is having a
room made ready for Mr.. Perry. All!
here's young Cowan now. Ready?' he
asked.
"All ready. Mother says carry the
gentleman right in. She wants you to
come too" he added, in lower tone, to
Sergt Gwynne, but the latter made no
reply.
And so, borne in the arms Of several
of his men, Lieut.. Perry was carried
across the intervening space and into the
main building. When he recovered con-
through the eastern windows, he found
himself lying in white curtained bed in
a strange room, with strange yet kind
and motherly face bending over him,
and his captain smiling down into his
wondering eyes.
fellow" he heard Stryker say. '"Ill call
the doctor now; he wanted to see you as
soon as you walked"
And then Quin came in and said few
CHEEKY words, and babe him lie still and
worry about nothing. The row was over.
thanks to him, and he and poor Nolan
were the only victims; but it had been a
great shock to Mr.. Maitland and rem
dered his condition critical.
Perry listened in silence, asking no
questions. For the time being he could
think of nothing but Nolans loss. 1t was
such cruel fate to be killed by those he
came 70 save.
All that day he lay there, doing and
thinking alternately. He wondered at
the tenderness and devotion with which
the kind old Englishwoman nursed him
and seemed to anticipate his every want.
Quin came in towards evening and
dressed his wound. which now began to
be feverish and painful He heard his
coloners voice in the hallway, too, and
heard him say to the doctor that some
body at Rossiter was eager to come down
and take care of him. ''Bosh,' said the
blunt surgeon: 1--WE far better nurse
here-and a reserve to fall back upon
tn It will be worth new life to him. 5"
And, weak and feverish though he was,
Perry's heart thrilled within him; he
wondered if it could mean Gladys. Two
days more he lay there, the fever skill
fully controlled by the doctors ministra