Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-12-14
CHAPTER XVII.

80 10 or his own men, Capt
8 Hz Stryker rode forth
49, some fifteen minutes
later. His orders from Col. Brainard
were To go to Dunraven, and, If he found
the marauders there, to arrest the entire
party and bring them back to the post
From all that could be learned from hur-
ried questioning OF the sentries and the
dazed, half drunken sergeant Of the cor
raj, the troopers engaged in the raid
must have selected n time when the SEN
try was walking towards the south end
Of his post to lift one of their number
over the wall Of the Enclosure in which
were kept the wagons and ambulances.
This man had unbarred from within the
gate leading eastward to the trail down
which the stock" was driven daily to
water in the Monee. Riley admitted
that THE boys" had left a bottle with
him which he and his assistant had
emptied before turning in, and 50 it hap
pened that, unheard and unseen, the
raiders had managed to slip out with a
dozen horses that were kept there and
had also taken six mules as mounts"
for those who could not find anything
better
Eighteen men, apparently, were in the
party, and the sentry on Number Three
heard hoof beats down towards the val
ley about half past . O'Clock, but thought
1t was only some of the ponies belonging
to the Cheyenne scouts There was one
comfort-the men had taken no firearms
with them; for a hurried inspection of
the company quarters showed that the
carbines were all in their racks and the
revolvers in their cases. Some of the
men might have small caliber pistols OF
their own, but the government arms had
not been disturbed Half the party, at
least, must have ridden bareback and
with only watering brides for their
steeds. They were indeed spelling for
a fight" and the result of the roll call
showed that the missing troopers were
all lrishmen and some OF the best and
most popular men in the command
Whatever their plan. thought Stryker,
as he trotted down TO the Monee, it was
probably carried out by this time; it was
now within a minute OF o'clock.
Only mile out he was overtaken by
DIR. Quin. who refined up an instant to
ask if any one had been sent ahead.
Thank God for thatm he exclaimed.
when told that Perry and Sergt. Gwynne
had gone at the first alarm; then, strik-
ing spurs to his horse, pushed on at rapid
gallop, while the troopers maintained
their steady rot. 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 steeds, three
OF them were speedily run down and
captured One of them was Corp. Dono-
van, and Donovan's face was white and
his manner agitated. Bidding him ride
alongside as they pushed ahead towards
the ranch, Striker questioned him as to
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 have
it out with those blackguards at the
ranch. We took no arms, sir, even those
Of us who had pistols of our own. All
we asked was fair fight, man against
man. They wouldn't come out of their
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 then, sir, and So did most OF
US. We knew twas all up when we saw
he lieutenant; but there was more fir
ing after ] left. This way. captain. Out
across the prairie here. We cut down
he fence on this side" And SO saving,
Donovan led the little troop to broad
zap in the wide barrier, and thence
straight across the fields to where lights
we're seen fitting about I'm the dark
'hadows OF the buildings of the ranch.
Another moment, and Stryker had dis
mounted and was kneeling beside the
and unconscious form of his
lieutenant Some misguided ranchnan,
for new assailant the tall
young soldier who galloped into the
midst OF the swarm of haunting 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
eg below the knee Beside him knelt
he doctor: he had cut away the natty
riding boot, and was rapidly binding up
he wound. Close at hand stood Gwynne.
4 world OF anxiety and trouble in his
bruised and still discolored face.
Grouped around were some Of the rs
sailing party, crestfallen and dismayed
1t the unlocked for result of their foray.
but ashamed to attempt to ride away
now that their favorite young officer
was sore stricken as result of their mad
folly. Mr.. Even. too, had come out.
and was bustling about, giving direc-
lions to the one or two of his hands who
had ventured forth from the Office build
ng. The big frame house under whose
walls the group was gathered was evil
iently used as n dormitory for number
Of men, and this had been the objective
point of the attack, but not a 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.
'Ni ''AA'S hhuiSateu tiitI eTTy llau got
10 the scene just in time TO prevent a
bloody and desperate fracas, for the few
'anch people who appeared were still
luvering with excitement and dread.
Even was almost too much agitated to
peak:
Go to Mr.. Maitland as soon as YOU
AN, doctor; this has given him fearful
haking up. Mrs. Cowan is having a
Dom made ready for Mr.. Perry. All,
'ere's young Cowan now. Ready" he
Isked.
IAN ready. Mother says carry the
Gentleman right in. She wants you TO
ONE too" he added, in a lower tone. to
'ergt 0synne, but the latter made no
eply.
And so. borne in the arms of several
u his men, Lieut.. Perry was carried
cross the intervening space and into the
main building. When he recovered con-
ciousness, as the morning light came
through the eastern windows, he found
himself lying in a white curtained bed in
strange room, with a strange yet kind
md motherly face bending over him.
md his captain smiling down into his
eyes.
you are coming round all right, old