The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-02-01

rose to her lips, for tie Indians, discoy-
ering that their expected prey.had left
the trail, set up q chorus Of shrill yells,
and dashed down toward them.
ITO Clark's, boysI' cried the corporal,
u~nslinging his Winchester rifle. s'They
outnumber us twenty to one. Ride for
your ~life-neyer mind the pack mule
and shout as you gallop."
On they dashed, with the Indians gain
ing upon them at every step, for their
horses were fresh, and the animals rid
den by the rangershad been hard pushed
all day.
In vain the Rangers discharged volley
after volley into the ranks of their pur-
suers. Their telling aim did not check
the advance.
Down a gently sloping dry water
course they dashed, and just ahead Cor
poral Brown saw q low rooted building
of stout plank, which he knew was the
powder and dynamite magazine for
Ciark's camp.
'If we can hold out for twenty min
utes"- he was thinking.
But just then Ethels horse stumbled
and fell. Had he not reached out quickly
and seized her in his strong arms, she
also would have been dashed to the
ground.
Still ~galloping, he lifted her to a place
on the saddle before him, and his horse
dashed past the magazine, and COM
menced to pant and slacken its pace as
they began to climb the divide.
"We can neve hold out. 1t must be
a fight to the deathl" he gasped.
For his men were already in the lead,
with only the heavy laden pack mule
behind him.
In passing the magazine the mule fell
to the ground and lay there helpless.
This momentarily checked the adj
vance of the Indians, for the band halted
to rob the pack.
The delay enabled the Rangers to
reach the top of the divide.
Corporal Brown looked back.
The entire Ind an band was grouped
about the fallen mule and the magazine.
He refined up his painting horse, set
Ethel upon the ground, and leaping
from the saddle himself, cried:
Halt, men-lie low-the magazineI'
The Indians were already mounting,
when he raised his rife to his shoulder,
took quick aim at the magazine below,
and with a prayer that the shot might
prove effectual, pulled the trigger.
Almost simultaneously with the crack
of the rife was another report that
seemed to rend the earth.
The entire party was thrown down BY
the explosion, and even the horses stag
gered and fell.
For an instant they lay there, and then
Corporal Brown, with a confused buzz
zing in his ears, rose slowly to his feet.
In the dry water course below a cloud
of dust for a moment obscured his vision;
but when it settled he saw only a gaping
hole, on the edges Of which were the con-
fused fragments of what might be the
bodies of Indians or horses, he could not
tell.
His bullet had exploded the dynamite
in the magazine and they were safe.
"Thank God!' was his fervent prayer,
as he helped Ethel to her feet.
He did not mount again, but. holding
her hand, walked across the divide to-
ward Clark's camp.
They were mel presently by a big
gang of the nayvies. who had been
alarmed by the explosion, which, so it
was stated, was heard twenty miles
away.
Corporal Brown explained matters;
but he made a longer explanation to
Ethel, and a still longer one to her father
afterward, who said in reply:
shes young to marry, corporal, and
I'd thought to keep her with me several
years yet; but you've fairly won her
and she's yours. only exact from you
one promise-leaye the Ranger service
and go back east with me. My contract
will be finished in about three months. :"
Who can blame that corporal for
promising when such a treasure as
Ethel was the stake?:-
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