Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-23


the smoke and flame can't reach US.
Keep your eyes on your corner, manu-
And though be spoke reassuringly, the
old soldier felt world of anxiety. I'm
der cover OF that huge heap of brush
wood. growing bigger every minute, il
would soon be possible for the Indians
from below to cpa Il unseen close upon
them and set fire to the mass.
Even now he felt certain that there
were several of the more daring of the
Apaches lurking just around the cor
ners which he and Jim were so faith
fully guarding. The negro seemed so
utterly oNzshed at this having been over
come by sleep during the hour before
the dawn, and possibly so refreshed by
that deep slumber, that now he was
vigilance itself.
Within the cave old Kate had seen, of
course. the falling of the logs and brush
wood, and though she could not COM
prehend their object, it served to keep
in mind that their savage foes were all
around her and her little charges, and
to add to her alternate prayer and wait
ing. Unable to leave his post, Pike
| could only cry srernly to her from time
to time to cry shame upon her for fright
| ening Nellie so, and TO remind her that
they had shot five Indians without get
| ting a scratch themselves. FWe can
stand 'em off for hours yet, you old
| fool, - he said, "and the boys from
Verde are sure to get here to-day, "
And whether it was ''old'' or the
'fool'' in Pixies eontemptuous remark
! that stirred her resentment, it certainly
resulted that Kate subsidized into suffering
and indignant protest. Then Ned's
! brave, boyIsh voice was heard.
-
now? I'm no good here, and I'm sick of
the row Kate keeps up. You said you'd
let me come back. -
''Wsit few minutes, Ned. want to
be sure they are not sneaking around
these corners, was the reply, followed
almost instantly by the bang of Pixies
carbine.
Kate gave a suppressed shrek and the
corporal shout of exultation. Enoour-
aged by til e sound of his voice to suppose
that the guard on the east side of the
barrier was neglecting his watch, dar-
ing young Apache crawled on all tours
around the foot of the rock to take an
observation. The black head came in
view even as Pike was speaking, and the
fierce eyes peeIed cautiously at the
breastwOrk but the corporal never moved
q muscle and the savage, believing him.
self unseen, crawIed still further into
view until half his naked body was in
sight from the narrow slit through which
the old trooper was gazing. The brown
muzZle of the cavalry carbine covered
the creeping 'brave, - and the next IN
slant the loud report went echoing over
the gorge, and the Indian, with one
cOnvulsiye spring, fell back upon the
ground writhing in the agonies of death.
In striving to drag the body of his COM
rade back behind the rock another Tonic
ventured to show head and shoulder, and
came within an ace of sharing his fate,
for Pixies next shot whistled within an
in:h of the tiattened nose, and Apache
No. 2 lodged back with wonderful quick
ness, and did not again appear.
This would tend to keep them from
sneakiug around that particular corner,
thought Pike, and he only wished that
Jim could have similar luck on his side,
but the Indians had grown wary. Time
and again the veteran glanced down the
hill to see if there was any sign of their
crawling upon him from below, but that
threatening pile of brushwood now hid
most of the slope from his weary, anx-
ious eyes. The crisis could not be long
in coming.
go God - he prayed, Fsave these lit |
tie children. Bring us aid. -
Poor old Pikel Even as the whispe red |
words fell from his lips a low, cracking |
sound caught his ear. Louder it grew, |
and, looking suddenly to the left, he |
saw a thin curl of smoke rising through |
the branches and gaining every instant |
in volume. Louder, louder snapped the |
blazing twigs. Denser, heavier grew the |
smoke. Then tiny darts of flame came |
shooting upward through the top of the |
pile and then yells of triumph and exul- !
tation rang from the rock above and the |
hillside below. A minute or two more, |
and while the Indians continued to pour
fresh fuel from above, the great heap |
was a mass of roaring flame and the heat |
became intolerable. A puff of wind |
drove huge volume of smoke and fame
directly into Jim's nook in the forrifoa-
ton, and with a shout that he could hold
on no longer the negro dropped back
into the cave, rubbing his blinded eyes.
"Come back, Jim. Quioki" shouted |
Pike. ''Down with these stones nowl
Kick them over! But watch for Indians
on your side. Down with 'em!" and
suiting action to the word, the old soldier
rolled rock after rock down toward the
blazing pyre, until his side OF the para
pet was almost demolished. Half blind
ed with smoke and the scorching heat,
he lost sight for a moment of the shoul-
der of the ledge on the east side. Two
seconds more, and it might have been
all over with him, for now, relying on
the fierce heat TO drive the defenders
back, young Apache had stepped eau
tiously into view, caught sight of the
tall old soldier pushing and kicking at
the rocks, and, quick as a cat, up leaped
the rifle to his shoulder. But quicker
than any cat--quick as its own flash
there sounded the sudden crack of q
target rifle, the Indian 3 gun few up and
was discharged in mid-air, while the
owner, clapping his hand to his face,
reeled back out of sight. The bullet of
the little Ballard had taken him Just
under the eye, and as Pike turned in
at the double report, saw the
Apache fall and then turned to his left
there knelt little Ned, his blue eyes blaz-
ing; his boyish form Quivering with ex-
element and triumph. Pike seized him
in his arms and fairly kissed the glowing
face. 'God bless you, my boyI but you
are little soldier if there ever was onei'
was his cry. "Now all three of us must
watch the front. Keep as far ahead as
you can, Jim. We've got to hold those
hounds back until the boys come!''