The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1890-02-20

had been hastily summoned from their
lodges along the Aonee Just above the
post and sent scurrying forth upon the
prairie 10 trail the horSe's foot prints and
% work back a. Ear a. possible before
darkness intTposed Capt Stryker, too.
and dozen " his best men. had mount.
cd and ridden forth In long. scattered
line across the eastern plain: and these
parties were all Eve miles out from the
post before nightfall fairly hid thsm from
view
One thing the sergeant had 70 tell Mr..
Perry which confirmed him In the belief
that the sooner they got to Dunraven the
quicker they would be ct the scene Of
their comrades mishap. whatever that
might prove to be, he had had no time
himself TO visit the stables and examine
the wounds on the horses flank, but O.
they rode away from Rossiter be turned
In the saddle and called the ou-commiR
Sioned officer 10 bis side.
"What sort Of wound 10 Il, sergeant
that made the horse bleed So-bullet o.
knifel" Et aaf 4
at doesn't look Ike either, sir. TherG
are several Of them, jagged scratches In
the shoulder and along the nank, Ike
thornS or nailS"-
"or barbsd wirS'r suggested the lieu.
tenant suddenly.
"Yes, cir, like q not; though We hadn't
thought Of that, not knowing Of any
fences hereabouts."
"YouIl see fence enough presently
That's where well hnd Sergt. 0Wynne,
too. Let your horses out Q little.
want to get there before dark, u posi-
ble"
It was dark In the timber, however, o.
they rode through and refined up at thG
gateway. It would be half an hour a
the very least, thought Perry, before the
doctor could join them, II he came at al
Il was BY no means certain that the mes
senger had overtaken him, and, even Il
he had, was it probable that the Doctor
would be In great haste TO Gomez Hi
mysterious movements Of tho morning
his undoubted connection with the nigh,
signals from the ranch. the fact that hG
had given his commanding officer nc
inkling whatever Of these outside inter
ests Of his, all tended to make Perry dis
trustful Of their post surgeon. Hewould
not speak Of Il to Q soul. or hint at tht
possibility Of such q thing, until he had
evidence that was indisputable, but the
young officer was sorely perplexed BY
these indications Of some secret and un.
lawful enterprise on the. part Of then
new comrade, and he douhted his sym,
pathy In the mission on which they had
been hurried forth.
Dismounting TO examine the gate while
still pondering this matter over In hiI
mind, Perry found Il locked ~ securely
as he had left It In the morning. Thu
sergeant and his men diSmounted, too.
at low spoken word from their officer,
and stood at the heads Of their pantinp
horses, looking In silent surprise at the
strong and impervious barrier thai
crossed their track.
"The gate is locked and the fence I'm.
passable, sergeant" said Mr.. Perry.
I'VE cannot get our horses through o.
over unless we hack down Q post or two
You can't cut such wire as this with any
tool we've got III leave Nolan herr
with you and 60 on 10 the ranch on foot
1t lies about half Q mile 70 the south. u
the doctor comes, be can follow me- Il
l do not come or send back In half aE
hour from this you three come after me
for ri need you"
Fl, With that, alowly and carefully, and
not without q muttered malediction on
the singing barbs, Mr.. Perry wriggled
through between the middle wires and
finally stood within the inclosuro, read
iusting his Waist belt and holsteE. Then
he took his revolver from its leatheru
case. carefully tried the hammer and
cylinder, ssW that each chamber Wa
loaded. and turned once more to the ser
geant. Tl@ 4
"Your plstols al rIghtr
IAN right. Glri fresh loaded when We
started" ,.
II don't know that they'll be necessary
at all, sergeant; but this q queer place,
from what I've heard and the little I've
seen. Keep your eyes and ears open
Capt StTyker and some Of the men may
come down into the valley II they hnd
no trace Of Gwynns up on the prairie
Watch for the doctor, toe"
Then, through the deepening twilight
he strobe. following the trail that led
southwark up the slopeA Five minutes
brisk walk along the springy turf
brought him to the crest and In view Of
the lights at the ranch buildings, still
some sig or seven hundred yards away.
All through the eastern sky the stars were
peeping forth, and even through, the
gleam Of the twilight In the west two
brilliant planets Shone like molten gold
All was silence and peace on every hand,
and, but for those guiding, glimmering
lights at the south. all would have told
Of desoIatIon. Behind him In the valley
waited his faithful men Far beyond the
Moneo, out on the northern prairie, he
knew that comrades were securing the
face Of the earth In search Of their mise
ing brother Up the stream, somewhere
behind them, the Cheyennes were pa-
tiently trailing the hoof tracks a. long
- light should last; he knew that search
must be Ut an end By this time. and that
some Of their number. at least. would be
riding down 10 join his men. Whoever
found the sergeant was to Ore three shota
In air; the signal could be heard . long
way In that intense stiffness. and that
signal was to recall the searching par.
ties Every step brought him deeper
into the darkness Of the night yet
nearer and nearer those twinkling lights
ahead.
Already he could distinguish those IN
the main building. the homestead. from
those more distant still, In The store
rooms and office. Far over among the
stables and corrals he heard the deep