The Dickinson press., 1890-02-08
CHAPTER XVII.

9 9z:EN 9z:NEN
..N'XA#S T THE head of score
II Va of his own men, Capt.
~ sS@kM Stryker rode forth
later. His orders from Col. Brainard
were to 60 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 a timo when the SEN
try was walking towards the south end
Of his post to lift ono of their number
over the wall of the inclosure in which
were kept the wagons and ambulanccs.
This man had unbarred from within the
gate leading eastward to tho trail down
which the "stock" was driven daily to
water in tho Monec. Riley admitted
that "the boys" had left bottle with
him which he and his assistant had
emptied before turning in, and SO it hap
pened that, unheard and unseen, the
raiders had managed to slip out with
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 2 o'clock, but thought
it 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
reyolvers 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 "spoiling for
fight" and the result of the roll call
showed that the missing troopers were
all Irishmen and some of the best and
most popular men in the command.
Whatever their plan, thought Stryker,
as he trotted down to the Monec, it was
probably carried out by this time; twas
now within a minute of o'clock.
Only a mile out he was overtaken by
DR.. Quin, who reined up an instant to
ask if any one had been sent ahead.
"Thank God for that!" he exclaimed,
when told that Perry and Sergt Gwynne
had gone at tho first alarm; then, strik-
ing spurs tohis horse, pushed on at rapid
gallop, while the troopers maintained
their steady trot. A mile from Dun
raven, in the dim light of early morning,
tho 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, Stryker 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
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. l
came away then, sir, and so did most of
u.s. We knew twas all up when we saw
the lieutenant; but there was moro fir
ing after 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 in 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 ranchman,
mistaking for a new assailant the tall
young soldier who galloped into the
midst of the swarm of taunting 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 favorito young officer
was sore stricken as result of their mad
folly. Mr.. Even. too, had come out,
and was bustling about, giving direc-
tions 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 evil