San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-16
Two SOLDIERS.
By Capt. CHARLES KING.
Copyrighted by J. B. Lippincott Company, Pima
deiphia, and published through special arrange

deipnla, ana puDhSned through special arrange
ment with the American Press Assocation.l
nlnlSelr at tle foot or tree TO eaten
what sleep he may, and he feels as
though he had not closed his eyes when
Corp. Shea bends over him to say it is 2
o'clock. NOiselessly the men are arous-
ed; silently they roll ont of their blan-
kets, and obedient to the low toned fall
in of the first sergeant, seize their arms
and take their place in line. There Lane
briefly explains the situation; tells them
of the position of the Apache bivouac;
search for, secure and HE away with
the prisoners, and orders all the rest to
fight ike the devil to drive the Apaches
heller SHELTER into the rocks.
Let not one word be said nor trig-
ger pulled until we are right among
them. Wait for my command, unless
we are detected and fired on. If we are,
blaze away at once; but never stopyour
rush: get right in among them. Let
Riley and his men make instant search,
be sure they leave neither woman nor
child behind, and start them back here
The rest of us will fall back slowly,
keeping between them and the Apaches
all the time. Never let them get near
those prisoners. That is the main object
of our attack Once back here with the
horses, we can pick out places in the
rocks from which we can stand the
Apaches off until K troop comes. Rest
assured Lieut.. Mason and his men will
be along by or 8; and it cannot be
that the cavalry now pursuing the
Apaches from the north will be more
than few hours behind. Now, do you
understand? for there will be no chance
of orders up there. Leave your can
teens: leave anything that will hinder or
rattle. Those of you who have on spurs,
take them off those of you who have
Tonic or Apache moccasins, take Ofs
your top boots and put them on; they
ara all the better for going up these hill
sides. Now get your coffee, men; make
no noise, light no additional fires, and
be ready 20 move in twenty minutes"
Then he pencils this brief note:
Commanding Officer Troop X, Eleventh
Cavalry:
I'VE have headed the Apaches and
will attack their camp the instant it is
light enough to see, rescue their cap
| tives, then fall back here to the gorge of
the San Simon. They far outnumber
| lis, and you cannot reach US too soon. |
count upon your being here by 8 in the
morning, and hope with your aid to hold
tho enemy until Greene's command ar
riy2s. Then we ought to capture the
whole band Do not fail me.
FREDERICK LANE,
Captain Eleventh Cavalry"
This he gave to Sergt. Luce, with or
ders to ride back on the trail until he
meets K troop and deliver it to Lieut..
| Mason or whoever is in command, and
in half an hour Luce is away.
And now, just as the dawn is break
ing and faint pallid light is stealing
through the tree tops along the rocky
range, there come creeping slowly,
nOisalessly along the slope a score of
shadowy forms, crouching from bowlder
10 bowlder, from tree to tree. Not
word is spoken, save now and then a
whispered caution. Foremost, Carbine
in hand, is the captain, now hating a
moment to give some signal to those
nearest him, now peering ahead over the
rocks that bar the way. AT last he
reaches point where, looking down the
dark and rugged hillside before him, he
sees something which causes him to I'M
sling the case in which his field glasses
are carried, to gaze thither long and
tixedly. With all eyes upon their leader
the men wait and listen; some cautiously
try the hammers of their Carbines and
loosen a few cartridges in the loops of
their prairie belts. A signal from Lane
brings Mr.. Royce, the young second
lieutenant, to his side. 1t is the boys
first experience of the kind, and his
heart is humping, but he means to be
one of the foremost in the charge when
the time comes. Watching closely, the
nearest men can see that the captain is
pointing ont some object nearer at hand
than they supposed, and the first ser
geant, crouchlng to a neighboring rock,
looks cautiously over, and then eagerly
motions to others to join him.
The Apache hiding place is not three
hundred yards away.
Down the mountain side to the west
and up the rsl..;e 20 the north their sen
tries keep vigiiant guard against sur
prise; but wat man of their number |
dreams for IN instant that ON the south. |
between them and the Mexican line, |