Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-16

indians lurking among the rocks and
boulders down the hill. The two bodies
.tuI Iay there-Jim s rife covering them
and threatening any Indians who might
attempt TO drag them away.
Every now and then, a black head
would appear from behind some tree,
buf the instant it did so the darkv's
rife would ring out, the bullet would go
ubistIing close beside it, the head would
non suddenly back. and Jim as promptly
yrould reload his rifle.
II was beginning to grow monotonous:
The Indisns-probably because they
kDew they were only wasting their
srsnty amunitIon-had ceased firing,
and were evidently calling to one an
other and signaling from behind the
rocks and trees where they had taken
refuge. So long as they remained down
there in front Pike had no possible con-
Germ. His only fear, as has been said.
was that they should make a combined
rush. II they we're to have sense enough
10 do hat, and ignore the probability
of losing three or four of their number
IN the attempt, it would be all over with
the little party in the cave.
But the corporal had served too long
among the Apacbes TO greatly dread any
nv the severity of their reception and of
their losses. He knew that they could
not be aware that only two men and a
little boy constituted the whole force of
the defenders, for they would have come
with a rush long before.
Their plan now would doubtless be to
leave few of their number in front to
keep the besieged in check while the
,rreater part OF the band surrounded the
lig ledge and sought q means Of getting
at the little EtrrisOn from flank CT rear.
What he hoped for was chance of
dealing them one more blow before they
could crawl back out of range and pres
emily the opportunity came. Two or
three of the band who were farthest to
the rear had managed to slip back some
distance down the hill and occasional
glimnses could now be caught of them as
they sJealthilY made their way out to-
wards the western slope. 1t was not
long before their dirty white breech-
cIouts could be distinguished as they
slowly and cautiously came creeping up
hill.
by George! jim, - muttered the old
man with the ejaculation that with him
supplied the place of trooper profanity
81 believe you re right about your
luulau- on pIObdDlS hOuuueu Hiiu
and he's lying behind that rock now,
aud those fellows are coming up to help
lin. Don't fire! They re too far
away for down-hnl shot. Wait till
tel you. Now, Ned, my boy, run back
and comfort Nellie Il minute. I don I
want you here where a glancing shot
might hit you. The moment we get them
started on the run, II call you
Ned looked far from satisfied with the
proposition, but the corporal was the
commanding officer, and there was
nothing to do but obey. He went re-
luctanJly. "Mind, corporal, you've
promised I should have a shot, - he said,
and Pike nodded assent, although he
could not turn from his loophole. An
other minute and the Henry rife barked
its loud challenge down the slope, and
the old trooper keen, set features re-
Taxed in grin.
Now they got two TO lug, ," he
muttered to jim. Lord! See that
5eggar roll over those rocks!''
Again there came yells and shots from
down the hill but both were harmless. |
Cowed, apparently, by the sharp shoot
ing of the defenders, the Apaches who |
had sought to rescue their wounded |
mate, continued in hiding behind the |
rocks where they had taken shelter. |
The others, father to the east, were |
slipping back as fast as they could, |
but studiOusly keeping out Of sight of !
those death-dealing loop holes. Presently |
Il was apparent to to the corporal that /
number of them had got together !
far down the hill and were holding ex- |
cited controversy, probably as to the best |
means of getting possession of their dead |
friends and then their living enemies. |
Pike looked at his watch. 1t was 1870, |
and they had been fighting an hour.
And now came a lulI. Once in a long /
while some one of the besiegers would let
drive a bullet at the loop holes, but
Apache shooting was never of the best,
and though the lead spattered danger
Ously near, 1.-the miss, quoth Pike,
q is as good as any number of miles. -
On the other hand whenever or where
ever an Indian head, leg or arm ap-
peared, ii was instantly saluted by one,
two, quick shots, and there
could be no doubt whatever that the pale
faces, as the Tontos supposed them all TO
be, were fully on the alert.
Now, jim, il won be long before
they will be showing around on all sides.
Pile on q few more stones above that
loop hole that looks TO the west. The
next thing you know there IL be a head
ana q gun poked out from behind that
shoulder of rock beyond you. IN watch
my side and keep look on down the hill,
too. -
And now the hours seemed to drag
with leaden weight. All was silence
around them. yet Pike knew shat this
made their danger only the more immi-
leut. He could nowhere see a sign of
their late assailants, except the stiffen-
M bodies down the hill, but he had not
a doubt that while some watched the
front, most of them, making wide de-
tours, were now lurking on every side,
and looking Tor a possible opening.
Every now and then he had
10 give quick glance over
ls shoulder TO see that Jim was
llert and watcnful. 1t would
lot do TO have him fall asleep now-and
hen once IN a while he listened. God
'nly knows how wistfuily, for the sound
# cavalry coming across the westward
plain. II surely was time for SIeber and
he troops to be coming if the former had
.aTried out his intentions. Pike could
zee nothing Of the road towards Jarvis
Pass and only q glimpse here and there
{ the Dlsteau itself The foliage in the