The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-04-17
ACROSS THE BAY.
BY WILL LIsENBEE.

lay over the wide stretch of table land
along the western coast of the Gulf of
California Eastward the barren SUBMITS
OF the Sierra Madre Mountains stood out
against the sky, while far to tho west
the bright waters of the gulf CLEANED
like polished steel through the amber
haze,
Along the rolling upland plain that
composes the gulf coast two horsemen
were riding leisurely to the south. The
first was man of about forty-fve, tall
and muscular, whose swarty face and
dark, flashing eyes pronounced him to
be of Spanish descent. His companion
was youth of seventeen, with bright,
handsome face and clear blue eyes. He
undoubtedly was an American. Each
carried repeating rife of the most ap-
proved pattern, with belts well filed with
cartridges.
The boy was Paul Benton, whose home
was Los Angeles, and who was on a visit
to his uncle, Don Miguel De Alma. His
sister Elsie, aged fifteen, had accom-
panied him, and they were to spend a
month at the De Alma hacienda, de-
lightful old building, with wide sweep,
ing verandas, situated upon gentle slope
three miles inland from the gulf.
The eastern coast of the Gulf of Cali
fornia is indented with many inlets which
are almost invariably inclosed by per-
pendicular cliffs, and upon one of these
small inlets called Ba Chiquito little
Bay, which lies thirty miles north of
where the Rio Altar empties its waters
into the Gulf, stood the De Alma hacienda.
Although this is fine grazing country,
it is also one of the best fruit growing
sections in Mexico, the orange and lemon
crop being very large.
Early in the morning Paul had gone
with his uncle to little town ten miles
TO the north There they had received
the intelligence that few detached
gangs of Apaches had been discovered in
the mountains and foothills, and ranch
man and two herders were reported to
have been mastered by the savages the
night before,
Upon hearing this news Don Miguel
had become alarmed, and after purchas-
ang couple of repeating rifles and
hundred pounds of cartridges, he and
Paul had set out on their return to the
hacienda.
"Uncle," said Paul, edo YOU really
think the Apaches are in the neighbor-
hood?n
'I'm afraid So" replied the don, 'and
we must take every precaution to prevent
being surprised by them
"But thought you had little or no
trouble with the Indians in this local
ity."
"Such has been the case heretofore,
but the recent Apache outbreak in Ari-
iona has caused the United States Gov
eminent to take the matter in hand, and
an army which has been garrisoned at
Fort Grant had been sent in pursuit of
the savages, This has resulted in driv-
ing them south into Mexico"
The ground over which the two were
riding was of light, sandy character,
covered with a short growth of bunch
grass, with here and there strip of bare
sand, out of which rose the giant cacti
like grim sentinels
''Look" cried Paul, suddenly point
ing to the east. "What are those long
sticks over yonder2 There! they are
moving!"
Don Miguel glanced quickly to the
left, and as he did so an exclamation of
establishment broke from his lips.
"What is it," asked Paul.
''Apaches, or I'm greatly mistakenl"
answered the don, in an excited tone.
"Yes-there, l see one of their head
dresses. Those sticks you saw are their
lances which appeared above the hill
We must ride for our livesw
quick as flash the two spirited
horses bounded forward, and swept
across the rolling plain, great
cloud of sand rising in their
wake. But scarcely had they travelled
hundred yards when, with unearthly
yells issuing from their score of savage
threats, a gang of Apaches spurred their
horses across the hill and came thunder
ing in pursuit.
Though well mounted, the fugitives
recognized their great peril, and urged
their horses forward at the top of their
speed. To attempt to hold their own
against such heavy odds in an open fight
would be worse than madness, since the
Apaches were known to be well armed,
and the most desperate of all the savage
= tribes in the West
CHANGING backward, Paul's heart sank
within him as he saw, through the roll
ing clouds of sand, score of hideous
faces sweeping down the slope in hot
pursuit.
Full five miles ahead lay the hacienda.
Would they be able to reach this before
their pursuers could overtake them!
A sharp report rang out from behind,
and bullet whistled by and struck in
the sand just ahead.
"Lie forward on your horse" cried
the don. "They are evidently trying to
shoot our mounts. If they succeed we
have nothing left but to fight till the
last, for they will show us no mercy if we
are captured"
Paul was now riding close to his uncle,
and the two horses were straining every
muscle.
On they Numbered, mile after mile,
and still the Apaches, yelling and firing,
came like horde of fiends in pursuit.
Only mile now and the gulch would
be reached, on the shores of which stood
the De Alma hacienda. But how were
they to cross the inleta The house stood
on the opposite bank, and there would
be no time to wait for the boat to be
brought over by one of the men before
their pursuers would be upon them. The
heart of Don Miguel sank within him as
he realized their desperate situation.
"Paul," he said in hoarse voice,
''the boat is on the other side of the
inlet. There is no hope that we can have
it brought over before it will be too late
When we reach the cliffs, fling yourself
from your horse, and we'll try to find
shelter behind the rocks. There we'll
have to make stand and try the best
we can to repel them"
Paul nodded an assent, but no sound
came from his white lips.