Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-07-24
TConitnued fr6sn Last week.
DUNRAVEN RANCH
A Story of American Frontier
Life.
By Capt. CHARLES KING, o. s. A.
Author of"The Cotoners Ddughter." From
the Rdnks,n 1.-THE DeseTter," Etc.


Copyrighted 1888 by J. B. Lppincott Company
Philadelphia, and published by special arrange
meut through the American Press Association
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
us. We knew twas all up when we saw
the lieutenant; but there was more fir
ing after l 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 asSailznt the tall
young soldier who galloped into the
midst of the swarm of haunting 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 aud dismayed
at the dnlooked for result of their foray,
but ashamed to attempt to ride away,
now that their favorite young officer
was sore stricken as a result of their mad
folly. Mr.. Even, too, had come out,
and was busting about, giving direc-
tons to the one or two of his hands who
had ventured forth frOEl the Office build
ing. The big frame house under whose
walls the group was gathered was evi-
IDENTIFY used as a dOrmitory for number
of men, and this had been the objective
point of the attack, but not a soul had
issued from its portals; the occupants
were the men WHO made the assault on
Perry the night of his first visit, and
now they deemed it best to keep within.
Everything indicated that Perry had got
to the scene just in time to prevent a
bloody and desperate fracas, for the few
ranch people who appeared were still
quivering with excitement and dread.
Even was almost too much agitated to
speak:
go to Mr.. Maitland as soon as you
can, doctor; this has given him fearful
shaking up. Mrs. Cowan is having a
room made ready for Mr.. Perry. All!
here's young Cowan now. Ready?' he
asked
"All ready. Mother says carry the
gentleman right in. She wants you tc
come too" he added, in a lower tone, tC
reply.
And so, bornein the arms of several
of his men, Lieut.. Perry was carried
across the intervening space and into the
main building. When he recovered con.
sciousness, rs the morning light came
through the eastern windows, he found
himself lyingtin white curtained bed ir
CIR 81, -nf
and mothe5y face bending over him
and his captain smiling down into nj:
wondering eyes.
You are coming round all right, ole
fellow" he heard Stryker say. "rll cal
the doctor now; he wanted to see you a
soon as you walked"
And then Quin came in and said few
CHEEKY words, and babe him die still anC
worry about nothing. The row was over
thanks to him, and he and poor NolaI
were the only victims; but it had been q
great shock to Mr.. Maitland and rem
dered his condition critical
Perry listened in silence, asking NJ
questions. For the time being he coulC
think of nothing but Nolan's loss. Itwa
such cruel fate to be killed by those h
came to save.
All that day he lay there, doing anC
thinking alternately. He wondered a
the tenderness and devotion with which
the kind old Englishwoman nursed hin
and seemed to anticipate his every'want
Quin came in towards evening ant
| dressed his wound, which now began t,
be feverish and painful. He heard hi
colonel's voice in the hallway, too, ant
heard him say to the doctor that some
body at Rossiter was eager to come dow
and take care of him. "Bosh!T said tn
blunt surgeon; 1--WE far tier nurs
here-and a reserve to fall back upol
that will be worth a new life to him.
And, weak and feverish though be was
Perry's heart thrilled within him; h
wonderedtif it could mean Gladys. Tw,
days more he lay there, the fever skill
fully controlled by the doctor'Sministra
tons, and the pain Of his wound sub
dued by Mrs. Cowan's cooling bandage
and applications. But there Eas burn
ing fever in his heart that utterly re
fused to go down. He strained his ear
listening for the sound of her voice o
the pit-a-pat of her foot fall insthe CORR
dor. At last he mustered courage ant
asked for her, and Mrs. CowanIsmiled:
'Miss Maitland has been here tire
times to inquire how you were;: but
was while you were sleeping, Mr.. Perry
and she rarely leaves her fathers bed
side. He is very i'll, and seems to b
growing weaker every day. I, don
know what we would have done, if W
had not found DR.. Quin here; he ha
pulled him through two or three ba