Telegram-herald., 1890-02-08

Ilsrllk as vast oelI ald holster Taen
lie took hs revolver from It's leAIhern
case, carefully tried the hammer ana
cylinder. sa~ rhA each chamber Vas
loaded. and turned once more q the ser
seant.
Your pistols al right
"An right. sir, fresh loaded when We
started
Il don't know that they'll be necessary
a. all, sergeant, but thls Is queer place.
frOm what I've heard and the little I've
seen Keep your eyes and ears open
Capt. Stry ker and some OF the men may
come down into the valley II they find
"a trace OF Gwynne up On the prairie.
Watch for the doctor, TOO"
Then. through the deepening twilight
be strobe, following the trail that led
soulhward up the slopes Five minutes
brisk walk along the sprIngy turf
brought him 70 the crest ana Ia view of
the lights az the ranch buildings, still
some SIX or seven hundred yards away.
All through the eastern SKY the stars were
peeping forth, and even through the
glsam OF the twilight in the west two
brilliant planets shone ike molten gold.
All was silence and peace on every hand,
and. but sor those guiding, glimmerlng
lights at the south, all would have told
OF desolatiOn. Behind him ia the valley
waited MS faithful men. Far beyond the
Monee, out on the northern prairie, he
knew that comradas were securing the
face OF the earth in search OF their miss
ing brother Up the stream, somewhere
behind them. the Cheyennes were pa
tiently trailing the hoof tracks as long
a. light should last; he knew that search
must be al an end by this time. and that
some Of their number. at least. would be
riding down 70 Join his men. Whoever
found the sergeant was 10 fire three shots
in air; the signal could be heard long
way in that intense stiffness, and that
signal was 70 recall the searching par
ties. Every step brought him deeper
into the darkness of the night. yet
nearer and nearer those twinkling lights
ahead
Already he could distinguish those in
the main building, the homestead. from
those more distant still, in the store
rooms and office. Far over among the
stables and corrals he heard the deep
baying OF hounds, and he wondered if it
was To De his luck 10 encounter any en-
terprising watch dogs. An English bull
terrier would be a lively entertainer,
thought he, with instructive motion to-
-rards the flap Of his holster; and it
would be a wonder il a ranch that sur
ounded Itself witn iiity miles of barbed
eire fencing were not further euvironed
" a pack Of watch dogs of the most ap-
proved and beiliSerent breed Once
having passed the distant barrier of that
gate on the Monee. however, his way
vas unimpeded, and, to all appearance.
utterly unmarked ne had arrived with
fifty yards of the foremost building,
ne homestead before he was brought to
halt. Then he stopped short, sur
orised, half crcdulous. and all attention,
listening 10 the concord Of sweet
sounds that came floating from the
open easement somewhere along the east
front q the big. gloomy house.
zone part Of the story verified, by
Jovel It's a piano-and well played,
too"
Full a minute he stood there listening.
Perry was dancer. who's, nimble feet
moved olithely 70 any measured, rhyth-
mical strains. and soldier whose soul
was stirred by martial music but with
/ Chopin and Nendelssohn, Bach and
prtho-e-.fv b. ..ol hrr alf,-It oco,,ai,,t-