Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-04-10

- - ne TOOK fOWling tiece 49,, !
Tue hghte9t hat military reg,,i LII.
"ouid let him wear. and gaIkea =, ~ s' u
seeep path back Of the fort Intp t a'e
i'hsihS thlckets Of Mauzanft, 49,. ~
thein and across the bald RAJ. g '' ~
mountain which showed white I;La 1 !
a oaiA OF snow sixty miles away and tbe~
across the threshold Of the reJ.,'a s',,.,i
Here 'ne shade was deep and grateful
az round giant redwood tbat 10 =
$1,000 Tor centuries, perhaps befora - :.
welded TO the shoulder 81 ~ '0 1,', It
Diast, but which now lay prone n non
.ne ground, half buried with tha d,i;st
ing needles Of successive voars ~ =
NOISY boie offered surnptnons cc,raI.
anu there the lieutenant etretcbed -
seil ior an hours rest-for an br,rr,.
study. ' an hour
ne lay there looking at that dark
shauoW which crept from the farther
FOOTHILLS and travelled SO steadily Goa
ward across the valley, calculating bo,,
ions 1t would take him to reach tbe co..
ana rejecting that days were LONGER ~,
tne helghts. when a distant traror,ir W.
sne nfst sound that had broken his rev.
cry announced some unexpected an
pfoach' AT first he thought Of deer and
mourned his forgotten pistols. Tber he
iahcied 1t might be bear, and BEGAN 10
De uneasy. But when human 1a1,e,,,,,,..
reached his ears moment later he i,,e1,,
that the most dangerous Of anirna1s ~
near him. -' " '''
ne II be there" said one man in .
tone that implied repetition.
Yes, but if he brings three or fonr
fellows the money won't 20 far amono
But tell you he win only brinc
one said the first speaker a little
sharply No need to be careful in these
dense woods. They are better than the
walls OF the Bastile for hiding secrets
linen, fretted the other. sit viii he
Just our luck to strike a dozen fellows
on that stage and git the daylight shot
through us"
Ills companion laughed colby at his
queruious comrade, and together thew
walked on toward the dip Of the noun.
tain. -'-'''-'
The lieutenant sat bolt upright on the
messy redwood.
why, they're going to jump the mail
wagon, he said, almost staggered at
what promised to be even more Of a sen.
satien than he wanted. AS he sat there
quickly calculating whether he had time
to alarm the garrison, he saw the old
stage coach, two miles away. stop in
front OF the Bentley farm. He saw a
group Of men and women throag about
1t, and then he saw it start again at A
lively gait and make straight for the
pass, where he shrewdly calculated the
stage robbers had planned to inter
cept it.
As 1t came nearer he saw a man and
woman sitting on the one seat outside.
and had time, through his growing ex.
cltement. to envy them somewhat Of
their lovely evening and moonlight ride
down the valley on that elevated and
swaying perch.
He saw his way clearly enough into
an ugly row, but there was neither time
nor inclination for hesitation. so he
grasped his light fowling piece and start
ed down the hillside in the track of the
robbers. To avoid being seen he made
a detOur at the point where they had
boldly crossed the bald ridge of noun
tains, and, keeping the shadow of the for
est constantly about him, passed near
the stage road and wondered if that
vehicle with its precious freight would
ever weather the ambush and climb this
hill Still descending. but more guard. /
edly now, he watched for some sis.
from those who had preceded him
Suddenly his eye caught the wide
swaying Of a small pine shrub. 1t bent
far over to the left, then TO the right
then forward-like a soldier with sig
nal code. Responsive to the message he .
saw a broad white hat far down the
slope swing once around
"Fandango, the Mexican stage rob
beI, exclaimed the lieutenant under his
breath, for he recognized the hat despite
the distance as one that covered a head
on which a price had long been set.
Passing down an open slope he saw
a quick movement in front Of him. 4
thick, low pine branch had been thrust
aside and as hastily replaced. The lieu
tenant threw his gun to his face and
sent load of bird shot rafting into the
pine. 1t took effect. The smothered
curse of man came first and then the
crash of a Spencer rife. The lieutenant
knew he was hit, but his blood was up
and he dashed at the pine tree while
throwing a new shell into
the empty chamber Of his gun. Prone
on the ground behind the tree lay one Of
the men who had passed HIN half an
hour before. He was as busily and as
coony preparing for the duel as was the
officer; but fate was against him. The
lieutenant saw him. cooked both barrels
and fired in an instant Of time, and the
ounce Of lead the bandit discharged few
wide of lis mark, for two COED loads OF
small shot We're deeply be..ded IN the
head and neck of the assassin.
The next moment he was astride the
fellow. clutching the more dangerous
,arbine. But he did not need 10 strus-
gle. for the writing. tortured man be
meath him was quite beyond the posi-
oilirv of inhicting harm. Loosing the
cartridge belt he strapped it about him,
broke his own fowhug piece so as TO zen
lcr it useless if his man should recover,
md started on run toward the pass.
Inst here he must have felt the effect Of
hat FIRST shot. for he forgot the pass,
olyot that the government mails We're
Il danger, and forgot that lives might
ave "a be sacrificed before Fandangos