The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-03-19
CHAPTER XVII.

E III uI\-@s
-akfNgF T THE head of a score
"a Of his own men, Capt.
So 49,, StTyker rode forth
>~ ? 49, some fifteen minutes
later. His orders from Col Brainard
were to go to Dunraven, and, if he found
the marauders there, to arrest the entire
party and bring them back to the post.
From all that could be learned from hur-
ried questioning of the sentries and the
dazed, half drunken sergeant of the cor
raj, the troopers engaged in the raid
must have selected a time when the SEN
try was walking towards the south end
of his post to lift one of their number
over the wall Of the inclosure in which
were kept the wagons and ambulances.
This man had unbarred from within the
gate leading eastward to the trail down
which the .'stock" was driven daily to
water in the Monee. Riley admitted
that 1.-The boys had left a bottle with
him which he and his assistant had
emptied before turning in, and SO it hap
pened that. unheard and unseen, the
raiders had managed to slip out with a
dozen horses that We're kept there and
had also taken six mules as mounts
for those who could not find anything
better.
Eighteen men, apparently, were in the
party, and the sentry on Number Three
heard hoof beats down towards the val
ley about half past o'clock, but thought
it was only some of the ponies belonging
to the Cheyenne scouts. There was one
comfort-the men had taken no firearms
with them; for a hurried inspection of
the company quarters showed that the
carbines were all in their racks and the
revolvers in their cases. Some of the
men might have small caliber pistols of
their own, but the government arms had
not been disturbed. Half the party, at
least, must have ridden bareback and
with only watering brides for their
steeds They were indeed "spoiling fol
a fight" and the result of the roll call
showed that the missing troopers were
all Irishmen and some of the best and
most popular men in the command
Whatever their plan. thought Stryker
as he trotted down to the Monee, it was
probably carried out by this time: it was
now within a minute of o'clock.
Only mile out he was overtaken by
DR.. Quin, who reined up an instant te
ask if any one had been sent ahead
''Thank God for THAR he exclaimed
when told that Perry and Sergt. Gwynn'
had gone at the first alarm; then, strik
ing spurs to his horse, pushed on at rapid
gallop, while the troopers maintained
their steady trot. A mile from Dun
raven, in the dim light of early morning
the captains keen eyes caught sight o
shadowy forms of mounted men on th
opposite shore, and, despite their effort
to escape on their wearied steeds, thre'
| of them were speedily run down ant
captured. One of them was Corp. Dono
| van, and Donovan's face was white ant
| his manner agitated. Bidding him rid
alongside as they pushed ahead toward
the ranch, Stryker questioned him as t.
what had taken place, and the corpora
never sought to equivocate:
We've been trying for several nights
sir. to get horses and GO down and hav
it cut with those blackguards at tn
ranch. We took no arms, sir, even thos
of US who had pistols os our own Al
we asked was fair fight, man agains
naaJ They wouldn't come out of thei
| hole--thav dasnt do it, s;S-and the
! they dref sc is We'd have burned th
roof over their heads, but that Lieut.
Perry galloped in and stopped Us.
came away then, sir, and SO did most c
US We knew twas all up when we say
the lieutI9ant; but there was more fiji
ing after left. This way, captain Gu
across the prairie here. We cut dow,
the fence on this side" And SO saying
Donovan led the little troop to broa
4 gap in the wide barrier, and theme
straight across the fields to where light
were seen fitting about IL. the dar
shadows of the buildings of the ranch
Another moment. and Stryker had di:
mounted and was kneeling beside th
PROSTATE and unconscious form of hi
lieutenant. Some misguided ranchmar
mistaking for new assailant the ia
young soldier who galloped into tn
IIIuSt OI the S"dTtn OI CaulllI9 1E1ST
men, had fired the cruel shot. TheI
lay Nolan dead upon the sward, an
here, close at hand, his grief stricke
master had finally swooned from los
of blood, the bullet having pierced h
leg below the knee. Beside him kne
the doctor: he had cut away the matt
riding boot. and was rapidly binding u
the wound. Close at hand stood CIV ynn,
world of anxiety and trouble in b
bruised and still discolored face
i Grouped around were some of the a
sailing party. crestfallea and dismaye
at the unlocked for result of their fora,
:. but ashamed to attempt to ride ava,
now. that their favorite young offict
was sore stricken as result of their ma
folly. Dir. Even, too, had come on
and was bustling about. giving dire,
hons to the one or two of his hands WI
had ventured forth from the Office bull,
ing. The big frame house under who.
walls the group was gathered was er
IDENTIFY used as dormitory for numb,