San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-11-24

property in wide sweep back into the
shining track of the sun, and in very
few minutes the matter was settled; the
ponies were sulkily trotting along the
bank beyond the bend, headed for home
and hard work again, with the ambu-
lance mules braying at their heels. Here
the younger Indians, the boys, took
charge, and from the distant slopes,
from south and east and from the prai-
RE to the west, the others came canter'
ing toward that sharp angle half a mile
away and gathered in eager consulta'
ton about one who seemed to be then
leader.
All this, and much more, Brewster
and his men were watching with bound
ing pulses, in breathless excitement,
Brewster with feelings of mingled hope
and despair. Now he knew that the
ambulance must be somewhere near at
hand, possibly up that long ravine on
the south side that slanted In from the
prairie not hundred yards away below
them. Surely the banks looked as though
there were a good ford at that point
Might not that be the very one of which
Ellis spoke? Now, if it were but posi-.
BILE to drop back out of the drifts in
which they were hiding and recross the
stream, they might yet creep unobserved
into the mouth of that gully and feel
their way afoot until, somewhere in the
snow, they came upon, as he now felt
sure they must, the stormbound wagon
with its precious contents. From their
crouching place it was impossible to see
across the ridge that separated them
from the ravine referred to; but to the
southeast the prairie lay before them,
and the keenest eye could detect no sign
of hollow between that which lay SO
near them and that from which those
vagabond mules had emerged far out
upon the plain. Somehow Brewster felt
certain that now at last he was actually
within pistol shot of the ambulance,
within speaking distance, almost, of the
girl he so fondly loved, whose very life
at this instant depended not only on his
courage, but also on his Judgment. One
false move would ruin all.
So long as the Indians kept up thei1
powwow at the bend, so long was Wini
fred safe. The longer they delayed the
nearer would it bring Murphy and the
men from the main crossing three miles
away up stream. Then, six to six, he
could laugh at the Sioux But any one
who knew Indians at all knew that the
discovery of the mules would only set
them to work to find the snow CAMP
from which the animals had brokeII
away. Aye, even as these things flashed
through his mind, Brewster could see
that they were signaling "halt" to the
herd guard, and that two of the young
sters were lashing their ponies out III
front of the band and gradually bring.
ing it to standstill. Almost at the same
moment, too, those in consultation sepa
rated, three riding swiftly after the
herd, while the other three, slowly and
cautiously, began to advance toward the
hollow whence the mules had emerged.
Evidently they expected to find the white
mans wagon there.
"Now is your time, men," muttered
Brewster. Quick! Off with your side
lines and double them about your horses
fore feet so that they can't even hobble
out of the drift. Keep them here. Take
your lariat and hopple my horse, one Of
you Throw him if need be. I'll watch
those beggars down stream. All,
thought So" he muttered, They've
grabbed the mules and are examining
the harness; that will tell them easily
enough they were cut loose after break
oh
by the bushel all over your horses. Roll
in it yourselves. Get all the white on
you can: then run down the gully as
soon as you have your horses hidden
and watch for my signal The moment
say go, bend double and scamper to
the ice yonder, then make for the bluffs.
I'll follow instantly"
Meekly the two troop horses, aftel
having been led to deeper point down
the coulee, bent their heads and sub.
mitted to the lashing together of theiI
fore feet, but Brewster's BLACK Jack"
was of different mold. He would not
yield.
cover with him, Morse. No time to
lose now. Lash him tight or he'll break
away" called Brewster. And pool
Jacks plurging awaited him nothing.
A moment more, with dismal groan he
was on his side in the soft, cold bed, the
lariat was being dashed and knotted SO
that even furious struggles could not
free him, and then, to add to the indig.
nifty, his erstwhile friends and comrades
were heaping new insult and storm of
snow upon him. Jack couldn't under.
stand it.
Ready, men! They're just peepin9
over in the hollow now. The moment
they're fairly in it, give the word"
Twenty-thirty seconds of breathless
r;losnn Thnn n nnick gesture. q nnick