The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-05-21
FOES IN AMBUSH.
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING, U. S. A.
Author OF 'Tne ooionsrs Daughter Marion's Faith"
"Kitty's conauest,""A soldiers searst"Ao.
oepv-tshL. 1899. By Charles kfns.
VII.

ospy-tsh. 1899. By cAsrts kfss.
CHAPTER VII
Anew May morning was breaking. It's faint
rosy light warming tho crests Of the Santa
Maria. whom Lieut.. Drummond signalled
-hal," to his little band. the FIRST halt since
leaving Moreno's at half past 2. Down in q
rocky canon q number Of hoof prints on the
trail diverged to the left and followed an
abrupt descent, while the wagons had kept to
the right, and by a winding and moro gradual
road seemed to have sought q crossing fur
Their to the west 1t was easy to divine that.
with such elements In tho gang. .here had
been no long separation between the horse
men and the treasure they were guarding.
and. eager rs ho was to overtnke the rene.
eades. Drummond promptly decided to follow
tho hoof tracks. rightly conjscturing. too. that
they would bring him to water In the rocky
tanks below. Dismounting and lending his
biz sorrol. he sprang lightly from Lodge to
ledce down what seemed q nero goat trail.
each man in succession dismountins Mt tho
sara Point. and. with moro or less
elasticity. coming on in tho footsteps Of
his leader. The faint wan light OF early,
dawn was rendering nolghborinI OBJ
iccts visible on the sandy plain behind
them. but had not yet penetrated Into tho
depths OF the gorge. Lying far to the west o:
tho Tucson road, this WAS a section Of tho
country unknown to any Of tho troop. and with
evory prospect OF a broilinG ride across the
desert ahead 40 soon IA the sun was up. no
chance for watering their ho-sSs could DO
thrown away. Just as no expected. Drum
mond found tho doscont becoming moro grad
nal. AID IL n moment or two tho bottom OF tho
dark rift vas found. md presently. keeping
keen lookout for tho roGortion OF tho stars still
lingering owe rhead. tho loading man wero re-
waried. and halted at tho cdgo Of a shining
pool OF clear. though not very cool. water. and
tho horses thrust their hot muZzles deop into
the wave. Here. shaded by the brohJ-brimmed
hats o! white felt. such as the Arizona trooper
ottho old days generally affected. II match or
two was struck and tho neiGhborhood searched
for sign" The rocks around the tank wcre
dry. tho little drifts Of. sand blown dow
from the overhAnginG height wero smooth.
Whatsoever splashing haL been dom by
the horses OF tho outlaws. there had been
abundant, timo for it to evaporate. therefore
tho command could not thus far have gainod
very rapidly on the pursued. But
fet no d~iscouragement- Up to this point the
way had been smooth and sufficiently hard to
mako wheeling an easy matter. The wagons
had been lugged along at brisk trot, the at
tcnding cavaliers riding at lively lope. Now.
however. there would be no likelihood OF their
making such time. The ambulance could only
60 at slow walk the rest Of the way. and tho
guards must remain%a alongside to Protect the
stolen funds. not 30 much from enyious out.
siders as from one another. PasQual Morales
showed his accustomed shrewdness when he
forbade that any one should try to burst into
the safo and extract the money. for vol hs
knew that II divided among the mon. there
would be no longer q loadstone to hold them
together. to call for their ~lercest fighting
power II sssailod. The instant the money was
sctttsred: the gang would follow suit; and he
2: T lsn S &c @ss' ea0 the asSa littl s'1 astsahmsnt were
not long In shaking their.thirst. The noi.eless
sig1alto mount was given. and. following In the
mond and Sergeant Lee bending low over
m msls the f"s h t pr anfs' 1! Ii sis By sri iit tHe{ the s'f 1is MT
OF dawn began to penetrate the dark depths in
S sama ea asiey we're pres ssHHtin #. s serr e ssp,li point ssi
BILE from bnse to summit. where an abrupt
bend threw 1t against the eastern light.
Wonder the ambulance came down. sir"
II see. and we can't be far from where It
short cuts, signal"
"A, An0t tss h a1dns ,bI passed Stage Away 9os st1lt the
l%ong.lost stream, When first met it seemed
march. it now had turned southward. and. for
several miles ahead. south or west Of south
broad and clear. though the sun had not vet
peeped across the mountain range tn their
LETT. The pae" was rapid, Drummond fire.
Out to the front four or five hundred yards.
often lost to view in the windinGs OF the way.
advance. but, not once had he signalled a dis:
eovery worth recording., Both wagon, and
houl tracks here pursued u common road. 1t
was evident that soma hnrSpman had fDnnd III
Necessary to ride alongside. II WAS evident.
too. that tho outlaws were travelling at full
lar lair before turning to face their expected
pursuers. Every, ons in the gang. from Pas;
knew that it could not 10 long befor. cavalry
IN strong force would come trottinG n
s snast; bo I I'D ,b s'aadrNn +, Of s'on nnn wonld
AstYr {" troop, Troy had little to fear: PAS
Snal laughed with savage glee rs he thought
ksnls lar W tothc Ola or over to the Chris
tonal. 40 reed 10 lear the coming OF the late
nor dead. drurged. or drunk we're Worn out
WIN fatigue. uvar ths body Of, his bandit
p e ,hs swarthy RAMON, he had leIceiy
death. and ~laslual counted gu tho fingers OF
n. brown and iloTay hand the number 81 the
TER ana his clerk. Mu!lan, AMI The other soldier.
t tSna line, !" ,nI npI 'F" s.s ana d, burned atI to to ashes by
geant" as Moreno ea'iieii him. That hound and
mu''atef. feeny. nc who had slain Ramon.
pouhu, gagged. and left him to misera-
VIA wa. dealt ,aio by torture. Indeed. y he
wms !oteN along. III the Ambulance.
Ssoanins and cursing by turns. Pasguai
yey '' tno VIZ he had not insisted that Har-
bhSSih. oooi should receive the coup do grace
Sm their start. 1t was an objectionable
omrsslon' Never mind! There In the brand
H Vss concord that came Gathering along. there
Wesl,bb 10Y mat outrivalied all There was
d su oIG H~arvey's daughters, old Harvey's
VIZ aSn.eTs. ! was with mad, foyerish Joy that ,
ot ! al last tho sun came pouring in a flood |
Nmghl over tho desert Of tho CabaOi he lis
'sseu 10 VI" report oi a trusted subordinate.
sicould $50 every milo Of tho road with my
srashes captain, from tho cliT top yonder
tsSHefy mile lr1m Moreno's 10 whore we struck
Hn Il riSn o. pursuing party"
buenoi Then We rest when We reach tho
cave. TINS Is even better than | hopedp'
rbGt there were two elements In the problem
Iapitan IasIual had failed to consider: Iieut
pIumnlonds scout In tho ChristobaI, Cochise a
psnh q Chiricahuas In tho Santa Maria. MILO
could have foroseen that the little tro0p An.
,sii.i2 It's duties at the northern end Of tie
santa Maria. had ridden out upon the plain,
sumL9oned by the beacon at Iicacho Pass. and
less than two kOurR Ilffar THAR hurrIal 49,.