Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-04-23


/ less pack to the gaunt withcrs of their
/ faithful mounts The worn old saddles
I were defuy set the crude buckles of the
/ 9ld days, long since replaced by cincha
FOOD snapped into pluce; lariats cooled
and swung from the castle rings; dusty
old bits and brides ndiusted then came
tage slipping into carbine sings and Thin
I ole belts, the quick ladng Of Indian
moccasin or canvas Logging, the filling Of
I canteens In the tepid tanks below. while
an the time the cooks and packers were
lying about gathering up the pots and
/ pans and storing rations. bags and
blankets on the roomy apparejos. Drum
mond was IN the net of swinging into
I saddle WHEN his sergeant FASTENED up.
Beg pardon, lieutenant. hut shall I
leave small guard with the pack train
or Gun they come right nlongW
They'll 10 with ms, OF course We
can't leave them here We must head
Tor Ccralvo's at once. How could those
! indlnns nave got over that wuyT
III is beyond me 10 say. sir / didn't
know they ever went west Of Santa
~ can hardly believe Il now. hut
there's no doubling that signal; 70 Is To
call ny thither az all speed wherever we
may De, nud means only one thing
'Amchos here Sergeant Wing rs not
the man 20 get stampeded Can they
nave jumped the stage, do you think. or
=
Lord knows. sir. / don't scc how
they could have swung around there:
there's nothing to tempt them along that
mnge until they got 10 the pass itself
ihey must have come around south of
Morcno's."
~ think not, sergeant
The words were spoken In a very
quiet voice. Drummoud turned iu SUR
prise. his foot IN the stirrp and looked
at The speaker. u kocr.pypd TROOPER uf
middle ugc. whose hair was already
sprnklcd with gray
why not, BlnudW
because we have been along the
range for nearly fifty miles below here.
sir aud haven't crossed sign, and be-
cause | understand now what / couldn't
account for 0t . u'clock-whnt ! thought
must be- imagination"
What was thatf'
You wore asleep, sir. ana by the time
| got the glasses aud looked IL had faded
out entirely: but It's my belief the In
dams are between MS and the river, or
were over there north Of CcralyOs to-
day. II not Indians, whoW
you ride with me. Bland. I'm talk
with YOU further about this, Come on
with the men as soon as you have the
packs ready, sergeant Aud so saying.
Lieutenant DrummOnd mounted and rode
slowly down the winding trail among
the boulders AZ the foot of the slope
where the water lay cleaning In the
rocky bed, he reigucd his horse 20 the
left TO give him his iill Of the pool, aud
here the trooper addressed as Bland
presently joined him.
where was Ii You enlisted, BlnndT
was the young soldiers first question
~ understand YOU are familiar with all
this country
Al Tucson, sir six months ago, after
che stage company discharged me
.HFrNNsa Hfa
the lieutenant gently drew reign 60 lie
his horses head. 81 think You were 40
frank as 10 give the reason OF your
quitting their employment
well, there was no sense In trying 10
conceal Il on anything else a man may
do cut here, lieutenant. They fired me
for drinking too much 40 the wrong
time The section boss said he couldn't
help himself, and ] don't suppose he
could"
"As l remember" said Drummond.
presently, and with hesitation, for he
hated 10 pry into the past of man
who spoke so frankly and who made no
effort 20 conceal his weakness, you were
driver of the blackboard the Morales
gang held up last November over near
the Catarnas."
"Yes, that's the time I got drunk sir.
It's all that saved me from being killed,
and between keeping sober and losing my
/ preferred the latter
yet you were IN measure responsi.
bic for the safety of your passengers
and mail, were you nOtF'
well no, sir, not after the warning i
gave the company. j told them Ramon
Morales was in Tucson the night before
we had TO pull out and wherever he
was, that Internal cut-thrOat Of a brother
Of his wasn't far away. | told them it
was taking chances TO let Judge Gillette
and that infantry quartermaster try 10
20 through without escort. / begged 70
throw up the job that very night: but
they held me 10 my contract, and had
10 go, We We're jumped not ten miles
out of town. and before any one could
draw derringer every man of as was
covered The judge might have known
they'd shoot him on sight ever SINCE
that Grcaser from HermOsillO was lynch
ed But they never harmed the quarter
mister
'IIuh The devil they didn't!, laughed
the lieutenant 'lhey TOOK ms Wat'h
aud his money and everything he hau on
except his Undertaking. How long had
you been driving when that happenedF
Just eight mcJ tbs, sir between Tue
son and Grant"
And aid you ever serve with the cav
airy BEFORE You ride as though you
had
Most men hereabOuts served on one
side on other" said Bland, calmly, as his
horse finished his long pun vt the
water.
"And your side wasl'
Confederate" was the brief reply II
was born in Texas. Here comes the
troop, sir"
Come on, then ] want 10 ask you
about that trail TO Crittenden as we ride
We make FIRST for the Picacho Pass from
here"
why, that's south Of west, sir !. an
swered Bland II had thought perhaps
the lieutenant would want to 90 north-
ward toward the Gila 10 head on any
parties OF the Apaches that might %
striving 20 get away eastward WIN lhef
booty. They must have picked up some
thing over al the Bend.
They're more likely 10 80 southwark
Bland, for they know where we've been
scouting all the week No, III mafch
straight 10 the signal There they must
know where the Indians have gone
"Ay, az, sir. but then you can enly pur
sue. and q stern chase Is long one
Drulnmond turned Ia the saddle -
they rode forth upon the dark talda ana
ga1ed loag ard hxedly az the trooper
by his side lmperturhahy Bland con
tinued 10 look straight ahead. Qmeei
liza /.