The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1893-06-08
be lively. The whole gang'll be on
as ia less than a minute.
CHAPTER .


cutthroats, and up to this moment
the besieged had had the best Of it.
And yet their plight was desper-
ate. In the easternmost room, Sc
cure from bullet or missile of any
kind, so long as they crouched close
to the ground, and back from the
doorway, lay trembling in silence
old Haryey's daughters. AT the
door, only the barrel of his rife
protruding, keeping under cover all
he possibly could behind an impro-
vised parapet of barley bags, knelt
their devoted brother, cool and de
termiued, every now and then whis-
pering words of hope and encour-
agement. In the adjoining room,
connected with the eastern chamber
I by doorless aperture through the
adobe wall, lay the paymaster, sorely
wounded, but still conscious
and plucky, his faithful
clerk administering to him as
best he could, stanching the flow Of
blood and comforting him with cool
water. At the doorway opening on
the hard-trampled space at the
southern front of the ranch, shelter
ing himself behind his breastwork of
barley, but never relaxing vigilant
watch, knelt Sergeant Feeny, ban
danna bound about his forehead, the
blood trickling down his right cheek,
the sleeve of his flannel shirt rent
by bullet that just grazed the
upper arm. Kneeling on the
counter and peeping through hole
in the bottom of the wooden window
shutter, one of Harvey's men kept
guard. The other faced the door
way into Moreno's domestic apart
ments, every now and then letting
drive shot through the woodwork,
to keep them, as he said, "from
monkeying with the belt on the
other side" In planning his road
side ranch Moreno had allowed outer
doors only to those rooms which
were for public use; the three which
lay to the west of the bar could not
be entered except through that re-
sort or by door giving on the cor
raj, both of these doors being sup
piled with massive bolts as security
against intruders, and all three
rooms being furnished with air
ports rather than windows, pierced
at such height through the adobe
that no one from without, except in
saddle, could peer through the
aperture and see what was going on
within. The travellers room and
bari room ports, however, were low
and large, and all the rooms were
spacious; the bar, of course, being
the dining as well as the drinking
room, carried off the honors in point
of size. This, too, was furnished
with an opening into the corral,
but Feeny's first thought on reach
ing his comrades was to harricade.
Springing into the walled en-
closure and bidding Har-
vey watch while the others
worked he had soon succeeded in
Juggling score of big barley sacks
into the interior, and rolling them
into breastworks at the three doors,
the one opening into the corral being
provided Gin addition with high
traverse" to protect its guard
against shots that might come
through from Moreno's room. All
this was accomplished amid the wall
ing Of Mexican women and the
fusillade begun by the assailants in
hopes of terrorizing the defense be-
fore venturing to closer quarters
Like famous Croghan of Fort Ste
phenson, Feeny had kept up FIRE
from so many different points as to
impress the enemy with the idea that
there was dozen men and dozen
guns where there was in reality only
one, and even the temptation Of that
vast sum in the paymaster's safe
was not sufficient to nerve
the followers of Morales
to instant attack. The valor and
vigor of the defense and the appall-
ing death Of one of their leaders had
so unnerved them that Pasqual him
self, raging, imploring, threatening
by turns, was unable to urge them
to close quarters. ''Most men are
towards in the dark. is a theory
widely believed in. Indians certain
ly are only brave against defense
less women and children at such
time. Not until the firing had ceased
and it was evident that the defenders
had retired to the shelter of the
ranch, and then only very slowly
and cautiously, would these brigands
Of the desert be induced to resume
their stealthy approach. For full
half an hour there was lull in the
fight, and then, guided by the light
Moreno was now able to show,
Pasqual and two of the stouter.
hearted knaves approached theswest-
ern wall and held brief consultation
with the rascally owner. Rage at
the death Of their leaders brother
and ally, the thirst for vengeance, and
the hope of securing such rich booty,
all were augmented by Moreno's fiery
assurances and encouragement. All
the soldiers we're gone, ne said, ex-
cept the "pig of a sergeant" and
two drugged and senseless swine.
Somebody among them was
wounded. There were only three,
possibly four left. Let his compa-
,aeroS make combined attack, two or
three through his Moreno's) rooms,