The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-06

and Donovan and this last one-som,
OF our fellows think it is Flynn, from
troop-shot to death. It's worse thar
Apache, Lieutenant, and there'll be N,
use trying to restrain our fellows wher
we catch the blackguards.
A quarter of an hour later, leaving
half dozen soldiers under an expert
enced sergeant 20 guard the packs, the
wounded and the noncombatants at the
smoldering ruins Of tho ranch, with
barely score of seasoned troopers al
his back, Lieutenant Jim Drummond
rode resolutely out toward the southern
desert, toward the distant line of Jagged
mountains that spanned the far hori-
zon. The false and fatal blaze at the
Picacho had utterly disappeared, and
all was darkness at the west. The red
glow of the smoldering embers behind
was no longer sufficient to light their
path. Straight away southwark led
tho wheeltracks, first separate and dis
tinct, but soon blending, as though one
wagon had fallen behind and followed
the trail of the bolder leader in the
first. Straight away after them went
the ruck of hoof tracks, telling plainly
that for time at least the gang had
massed and was prepared to guard its
plunder.
Stop to divide IL was evident they
dared not, for they had not with them
the implements to break into the safe,
and all their searching and threatening
had failed to extract from the appar-
emily dying paynaster any clew as to
what he had done with the key. Stick
together, therefore, they undoubtedly
would, reasoned the lieutenant, and all
their effort would be to reach some
secure haunt in the Sierras and there
send back their demand for ransom.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars in cash
and George Harvey's precious daugh-
tersl ItAwas indeed a rich haul--one
that in all the dread history of the
Morales gang had never been eaualed.
Even had they failed to secure the safe
the richer booty was theirs in having
seized the girls. But few people in Ar
izona--as Arizona then was constituted
would make great effort to overhaul
gang of robbers whose only victim
was Uncle Sam and ''his liyeried hire
lings." Nobody in Sonora would fail
to regard them with envious eyes, but
in the deed of rapine that made them
the captors and possessors of those de-
fenseless sisters each man had put a
price upon his head, halter round his
neck, for "gringo" and "greaser,
and Mexican alike, would
spring to arms to rescue and avenge. 4
AS the rearmost of the little party
OF pursuers disappeared in the darkness
and the wearied pack mules went Jog
glng sullenly after, urged on by the goad
OF their half Mexican driver, the ser.
geant left in charge of the detachment
ut the corral looked at his watch and
noted that it was just Q $50 o'clock.
The dawn would be creeping en- at 4.
.Wearied as were his men, he did not
permit them all to rest. The condition
If his wounded and the instructions loft
him by Lieutenant Drummond made it
1ecessary that they should have constant
attention. II was sore trouble for him
% look a. the old paymaster, whose
ife seemed ebbing away, lying there SO
,allid and moaning at times so pitiful- |
y, but Feeny lay torpid, breathing, yet
eeming to suffer not at all.
Both were in desperate need Of sur-
acal attendance, but where could sur.
con be found? The nearest was at
toneman, the little cantonment across
he Christobal, so miles to tho east,
nd though gallant fellow had vol
To make the ride alone through
no Apache infested pass and carry the
ispatch that Drummond had hurried
penciled there was no possibility
doctors reaching them before tho
Oming night, and the thought Of all
ley might have 80 suffer through the
ERGO white heat Of the intervening
ay was one that gavo the sergeant
ecp concern. Then, too, who could
~ whether the solitary trooper would
icceed in running the gantlet and
taking his way through? He was a
'solute old frontiersman, skilled in
ldian warfare andl well aware that
is best chance was in the dark, but
iced as he might tho broad light of
ny would be on him long before he
'uld get half way through the range.
he stage from the west would prob
by come along about sunset, but moth
g could be hoped for sooner. No
oops were nearer than the Colorado
that direction except the little signal
'st at the Picacho. Corporal Fox and
20 men had been sent thither to in
liro what the signal meant, and it
ould soon be time for them to come
ding in with their report. How he
lshed Wing were here! Wing knew
mething about everything. He was
expert veterinarian, something OF
doctor, knew moro of mineralogy
an all the officers put together and
uld speak Spanish better than any
an in the regiment. When it became
cessary to have a signal station at
3 peak and it was found that no ono
ew anything about tho business,
ing got one of the old red manuals,
idied tho system and inside Of week