The Russellville Democrat., 1893-06-22

y
Heavens, how hearts were beat
ing How ears were straining I'M
derneath that now blazing roof
Louder, fercer roared the flames
furious became the swapping Of sun
baked branch and twig sitting and
thick the smoke.
Quick Come here for breath
Of air, called Harvey to his sisters.
alt's safe for moment at least. "
And instantly they joined him at the
doorway, still clinging close to the
floor.
Listenl Hoofsl The thunder Of
galloping steeds A distant cheer
A soldierly voice in hoarse com
maud:
Steady, steady there Keep to-
gether, menl"
"God be praised Y screamed
Feeny in ecstasy, "Look up, major;
look up, sir. We're all safe now.
Here come the boys Hurrool !"
And mad with relief and delight the
sergeant sprang from his lair just as
a tall trooper in the Union blue shot
into sight in the full glare Of the
flames, sprang frcm his foamiEg
steed, waving his hat aDd yelling
"All right All safe, lads Here
we are I"
Down went Harvey's rifle as he
leaped out into the blessed air to
greet the coming host. Down went
Feeny S carbine as, with outstretched
hand, he sprang to grasp his com
rade troopers. With rush and
thunder of hoofs band of horse
men came tearing up to the spot
just as Feeny reached their leader
reached them and went down to
earth, stunned, senseless from a
crashing blow, even as Ned Harvey,
his legs jerked from under him by
the sudden clip Of rawhide lariat,
was dragged at racing speed out
over the plain, humping over stick
and stone, tearing through cactus,
screaming with rage and pain, until
finally, battered into Oblivion, the
last sound that fell upon his ear was
the shrek of agony from his sisters
lips, telling him they were strug-
Cling in the rude grasp of reckless
and Infatuated men.
CHAPTER VI.
Harvey could not long have lain
unconscious. No bones were broken,
no severe conclusion sustained in the
rapid drag over the sandy surface,
and the awful sense of the calamity
that had befallen him and the dread
an / doubt as 10 the fate of his be-
loved ones seemed to rally his
stunned and bewidered faculties and
bring him face to face with the hor-
ror Of the situation. Barely ably to
breathe, he found himself rudely
gagged. Striving to raise his hand
to tear the hateful bandage away,
he found that he was pinioned by the
elbows and bound hand and foot by
the very RATA, probably, that had
dragged him thither. No doubt
as to the nationality of his unseen
eaptors here. The skill with which
he had been looped, tripped, whisked
away, and bound-the sharp, biting
edges, even the oder of dirty raw
hide rope-all told him that though
Americans were not lacking in the
gang, his immediate antagonists
hailed from across the Sonora line.
Who and what they were mattered
little, however. The fact that after
hours of repulse in open attack the
foe had all on a sudden carried their
castle by a mean ruse was only too
forcibly apparent. Writing, strug-
Cling in miserable effort to free him
self from his bonds, poor Harvey's
burning eyes were maddened by the
picture before him only a couple of
hundred yards away There, in the
fierce light OF the flames, now burst
ing from every window and roaring
aud shooting high in air from the
brushheaped roof Of Moreno's
ranch-there stood the Concord
wagon, stalwart men clinging to
the heads of the plunging and ex
cited mules, big rufhan already in
the drivers seat, whip and reins IN
hand there beside it was the pay
masters ambulance, into which
three of the gang were just showing
the green painted iron safe-the
Pandora's box that had caused all
their sorrows there Moreno's Cali
fornia blackboard, pressed into SER
vice and being used to carry the
wounded, drawn by the extra mules
and then--great heavens what
sight for brothers eyes to see and
make no sign then one big brute
lifted from the ground and handed
up to a fellow already ensconeed
within the covered wagon the sense
less, perhaps ifeless, form Of pretty
little Ruth, his fathers idol.
The poor child lay unresisting in the
ruffian's arms, but not so Paquita.
1t took two men, strong and burly,
to lift and force her into the dark
interior, and one of those, to the
utmost detail of his equipment was
to all appearance a trooper of the
United States cavalry. There stood
his painting horse, with hanging
head and jaded withers, the very
steed whose rush they had well
c1med with such exceeding JOY
saddled, bridled, blanketed, saddle
bagged, lariated, side-lined, every