The Russellville Democrat., 1893-08-03


 him. 1 don't know how many there was of them, lieutenant; they skipped off the moment we opened 6reo
 They couldn't have seen us com ing, lieu,enant," eagerly spoke a young recruit. They must have thought .he sergeant was alone, for when we charged they just lit out for all they were worth, didn't they, Mikei" he eeagerly asked his com rade, an older trooper.
 "Oh, shut up, Billy There's nothing an Apache doesn't see, but we were too far off to tell how many there was. I only saw one as he lept away. Shure the sergeant was nearer; he could have seen.
 Sergeant Wing, it is I, Lieuten- ant Drummond. Look up for a moment if you can. You were close to them, how many did you seef"
 "How many Indians, siri" asked Wing, faintly.
 "Yes, how manyi"
 A pause, then at last;
 'sI didn't see one, sir7"
 CHAPTER x.
 Another day had dawned and an ,ther patient was added to Miss Huvey's hospital list at the caves. The original plan of starting on the return soon after daybreak had now to be abandoned, as Drummond ex- plained, because here was a man who could not stand the journey. Surely there would not be many hours before the relief party from Stoneman, following their trail, would come speeding to the rescue, bringing to the wounded the needed surgical attention, bringing to the Harvey girls their devoted father. The only question in the young lieu tenants mind as the sun rose, a burLing, dazzling disk over tine dis tant mountains to the east, was, which wilt be first to reach us, frie ds or foesi
 Wearied aud shattered though he was, and replete as the night had been with anxiety and vigil, Drum mond climbed the goat track that led to the sentry's perchh feeling full of hope and pluck and fight. lie and his men had divided the night into watches, one being awake and astir, not even permitting himself to sit a moment, while the others slept. The fact that he was able to send back to the caves, have an ambulance hitched in and driven down to where Wing lay wounded, and to bear him slowly, carefully, back to shelter, reaching the caves without further molesta- ton before darkns ss set in, had served to convince the young com mander that he could count on reas onable security for the night Un- less they know their prey to be puny and we'll Thigh defenceless, Apaches make 10 assault in the darkness, and so with the coming of the dawn he had about him fit for service squad of seven troopers, most of them seasoned mountain fighters. His main anxiety now was for Wing, whose wound was severe, the bullet having gone clear through, just grazing the bone, and who, despite the fact that Fanny Harvey, early in the night, had every nov and then crept noislessly in to cool his fevered head, seemed strangely affected mentally, seemed naturally flight, and wandering, seemed oppressed or excited alternately in a way that bafhed Drummond completely, for no explanation was plausible Two or three times during the night he had been heard moaning, and yet the moment Drnmmond or, as once hap pened, Miss Harvey hastened to his side, he declared it was nothing. II must have been dozing and inn agined the pain was greater than it was' Awake and conscious, so stout soldier as he would be the last to give way to childish exhibi- ton of suffering, yet twice Drum mond knew him 10 be awake despite his protestation of dozing, aud he did not at all like it that Wing should bury his face iu his arms, hiding it from all What could have occurred to change this buoy ant, joyous, high spirited trooper all of sudden into a signing, moaning, womanish fellowi Sure ly not wound of which, however painful, any soldier might be proud
 Somewhere along toward 4 O clock, when it was again Patterson's watch, and Drummond arose from his blanket after refreshing sleep of nearly two hours, and he and his | faithful sentry were standing just outside the routh of the cave, they heard the same moan of l distress.
 "Is there nothing we can do to ease the sergeant, siri' whispered l Patterson. .'This makes the second l time I have heard him grooming, and l it's so unlike him"
 "We have no opiates, and l doubt ! if he would use one if we had He declares there is nc intense pain"
 "Well, first off, sir, l thought he was dreaming, but he was wide awake, and Miss Harvey came in only a n,onant after I Dot fo him |