The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-12-04

rooms that opened 10 the front instead
of on the corral, and, revolver in hand,
would patrol the premises, never fail
ing 10 stop at certain window behind
which he believed Moreno to be lurking
10 warn that impulsiye greaser not to
show his head outside his room If he
didn't want it blown off his shoulders;
never failing on his return to stir up
both recumbent forms with angry foot,
and then to shower in equal portions
cold water and hot imprecations upon
them.
To Pedro he had intrusted the duty
Of caring for the horses of his PROSTATE
comrades. Every faculty he possessed
was ON the alert, watching for the
faintest sign Of treachery or hostility
from within, listening with dread but
stern determination for the first sound
Of hoof beats from without. 1t must
have been about 10 o'clock when, leav-
ing Mr.. Dawes, the clerk, seated in the
dark interior beside the safe, Feeny
stepped forth to mako another round,
stopped TO look at Mullan and his part
ner, now beginning to twitch uneasily
and moan and toss in their drunken
sleep, and then turned to seek the pay.
master.
Whatever lights Moreno had been
accustomed to burn by way of lure or
encouragement to belated travellers, oil
was gloom tonight. The bar was si-
fence and darkness. The bare east room
adjoining tho corral was tenanted now
only by the clerk and the precious iron
box of 'greenbacks. No glimmer OF
lamp showed there. The westward
apartments, opening only one into
another and thence into the corral, were
still as the night and even when q
shutter was slowly pushed from within,
as though tho occupants craved more
air, no gleam of light came through.
Don't show your ugly mug out
here, Moreno" cautioned Feeny for the
fourth or fifth time, land warn any
id cutthroat with you to keep in
hiding. The man who attempts to
come out gets bullet through him."
There had been shrill protestation in
Mexican Spanish and Sonora Moreno's
strident tones when first he conveyed his
orders to the master Of the ranch, but
Moreno himself had made no audible
reply, and, as was conjectured, had
enjoined silence on his wife, for after
that outbreak she spoke no more.
1--WE got this approach covered any
how, muttered the veteran. Now If
1 only had men TO watch those doors
into the corral, could pen Moreno and
whatever he has here at his back. It's
that gang of hell hounds we passed at
Ceralvo's that will pay us call before
morning, or I'm duffer.
Once again he found the paymaster
wearily. anxiously patrolling his self
assumed post out beyond the westward
wall. The presence of common danger,
the staff officials forgetfulness of self
and his funds in his determination to
aid the wretched women whom he
firmly believed to have been run off by
the Apaches, had won from the sergeant
the tribute Of more respectful demean-
or, even though he held the story of the
raid to be an out and out lie.
ANY signs or sounds yet, sir?" no
questioned in muffied tone.
"Why, / thought-just moment
ago-I heard something like the crack
Of whip far ont there on the plain.
That's mighty strange, sir; no stage
is due coming east until tomorrow
night, and no stage would dare pull out
on this stretch in face Of the warning
there at Picacho."
"Well, it may have been imagina-
ton. My nerves are all unused to
this sort of thing. How do you work
this affair when you want to reload,
sergeant? I'm blessed If i understand
it. i never carried revolver before in
my life"
Feeny took the glistening, nickel
plated Smith g. Wesson, clicked the
hammer to the safety notch, tested the
cylinder springs, and touching the
lever showed his superior by the feel
rather than sight how the perfect me-
chanism was made to turn on its hinge
and thrust the emptied shells from their
chamber.
"The Lord grant we may have no
call to shoot tonight. sir, but 1 mis-
doubt the whole situation. That fires
beginning to wear itself out already,
and any minute look to hear the hoof
beats of tho Morales gang, surround
ing us here On every side. If they'll
only hold off till toward morning and /
can brace up these two poor devils
they've poisoned, we can stand 'em off
awhile until our fellows begin to come
back or Lieutenant Drummond hears
Of the gathering"
And do you still believe there are
no Apaches in this business?" asked
the major.
mot out north or west, sir; they're
thick enough ahead in the Santa Maria.
but not to tho north, not to the west-I
can't believe that. Those Morales fell
lows know everything that is going on.
They knew that just about this time
Ned Harvey was expected along escort
ing his sisters home. They knew you
had never seen him and could easily