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

mo, down with you, Costigan, he
answers. Get McGuffy and Fritz;
block up the front of the cave with
rocks; move In those Moreno women;
carry Sergeant Wing back to the far
ther cave--Miss Harvey will show you
where. Stand fast the rest OF you.
Don't let an Indian close in on us.
"Look, lieut. nant, whispers Walsh;
they're coming up down beyant you
there"
And peeping through narrow slit
left in his parapet Drummond can
just see bobbing among the bowlders
far down toward the willow copse two
or three Apache crests-Apache unmis-
takably, because of the dirty white tur-
banlike bandages about the mat
black locks. At that distance they
vance with comparative security. 1t is
when they come closer to the defenders
that they will be lost to view.
Obedient to his orders, Costigan slips
out of his shelter and takes sneak"
for the edge of the cliff. In an instant,
from half dozen points above, below,
and on both sides, there come the flash
and crack Of rifles. The dust is kicked
up under his nimble feet, but he reaches
upharmed the cleft In which some rude
steps have been hacked and goes, half
sliding, half scraping, down into the
cooler depths below.
Mother Of Mosesl" he groans, "but
We'll never get tthe lieut. 'nant out alive.
Shure they all around him now.'
Then bounding down the gorge he
finds McGuffy kneeling at the point.
They're coming, Barney" whispers
the boy, all eager and tremulous with
excitement. and pointing down between
the vertical walls. "Lookl" he says.
Gazing ahead to the next bend, Cos
tigan can see Moreno and his Yankee
compadre crouching behind their shell
ter, their carbines leveled, their atti-
tude betokening intense excitement
and suspense. 1t is evident the enemy
are within view.
I'm have one shot at 'ein, bedad,
to pay for the dozen their brother
blackguards let drive at me, !" mutters
Costigan. Come on, you; it's but
STEP" And, forgetful for the moment
of his orders in his eagerness for fight,
the Irishman runs down the canyon,
leaps the swirling brook just as he
reaches the point, and obedient to the
warning hand held out by their bandit
ally drops on his knees at the bend,
McGuffy close at his heels. Off go
their hats. Those broad brims would
catch an Indian eye even in that gloom.
''How many are there coining?" he
whispers.
Moreno puts his finger on his lips,
then throws out his hand, four fingers
extended.
Zone apiece then, be jabers! Now,
Little Mac. you're to take the second
from the right--their right, l mean
nd don't you miss him, or I'll break
every bono in your skin. ("
"Hist!"
Down they go upon, their faces, then,
Indianlike, they crawl few feet far
ther where there is little ledge. The
canyon widens below; the light is
stronger there. and bending double,
throwing quick glances at one another,
then from sheer force of Indian habit
shading their eyes with their brown
hands as they peer to the front; exchang-
ing noiseless signals, creeping like cats
from rock to rock, leaping without
faintest sound Of the moccasined foot
across the bubbling waters, four swar-
thy scanps are coming stealthily on.
Two others are Just appearing around
the next bend beyond.
Ready, boysl' They're near enough
now. Cover the two leadersl Drop
the first two anyhowp' s
Breathless silence, humping hearts
one instant longer, then the chasm bel
lows withs'the loud reports. The four
guns are fred almost as one. One half
naked wretch leaps high in air and
falls, face downward, dead as a nail.
Another whirls about, bounds few
yards along the brookside, and then goes
splashing into a shallow pool, where
he lies writhing. The two farthest
down the canyon have slipped back be-
hind the rocky shoulder. The other
two. close at hand, have rolled behind
the nearest shelter and thence send
harmless bullets whizzipg overhead.
Costigan lets drivs-a wild Irish yell of
triumph and delight. ~
"Now. then, run for it, boy. Well
done, you two, if ye are blackguards, "
he calls to Moreno and his mate.
They won't disturb ye again for 10
minutes anyhow. Hold your post,
though. till we call you back. We're
going to block the mouth of the cave. "
Twenty minutes later, and working
like beavers Costigan and his two men
have lugged rocks, logs, bales of blank
cts, everything, anything that can stop
a bullet, and the entrance to the cave
is being stoutly barricaded. Patter-
son, who was sorely exposed at his post
and ordered down by Lieutenant Drum
mond, is aiding in the work. Wing
has been carefully borne into the back
rave, whittier. too, the3 wailing, quak-
ing Moreno women arc herded and bid
den to hold their peace. There, too,
Fanny and Ruth, silent, pallid perhaps,
but making no moan, are now kneeling