The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-05-27

in violent Mysteries and don't know what
TO do
dispatch courier instantly to Fort
Laramie for more men; and you, Captain,
with five of the men and Lieutenant An
derson stay here to protect the ladies, while
Barkley, myself, and the other five men
will start and scour the plains in different
directions until we find her," exclaimed
Tony West.
"Tony, my boy" said Lieutenant An
derson, "for once in your life you have
spoken sensibly" And thus it was ar
ranged.
We will leave them searching for her and
follow Constance The sentry had told
the exact truth. Connie, who had been
writing in her diary, had become saddened
by her thoughts and determined to take a
little walk in sight of the sentry, whose
beat was past their tent. She was in the
act of rising to retire when some ones rose
stealthily from behind, and putting heavy
hand over her mouth, with the other drew
her back over the rock, succeeding in keep
ing her from making noise by almost
smothering her Her eaptor kept her
under the overhanging boulder until the
sentinel neared the furthest end of his
beat, when he stole quickly through the
thick shadows of the cottonwood trees
along the river to the distance of quar-
ter of mile, where he had horse in
waiting, ON which he placed his now sense
less burden and was soon galloping off
About three miles from the Falls, among
a bed Of huge rocks, was cave which was
so concealed by dense underground that
one would never find it unless guided there.
To this cave Constance was conducted by
her captor and with the assistance of an
old Indian woman carried some distance
inward. The floor was covered with a
fine dry sand.
The swift ride through the night air had
revived the girl, and as soon as the gag
was removed she said Indignantly "What
is the meaning of this outragc?''
The halfbreed, for such he was (being
the son of an Indian father and Mexican
mother), informed her that she would not
be harmed if she did not attempt to escape
or cry out. He would explain nothing,
and after eating hearty supper, which he
insisted in vain on her sharing, he called
the old woman aside and they conversed
earnestly for some time, although speaking
too low for Constance to catch their con-
versation. The halfbreed then left the
cave, and the old woman, pointing to
heap of skins, indicated that Constance
might lie down. She then took long
draught from black bottle and then sat
down to smoke,
Constance, feeling very tired, laid down
without the slightest intention of going
to sleep, but after repeated attempts to get
some explanation from the old Indian, and
seeing that she could not or would not
answer her questions, exhausted nature
gave way and she was soon sound asleep.
Seeing this, the old Indian got up, leaned
over her, and, shaking her gently and
seeming to become satisfied that she was
sound asleep, raised shelf of rock, from
which she took stout rope Of about forty
feet in length, and gently passing it around
the waist of the unconscious captive, tied
it firmly, and then fastening the other end
to an upright post about two yards distant
from where she lay, betook herself to
heap of dried grass some distance off,
where she was soon snoring comfortably.
Constance had no way of telling how
long she had slept when she was aroused
by gentle shake, and at the same time
hand was pressed over her mouth and
voice whispered, "lo not speak or make
the slightest noise, | have come to help
you to escape" and by the dim light of
the smoky lamp she beheld Captain Wilde !
She almost screamed in her bewilderment, |
but gently laying his hand upon her mouth
in token of silence he swiftly cuts the rope /
which binds her, and taking her hand they
move quickly over the soft sand and are
soon out of tho cave. Silently he leads
her into clump of bushes where his faith
ful black is haltered, but they are scarcely
mounted when there is shout of batiied
rage as Black Feather and tho half-breed
gallop round knoll toward the caves en-
trance.
Day has broken some time before and
the beautiful red of sunrise is appearing in
the east, which has plainly revealed to them
the escaping girl and her rescuer. Now
commences wild ride for life. Twice has
u bullet whistled past them, but, thanks
10 the superior mettle of the black horse, he
is slowly leaving the Indian ponies behind.
This seems to madden the Indian chief,
and squirting his horse, with a mad yell he
rides ahead Of the half.breed and drawing
his rifle he fires shot, which is so nearly
fatal as 10 pass through the hat of the cow
boy. Slackening his pace a little to let
the Indian draw nearer, Captain Wilde,
with u whisper to Constance to cling tightly,
turns in his saddle, takes unerring aim.
fires, and the chief of the Black Feathers,
with wild death-yell, reels and falls to
the ground. With renewed hope our
friends gallop on for about a mile, when to
their delight they come in sight of two