The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1893-05-18

when | promised to play chaperon
and insure strict propriety and no
flirting
Ruth Harvey had, with quick
movement, uplifted little hand to
silence her sister, but the hand
dropped, startled, and the color
rushed to her face at Wings next
words.
Then you're almost sure to meet
the lieutenant to night or to-mor-
row. He's been scouting the Santa
/ Maria and the Christobal, and is
due along here at this very mo-
ment."
And now Miss Harvey had tho
| field to herself, for the younger sis
! ter drew back into the dark depths
! Of the covered wagon and spoke no
more. In ten minutes the team
was rafting down the eastward
slope, and Sergeant Wing turned
/ with sigh, as at last even the
sound of hoof and wheel had died
awAy. Slowly be climbed the steep
and crooked trail to their @rie
at the peak. M sign Of
Jackson yet, no message from
the ranch, no signal fires at Mo-
reno's or beyond. Yet was he right
in telling Harvey with such precious
freight to push on across that open
plain when there was even rumor of
Apache in the airf The loveliness
of those two dark, radiant faces,
the pretty white teeth flashing in the
lantern light, the soft, silvery, girl
ish voices, the kindly, cordial hand
clasp voucbsafed him by the elder
IS they rolled away these were
things to stir the heart of any man
long exiled in this desert land. 1t
had been his custom to spend an
hour in chat with his comrades be-
fore turning in for the night, but
with jackson still away and Pike
still plunged in gloom, with more
over new and stirring emotions to
investigate and analyzo Wing
strolled off by himself, passed
around the rocky buttress at the point
and came to the eastward broad ledge
overlooking the way to the distant
range. Here a mass Of finder, dry
baked by weeks exposure to the
burning sunshine, stood in a pyra
mid of frewood, ready to burst in
flame at first touch Of the torch.
Close at hand we're the stacks
Of reserve fuel. "Never light
this until you know the
Indians are raiding west of the
Christobal," were his orders. But
we'll he knew that once ignited it
could be seen for many. league.
Here again he filed his faithful
pipe, and, moving safe distance
away, lighted its charge and tossed
the match stump among the jagged
rocks below. He saw the spark go
sailing downward, unwafted from
its course by faintest breath of air.
Then he heard Pike s growl or some
thing like it, and called to him to
ask if he heard jackson. No answer.
Sure that he had heard the gruff,
though inarticulate voice of his
comrade, he hailed again, more
loudly than before, and still there
came no reply. Surprised, 80 he
stepped quickly back around the
rocky point to where the tents lay
under the sheltering cliff and came
face to face with three dark,
shadowy forms whose moccasined
footsteps gave no sound, whose
masked and blackened faces de6ed
recognition, whose cooked revolvers
were thrust into his very face
before lariat settled over his
shoulders, snapped into place,
and, yelling for help when help
was miles beyond range of his ring
ing voice. Sergeant Wing eeas
jerked violently to earth, dragged
into tent, strapped to a cot, deftly
gagged, and then left to himself.
An Instant later the Picacho was
lighted up with a lurid, unearthly
glare the huge &C lumn OF sparks
went whirling and kissing up on
high, and, far and near, the great
beacon was warning all seers that
the fierce Apache was out in force
and raiding the Yuma road.
Away out across the desert its
red glare chased the Concord wagon
wherein, all unconscious of the dan
ger signal, the sisters were now
chatting in low tone.
"Drive your best, "had Harvey
muttered to his Mexican Jehu, as
he leaned out of his saddle to reach
his ear. "Not word to alarm the
girls" he cautioned his companion,
"but be ready for anything"
Far out beyond the swaying,
bounding vehicle; far out across
the blistered plain, the glare and
CLEAN fell upon the brown adobe
walls at Moreno's, and glittering
eyes aud swarthy faces passed
through the westward aperture, while
in the corral the night lights
were dancing to and fro, and Feeny,
sore perplexed, but obedient to or
ders, was hurrying the preparations
of his men. Murphy's wild an
nouncement had carried conviction
to the majors soul, despite all
Feeny's pleadings, and the sight of
that beacon furiously burning, The
thought of those helpless women
being born off into the horrors of
captivity among the Indians, had
conspired to rouse the paymastet to
unlooked-for assertion of himself
and his authority. - In vain had
Feeny begged him to think of his