Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1893-03-31

uduSueI, Tdu tue EdlCu, MIXED the
cows, cooked the food, did the washing,
attended to the modest little garden
that she had managed to coax from the
arid Arizona soil, and even gave the two
cayuse ponies that belonged to her
father all the grooming they ever got.
Besides that, she had to attend to the
selling OF water from the artesian well
that was the only excuse for Freshwa-
ter Ranchs existence.
There was not so very much travel on
the road that ran by Mt. Graham down
to the dusty ella Valley. but there were
forty miles at stretch of it, and Fresh.
water Ranch had the only water that
was to be found upon it. And so, when
the freight teams and the army ambu
lances made the trip from Fort Grant to
Fort Thomas the teamsters were very
glad to pay twenty-five cents bucket.
full for water and double rates for forage.
And this is how Bess made living, a
wretched, lonely, almost outcast living,
for her father and herself.
But there was plenty 10 do this day
and plenty of excitement. For the first
time in all her memory, a whole troop OF
handsome cavalrymen, with a bright.
checked and still handsomer lieutenant
at its head, had come to Fresh water
Ranch to actually camp over night and
perhaps stay even longer A bunch of
White River Apaches, getting over the
effects of tiswiD drunk, had Jumped
the reservation, and started on murder
ing and theving raid after their usual
manner. Quite after their usual man
ner, also, two troops of cavalry had
started in pursuit, following their trail
with the faint hope of catching up with
the feet-footed Apaches; while the re-
malnder of two regiments of cavalry and
twice as many of infantry had been put
at patrol duty at the guarding of water
holes, springs and mountain passes.
1t is the young lieutenant that is sent
on this patrol duty, as a rule. The more
experienced officers are sent in pursuit.
And it is hard grind, indeed, on the
nerves Of the impatient youny lieutenant
to sit for days in his camp watching the
surrounding country through his field
glass and receiving the reports of his
scouts, always the same monotonous:
'Didn't see no signs of 'em, SIR" 1t is
his ambition to get under fire. 1t is
the height of a young lieutenant's
widest dream to capture or kill raj liug
Apache. His heart burns with envy
when ne hears big Bailey, of his regi-
ment, who, but few years before, was
himself but green lieutenant, talk in an
OIL hand way about that time 1--WE had
the tight with old Geronimo down in the
Ban Samoane Valley" Bailey looks in.
to the campfire as he speaks, and does
net appear to care whether any one is
listening. There is tantalizing tilt to
Balley's forage cap, and the youngster
swears that If he ever does, by any good
luck, happen to come across hostile
Apache, he will cut off his head forth.
with and send it to Bailey, and do a
little talking himself. He would hate
Bailey If he wasn't such jolly good fell
low and so Internally kind when one
discovers that one is little short of
ready cash on ones STRIPPING pay, and SO
deucedly clever about getting ones
mount in good trim when one has famed
the poor beast with unskillful riding
all OF which Bailey unfortunately is. :.
Such was the precise situation o.
Joung MIR. Bristow, second lieutenant o
the til Regiment OF United States Cav
airy, on this day when Bess was at hel
wits end with work and excitement
Chslcauno and his band had jumped tn,
reservation at San Carlos after murder.
ing freighter and stealing his horses
and all Southern Arizona was in stat
of excitement. To be ordered out t
guard watering station is bad enough
but when you are quite persuaded tina
the miscreants have gone in anothe
direction and that you have no chanc
whatever of being in or near at til
death, the situation is almost unbeara
BILE.
And that was why Lieutenant Bars
tow fumed and fretted, and walked u
and down in front of the half log, ha
adobe house called Fresh water Ranch
all the long afternoon, and did nothin
more important than to swear at troopt
much after the manner of several car
tains he knew; and then to apologize =,
the trooper and make himself ridiculou
just because he had some of those high,
Ideas of the soldier, even though he we
but lew months out of West Point.
And so Bess caught but few glimps
of the lieutenant as he occasional
passed the door, but she saw that he W
young and handsome, and her woman