Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-28

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 foot steps gave no sound, whose masked and blackened faces defied recognition, whose cooked revolvers were thrust into his very face before lariat settled over his shoulders, snapped into place; and l yelling for help when help was miles beyond range of his ringing voice Ser geant Wing was jerked violently to earth, dragged into tent, strapped to a cot, deftly gagged and then left to him. self. An instant later the Picacho was lighted up with O lurid, unearthly glare; the huge column of sparks went whirling and hissing 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 where in, all unconscious of the danger signal, tho sisters were now chatting in a low tone.
 "Drivo your best, ." had Harvey nut tered to his Mexican jehu, as ho leaned out of the saddle to reach his ear. Not a word to alarm the girls, = he cautioned his companion, but be ready for anything"
 Far out beyond the swaying, bound ing vehicle; far out across the blistered plain. the glare and gleain fell full upon the brown adobe walls at Mo reno's, and glittering eyes and swarthy faces pecred through the westward Il. Al. night lights were dancing to and fro, and Feeny, sore perplexed, but obedi- ent to orders, was hurrying the prepa- rations of his men.
 Murphys wild announcement 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 borne off into the horrors of cap tivity among the Indians, had conspired to rouse the paymaster to unlocked for assertion of himself and his authority. In vain had Feeny begged him to think of his money, to remember that out laws would resort to any trick to rob him of his guard and might have even overpowered Wing and his party and then lighted the beacon. The chain of evidence, the straight story told by his morning visitor, the awful news con- tained In the penciled note brought in by Mullan, were considerations too po- tent to be slighted.
 In vain did Feeny point out to him that if Apaches were really in the neighborhood Wing would not be con- tent with starting the fire, but would surely signal whither to go in search of them. and that no vestige of signal torch had appeared. Old Hummer vowed he could never again know a moment of peace if he neglected to do anything or everything in his power to save the girls. Most reluctantly he | agreed that Feeny should remain in charge of the safe and the two drugged and helpless men. Murphy and all the others were ordered out forthwith to march rapidly northeastward until they struck the trail of the pursuit and then to follow that In 15 minutes, with four pack mules ambling behind, away they went into the darkness, and all that was left to man the ranch and de fend the government treasury against all corners was the phlegmatic but de- termined paymaster, his physically wrecked but devoted clerk, Sergeant Feeny. raging at heart, but full of fight, and half breed packer named Pedro The two senseless and drunken troopers were of course of no use to any body.
 Even as the detachment mounted, Latham with it, old Moreno appeared at the doorway shrouded in his serape. Approaching Murphy by the side far thest from Hummer and the sergeant, he slipped q fat Canteen from under his cloak and thrust it into the corporal 6 ready hand. Hush-h-no words, " he whispered. All is well. keep my promise. And so saying he had slunk away, but Feeny was on the off side quick as a shot, quicker than the corporal could stow the bulky vessel in his saddle bags. Wrestling it from the nerveless hand of his junior, Feeny hurled it with all his force after the Mexican's retrcating form. It struck Moreno square in the back of the neck and sent him pitching heavily forward.
 Only by catching at horse post did he save himself from fall. but, as he strengthened up. his face was one not to be looked at without a shudder; grind ing teeth, snapping, flashing eyes, ,venge- ful ccntortions of brow and jaw, hate, fury and revenge, all were quivering with the muscles under that swarthy skin, and the glcaming llnife was clasped in his upraised hand as, driv. ing into the ranch and out of sight oi the hated "gringos, he burst into the room where sat his wife and daughter, and raging aloud, through that he leaped like Q panther to another door, fastened on the farther side, where one instant he stood before ad, mission could be gained, and through 6 ) panel in which there warily peered g bearded face, swarthy as his own. And then Sonora Moreno hurriedly banged l the shutter and took up her guitar Something had to be done to hush the uproar of blasphemy and imprecatior ) mingling with the shout of exultatioI that instantly followed her lords ad mission to the den.
 } Nine o'clock came. Murphy and hi; party were gone. The beacon stil l blazed at the westward pass. The twant of the guitar had ceased. Silence } reigned about the ranch. Old Hummer with anxious face plodded slowly uI
 and down the open space in front o the deserted bar. Feeny, with thre, , loaded carbines close at hand and hi 8 belt bristling with revolvers, was di 3 1 viding his attention between the saf, t and the still sleeping troopers. Ever! I once in a while he would station tn = major at the safe, which had beer , hauled into the easternmost of tn 7 rooms that opened to the front instead r of on the corral, and, revolver in hand s would patrol the premises, never fail I ing to stop at a certain window behinC | which ba believed Moreno tO ba IurlSi n,