Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-27
FOES IN AMBUSH.
 By Capt. CHARLES KING, U. 8. A.
IcopyrlSht, lsaa, by Charles Ring.l
 PTER II

Late that night, with laded steeds, httlo troop of cavalry was pushing westward across the desert. Tho young May moon was sinking to rest, its pure pallid light shining faintly in contrast with the rrddy glow of some distant beacon in the mountains beneath. Ever since nightfall the rock buttress at the pass had been reflecting the lurid glare of the leaping flames as, time and again, unseen but busy hands heaped on fresh fuel and sent the sparks whirl- ing in fiery cddies to the sky. LaAguid and depressed after n long days bat ting with the fierce white sunshine, horses and men would gladly have spent the early hours of night dozing at their rude bivouac in the Christobal. Ever since 9 in the morning, after Il long night march, they had sought such shade as the burning rocks might afford, scooping up the tepid water from the natural tanks at the bottom of the canyon and thanking providence it was not alkali.
 The lieutenant commanding, q tall, wiry, keenfaced young fellow, had made the rounds of his camp at sunset, care fully picking up and serutinizing tho feet of his horses and sending the far rier to tack on here and there a starting shoe. Gaunt and sunburned were his short coupled California chargers, as were their toughlooking riders; fetloclls and boards were uniformly ragged; shoes of leather and shoes of iron showed equal wear. \ bronze faced --r0eant. silently following his v"n~" chief, watched him with inquiring eyes and waited for the decision that was to condemn the command to another night march across tho desert, or remand them to rest until an hour or so before the dawn.
 "HoGv far did you say it was to Ger alvo's, sergeant?"
 About 22 miles. west"
 And to Moreno's;''
 About l5. sir; off here.'' And the sergeant pointed out across tho plain, lying like duncolorcd Blanket far toward the southern horizon.
 We can get barley and water at both?''
 Plenty, sir.
 The men would rather wait here, suppose, until or 5 o'clock?'
 Very much, sir; they haven't been able to rest at all today. I've fed out tho last of tn" barley, though
 The lieutenant reflected a moment, persively studying the legs of the trum- peter horse.
 Is there any chance of Moreno's people not having heard about the -Apaches in the Christobal:"
 Hardly, sir; they are rcaror the Tue son road than we are. The stage must | have gone through this morning early. It's nothing new anyhow. I've never known the time when tho Indians were not in the neighborhood of that range, ! Moreno. too. is an old hand, sir.
 The lieutenant looked long and in tently out over the dreary flats beyond the foot hills. Like the bottom of some prehistoric lake long since sucked dry | by the action of the sun, the parched ! earth stretched away in mile after mile of monotonous, lifo ridden desert, a Sa- hara without sign of an oasis, q sandy barren summed even ly scorpion and | centipcdS. Already the glow was dy- | ing from the western sky. The red rim | of the distant range was purpling. The ! golden gleam that flashed from rock to | rock as the sun went down had van 1 ishcd from all but the lofticst summits, l and deep, dark shadows were creeping slowly out across the plain. Over the l great expanse rot 50 much as the faint est spark could be seen. Aloft, the 1 greater stars were beginning to peep through the veil of pallid blue. while over tho distant pass the suns fair 1 handmaidcn and trainbearer. with slow, stately mien, was sinking in the wake i of her lord, as though following him | to his rest. Not breath of air was astir.
 The night came on still as the realms of solitude. Only tho low chatter of the men, the occasional stamp of iron shod hoof or tho munching jaws of the tired steeds broke in upon the perfect silence. From their covert in the west ward slope of the Christobal the two sentries of the little command looked upon a hfeltss world. Beneath them. whiting theIr pipes after their frugal supper. the troopers were chatting ir low tones, some of them already spread. ing their blankets among tho shelving rocks. The cmbers from the cooks fire glowcd Q deeper rcd as the darkness: gathered i'll the pass, and every mar seemed to start as though stung witf sudden spur when sharp, quick ant imperative thcro came the cry from tho lips of tho farther sentry:
 Fire, sir-out to the westr'
 In an instant Lieutenant Drummont had lenped down the rocky canyon, ant