Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-12-26
FOES IN AMBUSH.
By Capt. CHARLES KING, U. s. A.
Icopyrlsht, 1soa, by Charles King.l
CHAPTER I.

 socn after dawn, weatherbeaten am- bulance was throwing unbroken a mile long shadow toward the distant Chris tobal. The gateway 10 the east through the Santa Maria, sharply notched in the gleaming range, stood days march away-a days march now only made by night, for this was Arizona, and from the rising of the sun to the going down of the same anywhere south of that curdling mud bath, the Gila, the only human beings impervious to the fierceness of its rays were the Apaches. And they" growled the paymaster as he petulantly snapped the lock of his little safe, they no more human than so many hyenas.
 A big man physically was the GUS todian and disburser of government greenbacks-so big that, as he stepped forth through the aperture in the hot adobe wall, he ducked his head to avert unwilling contact with its upper edge. Green glass goggles, a broad brimmed straw hat, a pongee shirt, loose trousers of brown linen and dust colored canvas shoes made up the outer man of personality as distinctly un- military as it was ponderous. Slow and labored in movement, the major was correspondingly sluggish in speech. He sauntered out into the glare of the evening sunshine and became slowly conscious Of a desire to swear at what he saw; that, though in minute or two the day god would "douse his glim" behind the black horizon, no prepara- ton whatever had been made for a start. There stood the ambulance, ev- cry bolt and link and tire hot as a stove lid, but not mule in sight.
 Turning to his left, he strolled dlong toward a gap in the adobe wall and entered the dusty interior of the corral. Que of the four quadrupeds drowsing under the brush shelter languidly turned an inquiring eye and interrogative ear in his direction and conveyed, after the manner of the mule, a suggestion as to supper. \ Mexican boy, sprawl ing in the shade of bale of govern ment hay and clad in cotton shirt and trousers well nigh as brown as the skin that peeped through occasional gaps, glanced up at him with languid inter est an instant, and then resumed the more agreeable contemplation of the writhings of an impaled tarantula Under another section of the shed two placid little burros were dreamily blinking at vacancy. their grizzled fronts expressive of that ineffable peace found only in the faces of saints and donkeys. In tho middle of the inclosure a rude windlass coiled with rope stood stretch ing forth decrepid lever arm. The whippletree, dangling from the end over the beaten circular track, seemed cracked with heat and age. The stout ropc that stretched tautly from the coil passed over a wooden wheel and dis appeared through broad framed aper- ture into the bowels of the earth.
 Close at hand in the shade of brush covered ieanto" hung three or four huge ollas, earthen water jars, swathed in gunnysack and blanket. Beyond them, warped out of all possibility of future usefulness, stood what had once been the running gear of a California blackboard. Behind it dangled from dusty pegs portions of leather harness, which all the neatsfoot oil of the mil itary pharmacop9ia could never again restore to softness or pliability. A newer edition of the same class of ve- AAANAC W SAo NOhNAGh bNN SA NtaAN HaOAAA- A hugo stack of barley bags was piled at the far end of the corral, guarded from depreciation (guadrupedaD by a barrier of wooden slats, mostly down, and by tattered biped. very sound asleep.
 Where's the sergeant?" queried the paymaster slowly, addressing no one in particular, but looking plaintively around him.
 Still leaning brown chin on d near ly black hand, and stirring up his spider with the forked stick he held in the other paw, the boy simply tilted his head toward the dark opening un- der the farther end of the shed, an aperture that seemed to lead to noth- ing but blackness beyond.
 Whats he doing?"
 No sa-a-abe," drawled the boy, never lifting his handsome eyes from the joys before him.
 Why hasn't he harnessed up?''
 A shrug of the shoulders was the only reply.
 "HeyT'
 No sa-a-abc, " slowly as before.
 Whats your name?"
 Jose.
 Well, here, Jose, you so and tell him l want him.
 The boy slowly pulled himself to- | gethcr and found his feet; started re- | luctantly to obey; glanced back at his 1 captive, now scuttling off for freedom turned again; scotched him with his forked stick, and then with a vicious "huhI" drove the struggling araneina into the sandy soil. This done, he lounged off toward the dark corner in | the wall of the ranch and dove out of sight.
 l Presently there slowly issued from this recess a sturdy form in dusty blue blouse, the sleeves of which were dec orated with chevrons in far faded vel l low. Under the shabby slouch hat { round, sunblistered, freckled face, bris ting with a week old beard, peered fortl at the staff official with an expression half of languid tolerance, half of mild irritation. In most perfunctory fash ion the soldier just touched the hat rim with his fore6nger, then dropped thu hand into convenient pocket. Itwal plain that he felt but faint respect foi i the staff rank and station of the mar in goggles and authority.
 Sergeant Feeny, thought I tolt you wanted everything ready to star at sunset"
 You did, sir, and then you undii it, " was the prompt and sturdy reply
 The paymaster stood irresolIte Through the shading spectacles of greer his eyes seemed devoid of any expres sion. His attitude remained un changed, thumbs in the low cut pocket of his wide Tapping trousers. shoulder meek and dropping.
 Well" 1" he finally drawled, "yor understood wanted to get on to Caml Stoneman by sunrise, didn't you