The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-28
.pyMeAI 1888 CHARLES KING:

,GAI 1888 CHARLES KING:
| dying, most like, the clerk and Mullan
and some other trooper of the escort
burned to ashes in that hell hole there,
and Donovan and this last one-some
Of our fellows think it is Flynn, from F
trooprshot to death. It's worse than
Apache, lieutenant, and there'll be no
use trying to restrain our fellows when
we catch the blackguards."
A quarter Of az hour later, leaving
half a dozen soldiers under an expert
enced sergeant to guard the packs, the
wounded and the noncombatants at the
smoldering ruins of the ranch, with
barely a score of seasoned troopers at
his back, Lieutenant Jim Drummond
rode resolutely out toward the southern
desert, toward the distant line Of jagged
mountains that spanned the far hori-
o n The false and fatal blaze at the
Picacho had utterly disappeared, and
all was darkness at the west. The red
glow of the smoldering embers behind
was no longer sufficient to light their
path. Straight away southwark led
the wheeltracks, first separate and dis
tinct, but soon blending, as though one
wagon had fallen behind and followed
the trail of the holder leader in the
first. Straight away after them went
the ruck of hoof tracks, telling plainly
that for a time at least the gang had
massed and was prepared to guard its
plumber.
Stop to divide it was evident they
dared not, for they had not with them
the implements to break into the safe,
and all their searching and threatening
had failed to extract from the appar-
emily dying paymaster any clew as to
what he had done with the key. Stick
together, therefore, they undoubtedly
would, reasoned the lieutenant, and al.
their effort would be to reach some
secure haunt in the Sierras and there
send back their demand for ransom.
Twenty-Five thousand dollars in cash
and George Harvey's precious daugh-
tiers! 1t was indeed a rich haul-one
that in all the dread history of the
Morales gang had never been equaled.
Even had they failed to secure the safe
the richer booty was theirs in having
seized the girls. But few people in Ar
izona-as Arizona then vas constituted
would make great effort to overhaul
a gang of robbers whose only victim
was Uncle Sam and Ibis liveried hire
lings." Nobody in Sonora would fail
to regard them with envious eyes, but
in the deed of rapine that made them
the captors and possessors Of those de-
f~enseless sisters each man had put a
price upon his head, a halter round his
neck, for "gringo' and "greaser,"
American and Mexican alike, would
spring to arms to rescue and avenge.
As the rearmost Of the little party
Of pursuers disappeared in the darkness
and the wearied pack mules went jog
ging sullenly after, urged on by the goad
Of their half Mexican driver, the ser
geant left in charge of the detachment
at the corral looked at his watch and
noted that it was just $3.50 o'clock
The dawn would be creeping on at 4.
Wearjed as were his men. he did no.
permit them. all to rest. The condition
of his wounded and the instructions left
him by Lieutenant Drummond made it
necessary that they should have constant
attention. It was sore trouble for him
to look at the old psymaster, Whose
life seemed cbbing away. lying there so
pallid and moaning at times SO pitiful-
ly, but Feeny lay torpid. breathing. yet
seeming to suffer not at all.
Both were in desperate need of sur
gical attendance. hut where could sur
geon lie found: The nearest was at
Stoneman, the little cantoHment across
the Christobal, 80 miles to the east,
and though "a gallant fellow had vol
unteered to make the ride alone through
the Apache infested pass and carry the
dispatch that Drummond had hurried
ly penciled there was no possibility
of doctors reaching them before the
cOiu1LlS light, U'iu lAo tHouSHo VI al
they might have 10 suffer through the
fierce white heat of the intervening
day was one that gave the sergeant
deep concern. Then, too, who could
say whether the solitary trooper would
succeed in running the gauntlet and
making his way through? He was a
~resolute old frontiersman, skilled in
Indian warfare and we'll aware that
his best chance was in the dark, but
speed as he might the broad light of
day would be on him long before he
could get half way through the range.
The stage from the west would prob
ably come along about sunset, but moth
ing could be hoped for sooner. No
troops were nearer than the Colorado
in that direction except the little signal
post at the Picacho. Corporal Fox and
two men had been sent thither to in.
quire what the signal meant, and it
would o be time for them to come
riding in with their report. How he
wished Wing We're here! Wing knew
something about everything. He was