Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-04-12

ner beautiful eyes 1liing with tears al
sight Of Drummond's brave but hag.
gard young face. Ruth is crouchine
by her sisters side, but rises quickly a
Drunmond enters, her fears lessening,
her hopes gaining.
ANY newsi Anything in sight-ot
oursi" is Miss Harvey's eager query.
mot yet, but they're bound to be
along almost any minute now. Some
Apaches whom / could see coming
across from the east have a wounded
man with them. It makes me hope our
fellows have met and fought them and
are following close on their trail.
How's Wing5'
She can only shake her head.
He seems delirious every now and
then, perhaps only because Of so much
mental excitement and suffering. He
is doing now."
Gallant followi What would we
have done without him2 / only wish
we had more like him. Think how all
my detachment has become scattered.
II we had them here now, could push
out and drive the Indians to the rocks
and far beyond all possibility Of annoy
ing you with their racket. OF course
You are safe from their missiles down
here"
"Yes, we are, but you and your SOL
diers, Mr.. Drummondi Every shot
made me fear you were hit," cries
poor little Ruth, her eyes filing, her
lips quivering. Then, just as Durm-
mond is holding forth a hand, perhaps
it is an arm, too, she points up to the
rock above where Walsh is evidently
exercised about something. He has
dropped his gun, picked up the glasses
and is gazing down tho range to the
south.
Perhaps he sees some of our fellows
coming for good this time. Four of
them tried itawhile ago, but were prob
ably attacked some miles below here
and fell back on the main body. They'll
be along before a great while, and
won't it be glorious if they bring back
the safe and all?" He says this by
way of keeping up their spirits, then,
onco more YEARLY, but full of pluck
and purpose, he climbs the rugged path
and creeps to Walsh's side.
''Is it any of our men you seer" he
whispers.
"Divil n wan, sir! It's more Of thin
internal Apaches.
Drummond takes the glass and stud
les the dim and distant group with the
utmost care. Apaches beyond doubt.
a dozen, and coming this way, and
these, too, have couple of horses. Can
they have overpowered his men, am
bushed and, murdered them, then So
cured their mounts? Is the whole CHR
icahua tribe, REINFORCED by swarm
from the Sierra Blanca, concentrating
on him now? The silence about him is
ominous. Not an Indian has shown him
self along the range for half an hour,
and now these fellows to the east are
close to the copse. In less than 30 min
utes there will be FIVE times his puny
force around him. Is there no hope of
rescue?
Once more he turns to the east, across
the shimmering glare of that parchod
and tawny plain, and strains his eyes
in vain effort to catch sight of the
longed for column issuing from the op-
poslte valley, but it is hopeless. The
hot sun beats down upon his bruised and
aching head and sears his bloodshot
eyes. He raises his hand in mute ap-
peal to heaven, and at the instant there
is fash, . sharp report not 80 yards
away, an angry spat as the leaden mis-
sile strikes the shelving top of his para
pet and goes humming across the gorge,
a stifed shrek from Ruth looking fear
fully up from below, an Irish oath from
Walsh as he whirls about to answer the
shot, and Drummond can barely repress
a little gasp. y
Marrow squeak that, Walshl That
devil has crawled close up on us. Can
you see him2"
"Begad, sir, can see nothing at all
but rocks, rocks, rocks. How can a man
fight anyway ag'in human beings that
crawl like snakes?"
Zipl Another shot, close at hand too,
and from another unseen foe. The first
came from somewhere among the bowl
ders down to the southeast, and this
second whizzed from across the canyon.
A little puff of blue smoke is floating
up from among the rocks so yards or so
to the north of the narrow slit.
Crouching lower, Drummond calls
across to Costigan, posted as the eastern
most Of the two men on the opposite
side:
THAT fellow is nearest you, corporal.
Can you see nothing of him?"
Nothing, sir; I was looking that
way, too, when he fred. Not even the
Of his gun showed"
This is serious business. IF one In
dian or two can find it SO easy to creep
around them, and armed only with their
muzzle loading guns send frequent
shots that reach the besleged lin re-
verse;, " what can be hoped when the
whole band gathers and every rock on
every side shelters a hostile Apache?
From the first Drummond has feared
that however effective might be these
defenses against the open attack of
white men, they are i'll adapted to pro-
Iect the defenders against the fire of In
tians who can climb like squirrels or
,rawl OF squirm through any chink or
,revice like SO many snakes.
Another shot Another bullet hattens
Itself ON the rock close to his right
shoulder and then drops into the dust
BY his knee. It comes from farther up
The cliff-perhaps 200 yards away
among those stunted cedars-but shud-
1eringly close. Costigan and the other
men glance anxiously over their shoul-
lers at the point where their young
and Walsh are crouching.
They are not vet subjected to fire from