Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-03-03


by Mullan, were considerations too DO
tent to he slighted.
In vain did Feeny point ont to him
that il Apaches were really in the
neighborhood Wing would not be con-
tent with starting the fire, but would
surely signal whittier to go in search
of them, and that no vestige of signal
torch had appeared. Old Plummer
vowed no 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 dragged
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 Is 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
y
| fight, and half breed packer named
| Pedro. The two senseless and drunken
troopers were Of course of no use to am
body
, Even rs the detachment mounted,
Latham with it, old Moreno appeared
. at the doorway shrouded in his serape.
Approaching Murphy by the side far
thest from Plummer and the sergeant
he slipped fat canteen from under his
cloak and thrust it into the corpcrals
ready hand. 'Hush-h-no words,
he whispered. "All is we'll | ke,p
my promise. And SO saying he had
skunk away, but Feeny, was on the off
| side quick rs shot, quicker than the
corporal could stow the bulky vessel
IN his saddle bags. Wrestling 1t from
the nerveless hand of his junior. Feeny
hurled 1t with all his force after the
Mexican's retreating form. It struck
Moreno square in the back of the neck
and sent him pitching heavily forward
Only by catching at a 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, swapping, flashing eyes, yenge-
full contortions OF brow and Jaw, hate,
fury and revenge, all were cuivering
with the muscles under that swarthy
skin, and the cleaning knife was
| clasped IN his appraised hand as, 6riv-
ing into the ranch and out Of sight OF
| the hated ''gringos," he burst into
the room where sat his wife and
| daughter. and raging alond, through
that he leaped like 4 panther - another
door, fastened on the farther side.
where one instant he stood before ad-
mission could be gained, and through
| panel III which there waTily peered
bearded face, swarthy rs his own. And
| then Sonora Moreno hurriedly banged
| the shutter and took up her guitar.
Something had 10 be done TO hush the
uprosr of blasphenv and lmIy ocation
mingling with the shout OF eSultation
| that instantly followed her lords ed
| mission to the den.
Nine o'clocll came. Murphy and his
/ party were gone. the beacon still
blazed at the westward pass. The iwang
Of the guitar had ceased. Silence
| reirned about tie ranch. OLD Plummer
with anxious face piodded slowly Up
and down the open space in front OF
| the deserted bar. Feeny, with three
loaded carbines close at hand and his
belt bristling with revolvers, was di-
viding his attention between the safe
and the still sleeping troopers. Every
| cnce in while he would station the
! major at the safe, which lad been
! hauled into the easterrmost Of the
rooms that opened to the front instead
| Of on the corral, and, revolver in hand,
would patrol the premises, never fail
| ing TO stop at a certain window behind
which he believed Moreno to be lurking
| TO warn that impulsiye greaser not to
! show his head outside his room if he
| didn't want it blown Off his shoulders;
never failing on his return to stir up
! both recumbent forms with angry foot,
! and then to shower in equal portions
cold water and hot iInprecatio..s upcn
! them.
70 Fsaro he had intrusted the duty
! OF caring for the horses of his prostrate
comrades. Every faculty he possessed
was On the alert, watching for the
faintest sign Of treachery or hostility
| from within, listening with dread but
! stern determination for the first sound
! of hoof beats from without. 1t must
| have been about 1 0 o'clock when, leav-
| ing Mr.. Dawes, the clerk, seated in the
dark interior beside the safe. Feeny
stepped forth to make another round,
stopped 70 look at Mullan and his part
ner, now beginning to twitch uneasily
and moan ans toss in their drurken
sleep, and then turned to seek the pay
I master.
Whatever lights Moreno had been
accustomed to burn by way of lure or
encouragement to belated travellers, all
was gloom tonight. The bar was 81
ience and darkness. The bare east room
adjoining the corral was tenanted now
only by the clerk and the precious iron
box OF "greenbacks. No glimmer of
lamp showed there. The westward
apartments. opening only .one into
another and thence into the corral. were
still as the night and even when a
SHUTTER. was slowly pushed from within.