The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-14
CHAPTER Y.


nos ranch was strange one. The oc-
cupants of The two rooms farthest to
the east were being besieged by 10 or
Is outlawed men, some Mexican, some
"gringo," but all cutthroats, and up
to this moment the besieged had had
the best of it.
And yet their plight was desperate.
In the easternmost room, secure from
bullet or missile Of any kind so long as
they crouched close to the ground and
back from the doorway, lay trembling
in silence old Harvey's daughters. At
the door, only the barrel Of his rife
protruding, keeping under cover all he
possibly could behind an improvised
parapet Of barley bags, knelt their de-
voted brother, cool and determined, ev-
cry now and then whispering words of
hope and encouragement. In the ad-
joining room, connected with the east
ern chamber by doorless aperture
through the adobe wall, lay the pay
master, sorely wounded, but still con-
scious and plucky, his faithful clerk
ministering to him as best he could,
stanching the flow of blood and comfort
ing him with cool water.
At the doorway opening OF the hard,
trampled space at the southern front Of
the ranch, sheltering himself behind
his breastwork of barley, but never re-
laxing vigilant watch, knelt Sergeant
Feeny, bandana bound about his fore
head, the blood trickling down his right
cheek, the sleeve Of his flannel shirt
rent by bullet that just grazed the
upper arm Kneeling on the counter
and peeping through hole in the bot
tom of the wooden window shutter,
one of Harvey's men kept guard. The
other faced the doorway into Moreno's
domestic apartments, every now and
then letting drive shot throug h the
woodwork to keep them, as he said,
from monkeying with the bolt On the
other side. y
In planning his roadside ranch More
no had allowed outer doors only to those
rooms which were for public use. The
three which lay to the west of the bar
could not be entered except through
that resort or by a door giving on the
corral, both Of these doors being sup
piled with massive bolts as security
against intruders, and all three rooms
being furnished with air ports rather
than windows, pierced at such height
through the adobe that no one from
without, except in SADDLE, could peer
through the aperture and see what was
going on within. The travellers room
and the barroom ports, however, We're
low and large, and all the rooms were
spacious. The bar of course, being
the dining as we'll as drinking room,
carried off the honors in point of size.
This, too, was furnished with an open
ing into the corral, but Feeny's first
thought on reaching his comrades was
to barricade.
Springing into the walled inclosure
and bidding Harvey watch while the
others worked, he had soon succeeded
in Juggling score of big barley sacks
into the interior and piling them into
breastworks at the three doors, the one
opening into the corral being provided
in addition with a high traverse to
protect its guard against shots that
might come through from Moreno's
room. All this was accomplished amid
the wailing of the Mexican women and
the fusillade begun by the assailants in
hopes of terrorizing the defense before
venturing to closer quarters. Like ia
nous Croghan Of Fort Stephenson, Fee
ny had kept up fire from so many diff
ferent points as to impress the enemy
with the idea there were dozen men
and a dozen guns where there was In
reality only one, and even the tempta-
ton of that vast sum in the paymaster's
safe was not sufficient to nerve the fol-
lowers Of Morales to instant attack.
The valor and vigor of the defense
and the appalling death of one OF their
leaders had so unnerved them that Pas
quail himself, raging, ilnploring, threat
ening by turns, was unable to urge
them to close quarters. Most men
are towards in the dark IS theory
widely believed in Indians certainly
are only brave against defenseless Won
en- and children at such a time. Not
until the firing had ceased and it was
evident that the defenders had retired
to the shelter of the ranch, and then
only very slowly and cautiously, would
these brigands Of the desert be induced
to resume their stealthy approach. For
fully half al hour there was lull IN the
fight, and then, guided by the hight Mo
reno was now able to show, Pasqual
and two of the stouter hearted knaves
the western wall and held
a brief consultation with the rascally
owner.
Rage at the. death of their leaders
brother and ally the thirst for VEN