The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-03-29
CHAPTER K.

tient was added to Miss Harvey's hos
pital list at the caves. The original
plan of starting on the return soon aft
er daybreak had now to be abandoned,
as Drummond explained, because here
was man who could not stand the
journey. Surely there would not be
many hours before the relief party from
Stoneman, following their trail, would
come speeding to the rescue, bringing
to the wounded the needed surgical
skill and attention, bringing to the
Harvey girls their devoted father. The
only question in the young lieutenant s
mind as the sun rose, a burning, daz-
zling disk, over the distant mountains
to the east was, Which will be first to
reach us, friends Or foes?
Wearied and shattered though he was
and replete as the night had been with
anxiety and vigil, Drummond climbed
the goat track that led to the sentry's
perch feeling full Of hope and pluck and
fight. He and his men had divided
the night into watches, one being awake
and astir, not even permitting himself
to sit a moment. while the others slept.
The fact that he was able to send back
to the caves, have an ambulance hitch
ed in and driven down to where Wing
lay wounded, and to bear him slowly,
carefully, back to shelter, reaching the
caves without further molestation be-
fore darkness set in, had served to con-
vince the young commander that he
could count on reasonable security for
the night. Unless they know their prey
to be puny and we'll nigh defenseless,
Apaches make no assault in the dark
ness. and SO, with the coming of the
dawn, he had about him fit for service
a squad of seven troopers, most of
them seasoned mountain fighters. His
main anxiety now was for Wing, whose
wound was severe, the bullet having
gone clear through, just grazing the
bone, and who, despite the fact that
Fanny Harvey early in the night had
every now and then crept noiselessly in
to cool his fevered head, seemed strange
ly affected mentally, seemed unnatu-
rally tightly and wandering, seemed
oppressed or excited alternately in a
way that baffied Drummond complete
~, for no explanation was plausible
Two or three times during the night he
had been heard moaning, and yet the
moment Drummond or, as once hap
pened, Miss Harvey fastened to his
side he declared it was nothing. Il
must have been doing and imagined
the pain was greater than it was. >
Awake and conscious, so stout a soldier
as he would be the last to give way to
childish exhibitions of suffering, yet
twice Drummond knew him to be
awake despite his protestation of doz-
ing, and he did not at all like it that
Wing should bury his face in his arms,
hiding it from all. What could have
occurred to change this buoyant, joyous,
high spirited trooper all on a sudden
into signing, moaning, womanish fell
low? Surely not wound of which,
however painful, any soldier might be
proud.
Somewhere along toward 4 O'Clock,
when it was again Patterson's watch,
and Drummond arose from his blanket
after refreshing sleep of nearly two
hours and he and his faithful sentry
were standing just outside the mouth
OF the cave, they distinctly heard the
same moan of distress.
lis there nothing we can do to ease
the sergeant, sir?" whispered Patter-
son. ''This makes the second time |
have heard him groaning, and it's SO
unlike him.
"We have no opiates, and doubt if
he would use one if we had. He de-
clares there is no intense PAIN
well, first off, sir, thought he was
dreaming, but he was wide awake, and
Miss Harvey came in only moment
after got to him. Could those devils
poison a bullet as they do their arrows,
and could that make him go into fever
80 soon?''
II hardly think so, but why did you
say dreaming?"
Because once it was mother he
called, and again just now-I thought
he said mother. :"
The lieutenant turned, LOOKING