The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-03-08
COPYRIGHT, 1898 BY CHARLES KING.

| n1gn ABOVE the ground, or the room
where slept Moreno's wife and daugh-
ter, if they slept at all, told him that
all was silence there, if not slumber,
and then he joined his superior.
THAT fellow was of the right sort,
sergeant, said Plummer II wish we
had one or two like him."
Il wish we had sir. Those greas-
ers are worse than no guards at all.
They II sit there in the copal and smoke
papelitos by the hour and brag about
how they fought their way through the
Apaches with Harvey's mules, but for
our purpose they re worse than useless.
AT the first sign of an attack they'd be
stampeding out into the darkness. and
that's the last we'd see of them. Heard
anything further out this way, sir?'
''Why, confound it, yes. ! try to
convince myself it's only imagination,
! but two or three times, far out there
toward the Picacho, I've heard that
whip cracking. | have felt sure there
was hammering sound. as though
some one were pounding on wagon
tire. Once was sure | heard horse
snort That was in a measure expect
ing. If those fellows mean to attack,
they'll come mounted, of course, but
what wagon would they have?'
One of Ceralvo s perhaps, to cart off
the safe in, if they couldn't burst into
it here. ~
There! Hark now, sergeant! Didn't
you hear?" suddenly spoke the major,
throwing up warning hand.
Both men held their breath, listening
intently. For a moment nothing but
the beating of their own hearts served
to give the faintest sound. Then, out to
the west, under the starlit vault of the
heavens, somewhere in that black ex-
panse of desert, plainly and distinctly,
there rose the measured sound of iron
or stone beating on iron. Whether it
were tire or linchpin, hame or brake,
something metallic about a wagon or
blackboard was being pounded into
place or shape.
It's them, sir, muttered the ser
geant. It's that bloody gang, for
there's no stage due tonight, and if it
was Harvey's ambulance, recaptured
ing
"Mightn't they have missed the trail
in the darkness, and having no ranch
lights to guide them got lost somewhere
out there?'
mot likely, sir. Shure, there'd be
a squad of the troops and half dozer
old hands with 'em if it was Harvey's.
This has come from the pass, and il
won't be long befGr, they'll be coming
ahead. You'll need your carbine then
D--n that man Mul an! Can't / wake
him yet:''
Apparently not Even the well di-
lick only evoked groan TAX
- yuple of carbines, Feeny returned
-. major, silently handing him one
II the weapons, saying, It's loaded, sir,
and here's more cartridges. -
Then again both men listened in
tently.
No sound now The hammering had
ceased One, two minutes they wait
ed, then nearer at hand than before,
clear, sharp and distinct, out from the
darkness came the unmistakable crack
of whip. At the sound Feeny knelt.
Click, click! went the hammer of his
carbine to full cock Another moment
of breathless silence. Then the muffied
sound of hoofs, the creak OF wagon
springs, then voice:
1t can't be far away, Ride ahead
and see if you cant rout somebody
out.
And then Feeny's challenge again
rang out on the still night air, followed
instantly by muffied sound of stir and
excitement in the ranch behind them
"Who comes there?'
Hello! What's that? Who's that
Is that Moreno?'
"Who comes there. sayY Halt or
I'll fret
For Gods sake, don't fire, man!
We've got ladies here.
What ladies'? Who are you any
how? Quick
George Harvey's daughters of Tue
son. I'm his son.
God be praised!" shouted Feeny,
springing to his feet and rushing for
ward. Are they all safe-unharmed?
Where did You overtake them?"
"Overtake whom? What in blazes
are you talking about?" queried tall,
slender fellow, bending down from his
saddle. "Who are you?'
Sergeant Feeny of the cavalry, and
here's the major just back of me"
"Major who?"
Major Plummer-him you was talk
ing with this morning when you came
for help, answered Feeny, his voice
tremulous with excitement. Already
he was beginning to see light.
"Why, I've never seen Major Plum
mer nor any other major today. The
only troops | met were Sergeant Wing
and his guard at the pass just after
nightfall. Have you met the Apaches? /?
You saw the signal of course.
"Signal, yes, but devil an Apache.
Tell me now, wasn't it you was here
at Morenos this morning begging for
troops to go and fetch your ladies down
from the CHA? Wasn't it you sent the
note saving thew was run off by In