Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-04-07

burrowed into the bosom of the earth.
for 10 vestige of running stream could
| the Cababi valley show. The walls
about him were in places grimy with
the smoke of cook fires. Overhead.
not so feet away, a gnarled and stunted
little cedar jutted out from some crew
| ice in the rocks and stood at the edge
of the cliff. A soldier was clinginp
to it with one hand and pointing out
| toward the east with the other. Drum
| mond recognized the voice as that of
ono of his own troop when the man
| called out:
Two of our fellers are coming with
the old yellow ambulance, sergeant,
but can t see the Others
''All right, Patterson. Try to see
| where the rest have gone and what
! they're doing. I'll send the glass up to
you presently. What I'm afraid of,
lieutenant, is that in their rage over
Donovan death, and Mullan's. and all
the DEVILS work done there at Moreno's,
| and your mishap, too, the men have
become uncomfortable and will never
let up on the pursuit until they have
killed the last one OF that gang These
| two who are coming in. with the bodies
of the Morales brothers probably have
wornout horses, or perhaps Lee ordered
| them to stay and guard the safe. The
last | saw of any of the gang they were
| disappearing over the desert to the
south, striking for Sonora pass"
Il wonder they didn't all come in
| here" said Drummond.
well, hardly that, lieutenant. They
| knew they would be followed here, pen
ned up where their capture would only
be question of time. A hundred cav
alrymen would be around them in
! very few hours, and We could send to
Lowell for those old mountain howitzers
and just leisurely shell them cut.
Then, when they surrendered-as they'd
| have to-tba civil authorities would
! Immediately stepin and claim jurisdic-
| tion-claim the prisoners too. We'd
| simply have to turn them over to jus
tice as a matter Of course, and You
knew, and they know, that the only
judge apt to sit on their case would be
that of cur eminent frontiersman and
fellow citizen-Lynch. They are scat
tering like Apaches through the noun
tains and viii reasonable and count
| noses later on. Thanks to you and G
troop, they have lost all they had gained
| and their leaders besides. No, sir. they
won't stop this side of the Mexican
| line
There's one, Wing, hope to heav-
| en- they'll never lose sight of till they
run him down.
WHO'S that, sir?'.
1.-THE fellow who was enlisted in c
| troop last winter at Tucson and desert
| ed last night TO join this gang. He
drove for the stage company last year
| and was discharged. He gave his name
as Eland.''
BLAND! Henry Blandr' exclaimed
Sergeant Wing. leaping to his feet in
| uncomfortable excitement. do you
mean it, sir? Had he enlisted? Do
| You mean that he was the man Miss
Harvey spoke of-the disguised soldier,
| she called him?''
And Drummond, amazed at Wings
emotion, gazed up to see the sergeant S
features working almost convulsively,
his face paling, his eyes full of intense
| anxiety.
why, / cannot doubt If, sergeant.
lie ran away from us on the discovery
of Donovan's body and rode straight
for Moreno's, beating us there proba-
bly, by an hour or so, for no enc hap
pened to miss him.
Wing hands were raised on high in
a gesture almost tragic, then dropped
helplessly by his side. With stifled
| groan the tall soldier turned abruptly
away and went striding toward the
opening of the canyon, leaving Drum
mond wondering and perplexed.
When, a quarter of an hour later, the
sergeant returned, bringing with him
some i1nprovised splirts and bandages,
and Drummond believed it his duty
to make inquiry as to whether he knew
Bland and what was the cause of his
excitement. Wing turned his grave,
troubled face and looked his young su-
| perior straight in the eye.
Mr.. Drummond, have known that
man for good and for i'll many long
| year. Ii our fellows have killed him,
let his crimes die with him. If he is
brought in alive-brought to trial.
| may have to speak, but not now, sir.
Bear with me, heutenant-not now.''
Was Drummond dreaming? He could
have declared that tears were starting
IN the sergeant's eyes as he turned has
thy away, unable for the moment to
continue the setting and bandaging of
| the broken arm,
Take your own time, Wing" said
the young officer gently. speak or
keep silent as you will. You have
earned the right" And the sergeant
mutely thanked him.
The primitive surgery of the frontier
took little time, and with his arm COM
iortably and closely slung Drummond
lay impatient for the csming of his
men. impatient perhaps to hear softer
voice, to feel again the light touch OF
slender fingers, yet in his weakness and
exhaustion dropping slowly off to sleep.
All efforts to keep awake proved vain.
his heavy eyelids closed, and presently
he was IN dreamland.
Meantime Sergeant Wing had busted
himself IN MANY q way First he had