Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-10

the timber this side Of the Big Sandy.
Then Wen work cur way round The spurs
to the west end of the pass and take the
rear. It'll be a twelve or nfteen-mile tramp,
l reckon, but nothing else can save Bill
Somers."
DO you think we can get there In time,
AbeY' L asked.
Easy enough, Dan." he replied There 9
seven hours OF daylight left. The way
were goin, though impossible for wagons,
viii likely be net bad to push through on
fCot, and we ought 10 reach the far end of
the pass in four hours. That'n leave US
three to creep up on the reds. They can't
be any great distance fl ON the west OPEN
ing, but We'll have to crawl like snakes for
the last half mile or SO. There's sure to be
good cover though, and if We get there be-
fore sunset we'll save Bill even If there s
hundred of the numbering villains. So,
SUCK hunting knives in your belts. recap
rilles ana pistols, take plenty of grub, and
let's start III pocket a flask of brandy in
case it should be wanted"
shaking fands with our stay-at-home
comrades, who were hardly likely to see all
OF US again, We entered the bed Of the
creek, our movements being perfectly
screened by lie high-toppei wagons until
that purpose was served by the bank it
self.
times skirtinG its edge, We safely gained
the timber.
Then for three hours We struggled
through an underground So dense that our
was still high when we arrived at the end
of a pass which fresh trail of pony tracks
at once proved to be the right one.
Carefully examining the tell-tale hoof-
marks, Abe said: There's from nifty to
sixty warriors in this band boys Our
only hope of. saving the guide is in sur
prise so sudden and complete that they
won't have chance to kill him. which, II
not too busy saving themselves, is the first
thing they'd do on being alarmed
Nv e must, somehow, manage to get with
in rifle shot before they know it. If We
can do that, success is certain. Take to
cover now and sneak along quiet ghosts.
for there's no telling now near the red
skins may be; but don't shoot, whatever
happens, till 1 give the word"
On either side of the trail. and we'll up
on TIE slopes OF the pass, was a heavy
growth of trees and bushes, now in full
leaf Spreading ourselves out, each one
of us wormed his way along as If all de-
pended upon his individual caution, though
the whole twenty of us kept almost within
touch of each other. For two hours, ST.
lently as shadows, and intently listening.
we crept on and on; but during all that
time had probably not advanced over one
mile.
Then. as if by word OF command, the line
stopped; for, right before us, the gulch
opened out into a kind of anphitheater
nearly bare of underground, and We heard
the gentle stamping of invisible ponies, and
a confused murmur Of voices from a group
of dismounted warriors numbering over
half a hundred, who seemed to be engaged
in an excited discussion. We could see
them quite plainly, though completely hid
cen ourselves in the dense scrubwood.
The sun was now within a few minutes
Of setting, but the light was still good.
Presently the arguing Indians had ap-
parently settled some disputed point, and
then We saw sight which drove US near
ly mad with fierce iOpltlence fer our
leaders signal. Four tall warriors disap-
pearo1 for q moment behind a big rock and
on emerging bore between them the bounl
and half-naked form of our old guide.
Meantime two others of the red fiends
busted themselves in preparing, from green
rods, a number of small, pointed stakes.
The four braves in charge of Somers then
carried him to a clear SPOT of ground and
cut the thongs from his wrists and ankles
preparatory 20 further proceedings.
No sooner, however, were the gallant fell
lows limbs free than, uttering a haunting
shout. he struck out right and left like
lightning and sent two of his captors head
long to the earth, his evident design being
to provoke the crew into killing him al once.
But dozen of the miscreants threw them
selves upon him in body and bore him
down again.
Then, while some of the demons held his
arms and legs, others drove the sharpened
stakes into the ground, and soon the poor
fellow, never for a moment ceasing to revile
his enemys as "white-livered squaws and
cowards," was stretched out, face up, and
securely bound by his extended hands and