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

At the door k1aelt their dcUoted brother.
ment. All the soldiers were gone, he
said, except the pig of sergeant"
and two drugged and senseless swine.
Somebody among them was wounded.
There were only three, possibly four,
left. Let his companeros make COM
bined attack, two or three through his
(Moreno's) rooms, two or three rush in
from the corral, and the same number
from the south front at once, and be-
yond doubt the cursed Yankees would
succumb. Then nc quarter, no quarter
for the men. His connection with the
outlaw band was now known, and these
witnesses must be put to death. Then
then the paymaster's safe could read
lily be battered open, then there was the
mint Of money to be divided among the
victors, then away to Sonora with their
spoil and with old Harvey's beautiful
daughters. What ransom would he not
be willing to pay-that proud, disdain-
full father! Was ever luck so great?
But haste! haste-not a moment could
be lost. They must act at once.
And so Morales hurried to station
and instruct his men. Prcwling like
coyotes through the darkness and at re-
spectful distance from the guarded end
of the corral ranch, half dozen Of the
number crept into the corral. Others
were distributed over the southern
front. Three of the lighter and more
slender of the band were boosted"
through the high west window into Mo-
reno's domain. Then through the mid
die room they made their way, where
sat the sonora, rocking, weeping and
moaning over the body Of the outlaw
leader, where, hiding under the bed,
shivering and praying, crouched the
senorita, her daughter, and then, bare
footed, they crept into the room adjoin-
ing the bar and listened, breathless, to
the low toned instructions Of the veter
an sergeant. From without no glim-
mer Of light could guide the assailants
or help them in their aim. The black
apertures Of the doorways were poor
marks for night shooting, and the more
enterprising and adventurous, crawling
like snakes to reconnoiter, were soon
able to report that most scientifically
had the defense thrown up their breast
works
From group to group fitted Pasqual.
At his shrill battlecry all hands were
to rush simultaneously to the attack,
firing no shot for fear of hitting one
another, but with pistol in one hand
and the long, deadly knife in the other
close at once upon the defenders, leap
over their barriers and overwhelm them
in the dark interior. In three minutes
the signal would be given. He himself
would lead the dash Of the party within
the corral. Pasqual was shrewd enough
to know that where there was only one
doorway instead of two there would be
better chance of lodging the bullets.
But keen eyes and ears and wits were
there alert. Feeny and Harvey we'll
knew that this was but the lul1 before
the storm.
Lay low. boys, and be ready. Shoot
the first man that shows, was the last
caution old Plummer heard before the
bursting of the tempest.
All on sudden wild cry went up
in the corral. All on sudden from
north and south the assailants dashed
forward with answering yell. In an
instant the dark apertures flashed their
lightning, and rife and revolver shots
rang on the still night air. Harvey's
Henry barked like a Gatling. Feeny's
old Springfield banged like six pound
er. Two Of the assailants on the south
side went down III the dust, face fore
most, the others swerved, broke and
scurried for shelter Pasqual Morales,
leading his men close under the north
wall, made pantherlike spring for the
crest of the barley parapet and was
saved from instant death when be fell
by being dragged feet foremost, with
Colts "A tearing through his thigh.
In vain Moreno s squad fired shot aft
er shot through the wooden door. Their
bullets buried themselves deep in the
improyised traverse, but let no drop of
blood, while two return shots scattered
the attack with the spllnters from the
heavy panels. Pleading, raging, mad
dened, Morales learned that the dash had
failed and that two of his most daring
men, the two Americanos who had rid
den forward to personate prospectors
and who had led the rush in the south
ern front, were knocked out Of the fight.
And then it was that the inhuman
brute gave the order to resort to Indian
methods, and even old Moreno begged
and prayed and blasphemed, all to no
purpose. Furious at their repulse, the
band were ready to obey their leaders
maddest wish. The word was, Burn
them out. - Ned Harvey, crouching
behind his barley bags, felt his blood
turn to ice water in his veins when,
with exultart yells and taunts, the cor
raj suddenly lighted up with a broad
red glare. The match had been applied
to the big haystack close to the brush
Al