The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-04-18

~ COTTONWOOD mere 8t Inc NOUN OF a
rock ribbed defle where alittle brook,
rising heaven knows how or where
among the heights to the west, comes
frothing and tumbling down through
the w1ndings of the gorge only to bury
itself in the burning sands beyond the
shade. So narrow and tortuous is the
canyon, so precipitous its sides. as to
prove conclusively that by no slow proc
ess, but 10y some sudden spasm of ma
ture, was it rent in the face Of the
range. And here in its depths, just
around one of the sharpest bends, honey
combed out of the solid rock, are half a
dozen deep lateral assures and caves
where the sunbeams penetrate,
where the air is reasonably cool and
still, where on this s~corching May mozl-
ing, far away from home and relatives,
two young girls are sheltered by the
natural roofs and walls against the fiery
sunshine and by a little band of reso-
lutte men against the fury of the
Apaches.
Dom in the roomiest of the caves
Fanny and Ruth Harvey are listening
in dread anxiety to the sounds of savage
warfare echoing from crag to crag
along the range. while every moment
OF two The elder turns to moisten the
cloth she holds to a wounded troopers
burning, tossing head. Sergeant Wing
is fevered indeed by this time, raging
with misery at thought Of his helpless
ness and the scapt numbers of the de-
Tense. It is a bitter pill for the soldier
to swallow, this of lying in hospital
when every ma is needed at the front.
At 8 O'Clock this morning veteran In
dian fighter. crouching in his sheltered
lookout above the caves and scanning
with practiced eye the frowning front
of the range, declared that not an
Apache was to be seen or heard within
rifle shot. yet vas in no wise surprised
when, a few minutes later, as he hap
pened to show his head above the rocky
parapet. there came tipping a dozen
bullets about his ears, and the cliffs
fairly cracked with the sudden fash
Of rifles hidden up to that instant on
every side. Indians who can creep
upon wagon train or emigrant camp
in the midst Of an open and unsheltered
plain find absolutely no difficulty in
surrounding unsupported and unseen a
bivouac in the mountains. Inexperi-
enced officers or men would have been
picked off long before the opening OF
the general attack, but the Apaches
themselves are the first to know that
they have veteran troopers to deal with,
for up to this moment only one he's
shown himself at all. At five minutes
after. 9 o'clock Lieutenant Drummond,
glancing exultingly around upon his lit
tie band of fighters, had blessed the
foresight of Pasqual Morales and his
gang that they had so thoroughly foTti-
fed their lair against sudden assault.
Three on the southern, two on the north
ern brink of the gorge and behind I'M
penetrable shelter, and two more in re-
serve in the canyon, his puny garrison
was in position and had replied with
such spirit and promptitude to the
Apache attack that only at rare inter
walls now is a shot necessary, except
when for the purpose of drawing the
enemy and locating his position a hat
is poked up on the muzzle of 9 carbine.
The assailants' fire, too, is still, but
that, as Drummond's men well know,
means only '.1ook out for other devil
ment."
[ro BE Continued