The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-11-11


I stock whenever needed from the ranches
; in the valleys and foothills, they could
I make the rendezvous and lie lost for day
/ or two before the soldiers, with only q
I single mount, could cover the distance 10
. reach them. Then from their high perch
I on the rocky peak they could make a
fight or a run, or do both.
Ramona knew the rendezvous also the
. water holes and the rugged mountains be-
/ tween. He Hoped along on trail Of his
+ own making, heading Tor the far peak Of
J the Black range, travelling mostly by night
/ and mapping by day. on the third sun be
cut the trail of his friends, within an
easy ride Of the high peak, but found no
signs of shod horses upon it. He had
/ headed the soldiers-he could go on or
/ wait for the procession to pass just as
/ he saw fit Perhaps Yellow Feather was
/ not with the soldiers? If he was not, there
/ yet was time enough for Ramona to be
/ back on the reservation before the next
/ count on tissue day" He rode on the
4 trail for a while then left it. knowing a
/ single track would not be followed, al
though it was fresh, and hid his pony and
himself safe in the rocks above a point
where the trail led up from side can
yon.
Looking from this rock balcony he soon
saw what he waited for-the scouts and
advance guards showed first. They rode
abreast and were scattered to the right
ana lElL OF the u all one SllEullg DOLIllt'l
to the fresh pony tracks. but none halted
to examine tit meant a forager or a
lookout and was only another indication
that the first camp made by the 'bron-
chos' was not far aH-prospects of
hold-back fight were improving. Then
came the black-horse troop, in file Of
troopers, leading their leg-weary horses.
When each man reached the top Of the
ascent he mounted ard kept moving.
The pursuit was slow, but it was con-
tinuous. Then came the grays and, last
Of all. yellow Feather"
Clayson, as junior lieutenant, rode in
rear Of the column to prevent struggling.
When he got to the top Of the canyon,
the head of the column was already de-
scending another column beyond. He or
dered the men ahead of him to close up
at a trot, but he did not mount at once.
His horse gaunted by lack of feed and the
125 miles Of hard riding, had no belly to
hold a girth, so Clayson halted to resaddle
and by that halt became straggler him
self, the command moving steadily, was
soon out of sight and sound.
Ramona crawled down from rock to
rock, silent as death itself, to within sure
range. Just below the left shoulder blade
was the spot; he aimed from rest and
fred and made to killing, but the horse
fell first, on his left side; then the man
pitched across the horse. A few seconds
later Ramone's knife had made rapid
piece of artistic carving, Then he was on
his pony, lashing with his squirt for q
wild dash for the reservation again.
When the search party that dropped
back found the lieutenant they turned
sick to man. It was not till Sergt.
Dowd flung a saddle blanket over the
grinning, lipless face that they had nerve
enough to touch the body.
The long, fast ride killed his best pony.
but Ramona was in the main camp the
i a
straight to Bonita's lodge, scratched on
the door-fiap, but entered unsummoned.
Where have you been?" asked Bonito,
without greeting.
Gathering my ponies. Tell me your
price!"
Romanie was wild-eyed, the banda was
gone from his hair, and Bonito knew that
he lied. But Bonito was an old man now;
no counciled peace ana tried to hold the
young men in check, lest they force the
whole tribe to war. So he turned to Tinta,
crouehed by the fire, with the corner OF
the blanket held before her face, and whis-
pered:
GO talk to Ramona"
Ramone heard the whisper and strobe
outside
Tinta rose and followed him in silence.
Il give ten ponies" he said.
TOO little"
Il give fifteen ponies. He spoke more
iercely.
TOO little" she said in the same calm
voice, her head still hidden by the
blanket.
Twenty ponies-no more. No man
no spirit would give more" He laughed
a harsh, nasty laugh.
She peeped from the blanket. The moon
shown fun in his face and on the yell
low feather that he held on his upper lip.
She caught her breath with a gasp,
then said softly as a cooling dove: You
keep the ponies. Give me the yellow
feather and I'll go with you"
He lost his cunning in his avaricious,
vengeful joy and gave her what she asked.
She doubled the stiff. dry lip with the
/ silky hair and showed 1t into the beaded
medicine bag worn on her bosom. Then
/ he seized her arms and dragged her to
/ his mothers lodge.
The Issue day" next morning was a
/ grand roundup by order of the agent
/ and all the Chiricahaus including the pa
! pooses and dogs, gathered about the
! agency building. There was to be re-
/ count for rations, and to fix definitely the
| number and names of those in the wal
| party.
Ramona and Tlnta were there together
They stood apart from the othersJ and
neither spoke but not for an instant die
/ he leave her side.
Finally Ramona was called. He was the
head of a family. and had to speak fol
himself and those under him He entered
. the building to wait his turn to answer
/ the questions of the issue clerk.
Then, quick as II cat, Tinta was by tn,
. side OF Sanchez. She whispered a few
/ hurried words and pointed to her breast
Sanchez stepped into the agents ofilc,
and gave the information rapidly. Their
the agent, with two Indian police, passe,
from the office into the issue room, and
before Romone had time to think of hi
knife, he was on the floor, tied like ;
calf.
1t was a neat, sudden job for a begin
ning-but how was II 10 end? The pulls
of the Indians was at fever heat. and tn
arrest of a subchief was dangerous ever
were conditions were normal. Still, tn
agent went boldly on. He took Ramon
out of the building through a crowd O
sullen, scowling bucks, past the Indian
calaboose, to the commanding officer O
the post, to deliver a military prisoner.
Sanchez brought Tinta to the command
ing officers office and there. with pas
sionate hate flaming in those marveou
eyes, she told the Mortified officers Ra
MONIES secret-and showed the proof.
The. commanding officer held forth hi
hand SerCbief reCniye aud coN-cr -