Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-05-10

they have overpowered his men, am
pushed and murdered them, then Sc
cured their monntss IL the whole CHR
icahua trihe, ye.enforced by a swarm
from fhe Sierra Blanca, concentrating
on him nowf The silendeahout him is
uninous. Not an Indian has shownhim-
self along the range for half an hour,
and now these fellows to the east are
close to the copse. In less than 90 min
utes there will be FIVE times his puny
force around him. Is there no hope Of
rescue?
Once more he turns to the east, across
the shimmering glare Of that parched
and tawny plain, and strains his eyes
in vain effort to catch sight of the
longed for column Issuing from the OPP
pos1te valley, but it is hopeless. Tho
hot sun beats down upon his bruised and
aching head and sears his bloodshot
eyes. He raises his hand in mute APP
peal to heaven, and at the instant there
is fash, sharp report not so yards
away, an angry spat as the leaden mis-
sile strikes the shelving top of his para
pet and goes humming across the gorge,
a stifled shrek from Ruth looking fear
fully up from below, an Irish oath from
Walsh as he whirls about TO answer the
shot. and Drummond can barely repress
little gasp.
Marrow squeak that, Walsh! That
devil has crawled close up on us. Can
you see him."
"Begad, sir, I can see nothing at all
but rocks, rocks, rocks. How can man
fight anyway ag'in human beings that
crawl like snakes?"
Zip Another shot, close at hand too,
and from another unseen foe. The first
came from somewhere among the bowl
ders down to the southeast, and this
second whizzed from across the canyon.
A little puff of blue smoke is floating
mp from among the rocks so yards or SO
10 the north Of the narrow slit.
Crouchino lower, Drummond calls
across to Costigan, posted as the eastern
| most of the two men on the opposite
side:
That fellow is nearest you, corporal.
| Can you see nothing of him."
Nothing, sir; / was looking that
i
muzzle of his gun showed,
This is serious business. If one In
| dian or two can find it so easy to creep
around them, and armed only with their
muzzle loading guns send frequent
shots that reach the besleged in re-
verse; what can be hoped when the
whole band gathers and every rock on
7 S11 10 hal Ia -l,a
/ From the first Drummond has feared
that however effective might be these
defenses against the open attack Of
white men, they are i'll adapted to pro-
tect the defenders against the fire of In
dams who can climb like squirrels or
crawl or equirm through any chink or
crevice like SO many snakes.
Another shot! Another bullet flattens
Itself on the rock close to his right
shoulder and then drops into the dust
by his knee. 1t comes from farther up
the oliff-perhaps 200 yards away
among those stunted cedars-but shud-
deringly close. Costigan and the other
men glance anxiously over their shout
ders at the point where their young
commander and Walsh are crouching.
They are not yet subjected to fire from
the rear, these others. The lookout,
the signal station, as it might be call
ed, is the highest point and most ex-
posed about the position.
For God s sake, Lieutenant, " cries
the corporal, don t stay there. They've
got your range on two sides anyhow.
Come out of it. You. and Walsh can
slip down as we open fire. Well just
LET drive in every direction until you
are safe below"
pleading look in Walsh's honest face.
The Irishman would willingly tackle
the whole tribe in open fight, but what
he doesn't like ID the ides of being pot
ted like a Gagged tiger, never knowing
whence came the shot that laid him
low. Then the lieutenant peers about
him. Yes, it is exposed to fire from a
point in the cliffs TO the west, and
there are rocks over there to the north
that seem to command it, but if aban-
doned there will he no way of prevent
ing a bold advance on the part of the
Apaches up the rugged eastward slope.
1t would then stand between the de-
tenders and the assailants. giving to the
latter incalculable advantage. Hold
it he must for few minutes at least,
until, recalling McGuffy, he can set
him and one or two others to work pill
ing up rock barricade in front of the
cave. Then if driven out and no longer
able to stand the Indians off they can
retire into the. caves themselves, hide
their precious charges in tho farthest
depths, and then, like Buford at Get
tysburg, fight like the devil" till res
cue comes.
No, down with you, Costigan, y he
answers. Get McGuffy and Fritz
block up. the front of the cave with
rocks; move in those Moreno women
carry Sergeant Wing back TO the far
Their cave-Miss Harvey will show You
where. Stand fast the rest of you,
Don't let an Indian close in on us
Look, li-ut 'nant, whispers Walsh
Ntbovira rop,i IN, 5ou, y bavopt