The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-03-01

rich in sGldleriy experience aIreauy
was Drummond. He had entered the
Point when just II. His fathers
death, occurring Immediately before the
memorable summer of their first class
camp, had thrown him perforce into the
society of the so called bachelor club,
and he was graduated in the June Of
the following year with heart as
whole as his physique was fine. But
there were some cares to cloud his
young life in the army-a sister whose
needs were many and whose means
were few. He found that rigid econ
omy and self denial were to be his por-
tion from the start and was not sorry
that his assignment took him to the far
away land of Arizona, where. as his
new captain wrote him, ''you can live
like prince on bacon and friioles,
dress like cowboy on next to nothing
or like an Apache in next to nothing,
spend all your days and none of your
money in mountain scouting, and come
out of it all In two or three years rich
in health and strength and experience
and infinitely better Off financially than
you could ever have been anywhere
else. Leave whisky and poker alone,
and you re all right.
He had lett whisky and poker alone.
severely alone. He had sought every
opportunity for field service; had
shown indomitable push, pluck and skill
in pursuit Of Apaches and cool courage
S,, IL 1o1
even more than was needed, or than he
had hoped, to his sisters guardian and
was proud and happy in the concious-
ness of duty we'll done. There were
no young girls in the scattered garrisons
of those days, no feminine attractions
to unsettle his peace of mind. The few
women who accompanied their lords to
such exile as Arizona were discreet ma
irons, to whom he was courtesy itself
on the few occasions when they met,
but only once had he been brought I'M
der the influence of girlish eyes or of
girlish society, and that was on the
memorable trip to San Francisco dur
ing the previous year, when he had had
the great good fortune to be summoned
as witness before a general court
martial convened at the Preside. He
had been presented to the Harvey sis
tiers by the captain of the Newbern
and would fain have shown them some
attention, but there had been much
rough weather in the gulf which kept
the girls below, and not until after pass
ing Cape San Lucas and they were
steaming up the sunny Pacific did he
see either of them again. Then one
glorious day the trolling lines were out
astern, the elders were amidship play
ing "horse billiards. and TUCK"
the genial purser, was devoting himself
to Paquita, when Drummond heard
scream Of excitement and delight and
saw the younger sister bracing her tiny,
slender feet and hanging on to line
with all her strength. In an instant he
was at her side, and together, hand over
hand, they finally succeeded in pulling
aboard a beautiful dolphin and landed
him, leaping, Tapping, splashing madly
about, in the midst of the merry party
on the deck. 1t was the first time Ruth
had seen the gorgeous hues of this cele-
brated fish, and her excitement and plea
sure over being heralded as its captor
were most natural. From that time on
she had pinned her girlish faith to the
coat sleeve of the tall, reserved young
cavalryman. To him she was child,
even younger by year than the little
sister he had left, and of whom he soon
began to tell her. To her he was
young knight Grant, the hero of bud
ding maiden's shyest, sweetest, fondest
fancy and ere long the idol of the dreams
and thoughts she dared not whisper even
to herself. Paquita, with the wisdom
of elder sisterhood, more than half be-
ieved she read the younger's heart, but
wisely held her peace. No wonder the
little maid had so suddenly been 81
fenced by the announcement at the pass
that that very night she might again
see the soldier boy to whom. in the alb
sence Of all others, her heart had been
90 constant. No wonder the ride for
ward to Moreno's was one of thrilling
excitement and shy delight and antici-
patton. No wonder her reason, her
very life, seemed wrecked in the tragic
fate that there befell them.
And now as he rode swiftly in pursuit
Drummond was thinking over the in
cidents of that delightful voyage, and
marvelling at the strange fate that had
brought the Harvey girls again into his
life and under circumstances so thrill
ing. Never for an instant would he
doubt that before the sun could reach
meridian he should overtake and rescue
them from the hands of their cowardly
captors. Never would he entertain the
thought of sustained defense on the part
Of the outlaw band. Full of high con-
tempt for such cattle, he argued that
no sooner were they assured that the
cavalry were close at their heels than
most of their number would scatter for
their lives, leaving Pasqual to his fate,
and probably abandoning the wagons
and their precious contents on the road.
A sudden dash, surprise, would in
sure success. The only fear he had was
that in the excitement of attack some
harm MIGHT hefa1l those nreciOns lives