The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-02-22

or signals farther out. Suddenly he
heard an exclamation ahead, the snort
of frightened horse, then some muffied
objurgations, arider urging a reluctant
steed to approach some suspicious OBJ
ject, and, squirting his own spirited
charger forward, Mr.. Drummond came
presently upon the corporal just dis
mounting in the darkness and striving
to lead his boon companion, whom ne
could not drive, up to some dark object
lying on the plain. This, too, failed.
A low whistle, however, brought one OF
the other scouts trotting in to the res
cue.
"Hold him "a minute, Burke, F" said
the corporal, handing up the reins.
There's something out here this brute
SHE'D at and / can't get him near it
again. With that he pushed out to
the front while the others listened ex-
pectant. A moment later match was
struck, and presently burned brightly
in the black and breathless night.
Then came the startled cry:
my God, lieutenant, it's Corporal
Donovan and his horse-both dead. "
And even there Mr.. Drummond noted
that Bland was about the first of the
column to come hurrying forward to
the scene.
Ten minutes investigation threw but
little light upon the tragedy. Some
stumps of candles were found in the
saddlebags and packs, and with these
the men secured the plain for signs.
Spreading well out from the center,
they closely examined the sandy level.
From the north came the trail of two
cavalry horses, shod alike. both at the
lope. both draggy and weary. From
the point where lay Donovan and his
steed there was but one horse track.
Whirling sharply around, the rider had
sent his mount at laundering gallop
back across the valley, then 100 yards
away, in long curve, he had reined him
to the southeast. The troopers who
| followed the hoof marks out about an
eighth of mile declared that, un-
wounded, both horse and rider were
making the best of their way toward
| Moreno's ranch. Farther search, not
SO yards to the front, revealed the fact
that at the edge of little depression
and behind some cactus bushes three
human forl. 8 had been lying prone,
and from this point probably had sped
the deadly bullet.
"Apaches, by God!" muttered one
Of the men.
"Apaches, your grandmother was
the sergeant's fierce reply. will you
never learn sense, Moore? When did
Apaches take to wearing store clothes
and heeled boots? There's no Apache
in this. lieutenant. Look here, sir, and
here. Nov out, farther, some of you
fellows. and see where they hid thei1
horses. Corporal Donovan was with
G troop down the Gila last week, sir.
They were to meet and escort the pay.
master most like. It's my belief he
was ono of the guard and that the am
bulance has been jumped this very
night. These are road agents, no.
Apaches, and God knows what's hap
pened if they've got az 'ay with Patsy.
Sure he was one of the nerviest men IL
the whole troop, sir. -
Drummond listened, every nerve
a-tingle, even while with hurried hands
he cut open the shirt at the Drawn.
throat and felt for futtering heart bea
or faintest sign of life. Useless. Th'
shot hole under the left eye TOLD
plainly that the leaden missile hat
torn lrs way through the brain ant
that death mus, have been instan
taneous. The soldiers arms and ac
couterments. the horses equipments
were gone. The bodies lay unmuti
lated The story was plain. Separated
in some way from the detachment, Don
ovan and his companion had probabl.
sighted the signal blazing at the pas
and come riding hard to reach the spot
when the unseen foe crouching across