Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-03-15

some very pleasant people on the steam
er."
"Oh, very pleasant for you, Fan, but
what did they care for chit of IA?
You had lovely times, of course"
80 did you, Ruth, from the very
day Mr.. Drummond helped you to catch
your dolphin. "
"Ahl we were more than half way to
San Francisco then, protested Miss
Ruth promptly, and nobody had
taken any notice of me whatever up to
that minute"
We'll, Mr.. Drummond made up for
lost time from that on" laughed the
elder sister. 81 never told of her, Ned
wasn't 1 good but Ruth lost her
young heart to cavalry cadet not a
year out of the Point"
"Is it our Lieutenant Drummond
who was with your" quericd Wing.
"Oh, yes; why, to be sure, he is of
your regiment He was going back to
testify before some court at the pre-
sidio, and-wasnt madame mean p
she wouldn t allow him to call on Ruth
at the school, even when | promised to
play chaperon and insure strict pro-
priety and no flirting"
Ruth Harvey had, with quick move
ment, uplifted little hand to silence
her sister, but the hand dropped,
! startled. and the color rushed to her
face at Wings next words;
Then you re almost sure TO meet the
| lieutenant tonight or tomorrow. He's
|
| been scouting the Santa Maria and the
| Christobal and is due along here at this
very moment
And now Miss Harvey had the field
TO herself, for the younger sister drew
back into the dark depths of the coy
! cred wagon and spoke no more. In 10
minutes the team was rafting down
the eastward slope, and Sergeant Wing
turned with a sigh rs at last even the
sound of hoof and wheel had died away.
Slowly he climbed the steep and
crooked trail to their aerie at the peak.
! No sign of jackson vet, no message
from the ranch, no signal fires at Mo-
fenos or beyond.
Yet was he right in telling Harvey
with such precious freight to push on
across that open plain when there was
even rumors of .Apaches in the air; The
loveliness of those two dark. radiant
faces, the pretty white teeth flashing in
the lantern light, the soft, silvery, girl
ish voices, the kindly, cordial handclasp
vouchsafed him by the elder as they
rolled awav-these We're things to stir
the heart of any man long eXiled in this
desert land. 1t had been his custom
TO spend an hour in chat with his com
rades before turning i'll for the night,
but with jackson still away and Pike
still plunged in gloom-with, moreover,
new and stirring emotions to investi-
gate and analyze-Wing strolled off by
himself, passed around the rocky but
tress at the point and came to the broad
ledge overlooking the eastward way to
the distant range.
Here a mass of finder, dry baked by
I weeks exposure to the burning sun
shine, stood III a pyramid of frewood
ready to burst in flame at first touch
of the torch. Close at hand were the
stacks of reserve fuel. Never light
this until you know the Indians are
|
his orders. But we'll he knew that once
ignted it could be seen for many a
league. Here again he filled his faithful
pipe, and moving a safe distance away
lighted its charge and tossed the match
stump among the jagged rocks below.
He saW the spark 60 sailing down
ward. tlnwafted from its course by faint
est breath of air. Then he heard Pike S
growl or something like it and called
to him 10 ask if he heard jackson. No
answer. Sure that he had heard the
gruf though inarticu!ato voice of his
gomrade, he hailed again more loudly
than before, and still there came no re
ply. Surprised, he stepped quickly
back around the rocky point to where
the tents lay under the sheltering cliff
and came face to face with three dark,
shadowy forms, whose moccasined foot
steps gave no sound, whose masked and
blackencd faces defied recognition,
whose cooked revolvers We're thrust into
his very face before lariat settled over
his shoulders, snapped INTO place; and
yelling for help when help was miles
beyond range of his ringing voice Scr
geant Wing was jerked violently &c
earth, dragged into tent, strapped to a
cot, deity gagged and then left TO him
self An instant later the Picacho was
lighted up with a lurid, unearthly
glare; the huge column Of sparks went
whirling and kissing up ON high, and
far and near the great beacon was
warming all seers that the fierce Arache
was out in force and raidlng the Yuma
road.
Away out across the desert its red
glare chased the Concord wagon where
in, all unconscious of the danger signal,
the sisters wero now chatting in low
tone.
Drive your best" had Harvey nut
tered to his Mexican jehu, as he leaned
out of tho saddle TO reach his ear.
Not word to alarm the girls, " he
cautioned his companion, but be ready
for anything"
Far out beyond the swaying, bound.
| inc vehicle. far ont across the hliStercd