Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-03-24


started in fear. 1t was the lifeless body
of Donovan companion, the soldier who
had escaped the assassin s bullet when
Patsy fell only to lie overtaken and cut
down half way to Moreno's.
Its the bioodiest night I've known
even in Arizona, said Lee to his young
leader. The paylnaster and Mr. Har-
vey about as good as dead, old Feeny
dying, most like. the clerk and Mullan
and some other TROOPER of the escort
burned to ashes in that hell hole there,
and Donovan ard this last one-some
OF our fellows think it is Flynn, from F
troop-shot to death. It's worse than
Apache, lieutenant, and there'll be no
use trying to restrain orr fellows when
We catch the blackguarls. -
A quarter of an hour later. leaving
half dozen soldiers under an expert
enced sergeant to guard the packs. the
wounded and the nonccmbatants at the
smoldering ruins of the ranch. with
barely score of seasoned troopers at
his back, Lieutenant Jim Drumnond
rode resolutaly out toward the southern
desert. toward the distant lire of Jagged
mountains that spanned the far hori-
zon. The false and fatal blaze at the
Picacho had utterly disappeared, and
all was darkness nj the west. The red
glow of the smoldering embers behind
was 10 longer sufficient to light their
path. Straight away southward led
the wheeltracks. first separate and dis
tinct. but soon blending. as though one
wa h-1 foil g.
the trail of the holder leader in the
first. Straight away after them went
the ruck Of hoof tracks. telling plainly
that for time at least the gang had
massed and was prepared 10 guard its
plunder.
Stop to divide it was evident they
dared not, for they had not with them
the implements to break into the safe,
and all them searching and threatening
had failed to extract from the appar-
emily dying paymaster any clew NJ 60
what he had done with the kew. Stick
together. therefore. they undoubtedly
would, reasoned the lieutenant. and all
their effort would be to- reach some
secure haunt in the Sierras and there
send back their dsmand for ransom.
twenty-five thousand dollars in cash
and George Earvey's precious daugh-
ters' Ii was Indeed rich haul-one
that in all the dread history Of the
Morales gang had never been eaualeG.
Even had they failed to secure the safe
the richer booty Was theirs in having
seized the girls. But few people in Ar
izona-as Arizona then was constituted
would make great effort to overhaul
gang of robbers whose only victim
YVES Uncle Sam ard his liveried hire
linSs. Nobody i'll Sonora would fail
to regard them with envious eyes. but
in the deed of rapire that made them
the captors and possessors of those de-
fenseless sisters each man had put
price upon his head. IL halter round his
neck, for "gringo' and 'greaser.
American and Mexican alike. would
spring to arms to rescue and avenge.
As the rearmost of the little party
of pursuers disappeared in the darkness
and the wearicd pack mules went Jog
ging sulienly after, urged Oh by the soad
of their half Mexican driver. the ser
geant left III charge of the detachment
mt the corral looked 1T his watch and
noted that it was Just 80 O'Clock.
The dawn would be creeping on at 4.
Wear1ed rs were his men. he did not
permit them all TO rest. The condition
of his voIIled ana the instructions left
him by LieItena,t Druminond made it
necessary that they should have constant
attention. 1t was sore trouble for hin,
to look at the old paymaster. whose
life seemed Gliding away. living there so
pallid and moaning at times so pitiful-
ly. but Feeny lay torpid. breathing, yet
seeming TO suffer not at all.
Both were in desperate need of sur
gical attendance, but where could sur
geon lie found:, The nearest was AZ
Stone1nan. the little cantonment across
the Christobal. so miles to the east.
and though a gallant fellow had vol
unteered TO make the ride alone through
the Apache infested pass and carry the
dispatch that Drulnnord had hurried
ly penciled there WAS no possibility
Of doctors reaching them before the
coming night. and the thought of all
they might have 10 suffer through the
fierce white heat Of the intervening
day was one that gave the sergeant
deep concern. Then. too. who could
say whether the solitary trooper would
succeed in running tLe gauntlet and
making his way through? He was a
resolute old frcntiersInan. skilled in
Indian warfare and well aware that
his best chance WIS in the dark. bur
speed as he might the broad light Of
day would Le ON him long before he
could get half way through the range
The stage from the west would prob
ably come along about sunset. bat moth
ing could he hoped for sooner. No
troops were nearer than the Colorado
in that direction except the little signal
post nj the Picacho. Corporal Fox and
two men had been sent thither TO i'll
Guire what the signal meant, and it
would soon he time for them to come
riding in with their report. How he
wished Wing We're here. Wing knew
something about everything. , He was
IN expert veterinarian, something of
doctor, knew more of mineralogy
than all the officers put together and
could speak Spanish better than any
I Al.