The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-01-18

L 81
ish voices, the kindly. cordial handclasr
vouchsafed him by the elder as they
rolled away these were things to sti1
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 in 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 mass of finder. dry baked by
weeks exposure to the burning sun
shine. stood in pyramid Of firewood
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
raiding west of the Christobal, were
his orders. But well he knew that once
lgnited 1t could be seen for many a
league. Here again he filled his faithful
lighted its charge and tossed the match
stump among the jagged rocks below.
lie saw the spark go sailing down.
ward. unwafted from its course by faint
est breath Of air. Then he heard Pixies
growl or something like it and called
to him to ask if he heard jackson. No
answer. Sure that he had heard the
gruff though inarticulate voice of his
comrade, 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
blackened faces defed recognition,
whose cooked revolvers were 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 Ser
geant Wing was jerked violently to
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
warning all seers that the fierce Apache
was out in force and raiding 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 were now chatting in low
tone.
''Drive your BEST had Harvey NUT
tered to his Mexican jehu, as he leaned
out of the saddle to reach his ear.
mot word to alarm the girls,'' he
cautioned his companion, ''but be ready
for anything
Far out beyond the swaying, bound
ing vehicle; far out across the blistered
plain, the glare and CLEAN fell full
upon the brown adobe walls at Mo-
reno's, and glittering eyes and swarthy
faces peered through the westward
aperture, while out in the corral the
night lights were dancing to and fro,
and Feeny, sore perplexed, but obedi-
emit to orders, was hurrying the prepa-
rations Of his men.
Murphy's wild announcement had
carried conviction to the majors soul,
despite all Feeny's pleadings, and the
sight of that beacon furiously burning,
the thought of those helpless women
being borne off into the horrors of cap
tivity among the Indians, had conspired
to rouse the paymaster to unlocked for
assertion of himself and his authority
In vain had Feeny begged him to think
Of his money, to remember that out
laws would resort to any trick to rob
him of his guard and might have even
overpowered Wing and his party and
then lighted the beacon. The chain of
evidence, the straight story told by his
morning visitor, the awful news con-
tanned IN the penciled note brought in
by Mul1an, were considerations too po-
tent to be sighted.
In vain did Feeny point out to him
that if Apaches were really in the
neighborhood Wing would not be con-
tent with starting the fire, but would
surely signal whittier to go in search
of them, and that no vestige of signal
torch had appeared. Old Plummer
vowed he could never again know a
moment of peace if he neglected to do
anything or everything in his power
to save the girls. Most reluctantly he
agreed that Feeny should remain in
charge of the safe and the two drugged
and helpless men. Murphy and all the
others were ordered out forthwith to
march rapidly northeastward until they
struck the trail of the pursuit and then
to follow that. In Is minutes, with
four pack mules ambling behind, away
they went into the darkness, and all
that was left to man the ranch and de-
fend the government treasury against
all corners was the phlegmatic but de-
termined paymaster, his physically
wrecked but devoted clerk, Sergeant
Feeny, raging at heart, but full of
fight, and half breed packer named
Pedro. The two senseless and drunken