The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-03-29

| ~. H. III ilOuCSTdlll III OHe COTucT.
Push on, then, Lee Here, one more
of yo,--you, Bennett, join the sergeant.
Look alive now, but do not let your
selves be seen from the 'front.'
Then as they fastened away he
slowed the filmy trifle in the pocket of
his blouse, and drawing his colt from
the holster closely inspected its loaded
chambers. Only a boy, barely 23, yet
rich il scldierly experience already
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 arny--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-
ton 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 a prince on bacon and frijoles
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 left 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
in action. He had been able to send
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 well done. There We're
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 be was courtesy itself
on the few occasions when they met,
but only once had he been brought un-
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 .rood fortune to be summoned
as witness before general court
martial convened at the Presidio. 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 We're
steaming up the sunny Pacific did he
see either of them again. Then one
glorious day the trolling lines We're out
astern, the elders were amidship play
ing horse billiards." and Tuck"
the genial purser, was devoting himself
to Paquita, when Drummond heard a
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 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 helng heralded as its captor
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 errant, 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-
lieved she read the younger's heay, but
wisely held her peace. No wonder the
little maid had SO suddenly been ST.
fenced by the announcement at the pass
that that very night she might again
see the soldier boy to whom. III the ab-
sence of all others, her heart had been
so 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 cowardIv
captors. Never would ae 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