Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-11-15

in the corner, where the two beautiful
hands received her into a gentle en-
brace, and face bent down and nestled
in her silky ears with no intervening
veil. One nun demonstrated i'll an un-
dertone, but the other turned and added
other caresses to those of the girl.
1T will not do to send her until after
dark" said Raymer, ''for the Navajoes
might see her and kill her, but we will
make our preparations by daylight.
A letter was written upon leaves torn
from a notebook and addressed to Ser
geant Mulligan at the camp, telling the
story of the party's predicament and or
dering him to send a detachment to raise
the siege. Upon the flat stick prepared
by Sergeant Cunningham was written
in plain characters, Examine her col
lar" 1t was intended that she should
carry the stick in her mouth, as she had
always hitherto carried messages and
articles, for fear she would not under
stand she was to go upon an errand un-
less all the conditions Of her education
were observed.
During the latter part Of the afternoon
the Navajoes had withdrawn into the
edge of the forest and showed them
selves rarely in the opening Once the
rapid strokes of an AK were heard for
some time, causing the inmates of the
cabin to wonder what was going on. 1t
was by no means unusual for this tribe
to fell trees, and tt white mans AK
found ready sale at their Indian trad
er's.
The Navajoes seemed disposed to wait
for night before beginning operations,
whatever might be their intentions. As
dusk began to settle Raymer called Vic
to him and attached note wrapped i'll
his handkerchief to her collar.
"Now, little girl" " he said fondly as
he knotted the package, ''you have a
chance to help us out of bad scrape.
You are to go to camp to the sergeant
and deliver him this stick, placing the
chip in her mouth. Then opening the
eastern door, the one by which the par
ty had entered, Raymer pointed to the
north and said: "Now, little Vic, take
that stick to the sergeant Cop
The setter hesitated moment, looked
questioningly into her masters face,
turned, and walking across the room
dropped the stick at Sergeant Cunning
hams feet The sergeant stopped, and
Nlacing his hand under her chin raised
her head upward, saying:
"Well, Vicky, there is but one SER
geant in all the wide world to you, and
he is here, isn't he?"
"That is true. never sent ber to any
sergeant but the first sergeant. I'll have
to send her to another of her warm
friends, perhaps in her estimation her
best-the cook. Here, Vic"-placing
the chip once more i'll her mouth-"take
this stick to the cook. COP
The dog looked from lieutenant to
sergeant, walked to the door, looked out
and again glanced questioningly at her
master.
"Yes, little one, the cook. Gop'
She bounded through the doorway,
and the yelled girl in the corner rose
and went to the eastern window, where
she stood moment with her veil raised
in her right hand and watched the mes
senger turn the corner Of the butte and
disappear. The girl remained a few
moments gazing into the gathering
darkness, then lowered her veil and re-
turned to her seat. Raymer caught nc
glimpse Of her features.
After the departure of Vic food was
distributed, and the men stood in the
doorways or at the windows eating and
watching.
In order to husband the supply Of
fuel against possible contingencies, the
lieutenant put off lighting the fire upon
the roof as long as it appeared to be
safe to do SO. AS evening fingered on
the borders of night the watchers heard
crushing and grinding sound, as of a
heavy wheel rolling over twigs and
gravel, but were unable to guess its
meaning.
Fearing disaster might follow any
further delay to light the fire, the lieu.
tenant told the sergeant to kindle it.
Cunningham assembled the chimney,
lighted few splinters of pitch pine and
placed them on the roof, and as soon as
they wero well afiame added to them
several billets of wood which Father
Gutierrez passed up to him. Soon 0
blaze was leaping upward, and, strongly
reflected by tho white sandstone shelf
above, lighted the whole space about
the cabin.
When the sergeant descended again tc
the floor, the men made close observa-
tion from the windows Everything was
plainly visible to their eyes, and they
felt sure their own movements could
not be seen by the Indians. To the east
all was silent, and for long time moth
ing had been seen of the lurking foe.
To the west also the enemy seemed tc
be absent but for the strange grinding
sound which had not ceased since it first
began, and which showed the Navajoes
were intending mischief. What it could
mean and what it could threaten was
the serious question.
The lieutenant adjusted his fieldglass
and looked across the dead level towarc
the forest in the direction of the mys
terious sound, and on the edge of the
wood he saw big log, about 3 feet in
diameter and 30 feet long, rolling slow
ly in the direction of the cabin, pro
PEELED by an unseen force.
Passing the glass to the sergeant, the
officer said: 1.-THE Indians seem to bt
rolling log in this direction. See il
you can make out their purpose.
II think it quite plain, sir, " replied
the sergeant after a long look. "Wher
we arrived there, our rife range was
clear for 800 yards, and the Indians
could not approach without being ex
posed to our fire for that distance. Thai
log seems to me to be movable breast
/ Il IL L II