The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-03-29

| Der how many have returnedY Only
three. Did they not see the furry and
excitement when that sergeant was shot
from ambush? Now, therefore, is the
time to strike now, while the main
body is far away. Whatsoever booty
there may be obtainable in that rocky
canyon tbs we'll worth the attempt And
SO from north to south the puff balls OF
blue white smoke go sailing upward
through the pines. and it all means
speed speed!
At O'Clock the little command has
had coffee and e hearty breakfast. Nc
lack OF provender here in this hitherto
undiscovered robbers roost. Drum
lnond. cool. confident, has had his men
about him where none others could see
or hear, has assigned them the stations
which they are to take the instant of
alarm and has given them their instruc-
lions. Walsh it is who is now on look
out, and he is peering away down south
ward SO intently that some comrade is
prompted to call up to him in low
tone:
See anything?'
TO which. without removing the glass
from under his hat blim. the Irish
trooper merely shakes his head
Any more smokes?''
"Sorra smoke have seen at all. "
We'll, then, what in blazes are you
staring at?
How can tell We till find out p is
the Hibernian reply, and this is enough
to send the corporal on climb. Drum
mond at the moment is again kneeling
by Wing, who has but just awakened
from fittul sleep, Miss Harvey being
the first to hear him stir and sigh.
Ruth and her sister, too, seem about
to withdraw, but Wing, whose voice is
weak now. beys them to remain.
Has anything been seen yet-back
on the trail-of the Stone1nan party 2"
he asks.
mo, sergeant" replies Drummond,
but remeni Der that we can only see
Some six miles of the trail, after that
1t is lost in that tortuous ravine down
which We nnie on the chase. Walsh is
up there Oh lookout, and I'll ask if no
Can see anything now and calling to
one of the men Drummond bids him
inquire. All eagerly await the reply.
At last it comes:
mo dust on the back track, sir, but
something that looks like it far to the
south. We think it may be some of our
fellows coming back, but it is too faint
and far to make it out yet. .
Tlo l.
nant voice contrasting strongly with the
feeble accents of his immediate supe-
rior, the wounded sergeant.
Then | have something that must
be told you, lieutenant, something Miss
Harvey already has an inkling of, for
she has met and known my dear moth
er. # this pain continues to increase,
and fever sets in. may be unable to
tell it later. Some of a nen thought
[ had enlisted under an ..lias. lieuten-
ant, but they were wrong. Wing is
my rightful name. My father was
chief officer Of the old Flying Cloud
in the days when American clipper
ships beat the world. The gold fever
seized him, though, and he quit sail
ing and went to mining in the early
days of San Francisco, and there when
was little boy of 10 he died, leaving
mother with not many thousand dol
lars to take care of herself and me.
You will have your brother to help
you were words he spoke the last day
of his life, and even then l noted how
little comfort mother seemed to find in
that fact. It was only few months
after fathers death that Uncle Fred,
from being an occasional visitor, came
to living with us all the time-made
his home there, though seldom within
years younger than mother. He was
the youngest, it seems, of the family,
the baby, and had been petted and
spoiled from earliest infancy. soon
found why he came. Mother was often
in tears, Uncle Fred always begging or
demanding money. The boys at school
twitted me about my gambler uncle.
though I've no doubt their fathers gam
bled as much as he. These were just
before the early days of the great war
that sprang up in 1861 and that we boys
out on the Pacific coast only vaguely
understood. Sometimes Uncle Fred
came home drunk, and l could hear
him threatening poor mother, and things
went from bad to worse, and one night
when l was just 13 was awakened
from sound sleep by her scream. In an
instant I flew to her room, catching up
as l ran fathers old bowie knife that
always hung by my door. In the dim
light saw her lying by the bedside. a
man bending over and choking her.
With all my strength l slashed at him
just as he turned. meant to kill, but
the turn saved him. He sprang to his
feet with an oath and cry and rushed
to the washstand. I had laid Uncle
Fred's cheek open from ear to chin.
TO BE CONTINUED.
perhaps you would not think SO,
but a very large proportion of diSeaS-