The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-04-05
FOES IN AMBUSH.
From first page

has FASTENED in at sound of the excite
ment in his voice Miss Harvey.
think of it: twas no Apache who shot
him. twas worse savage-his own
| uncle.
Promise me mother shall not
know" pleads poor Wing, striving to
rise upon his elbow. striving to restrain
the lieutenant, who again has started
| to his feet Promise me, Miss Fam
ny; you know how she loved him. how
she plead with you.
II promise you this. Wing. :" Gays
Drummond. through his clinching teeth,
that there'll be no time for prayer If
ever we set eyes on him again. There'll
be no mercy.
You can t let your men kill him in
cold blood. lieutenant. | could not
shoot him.
No: but. by the God of heaven,
couId!'
And now as Wing. exhausted. sinks
back to his couch his head is caught on
Fanny Harvey s arm and next is pill
lowed in her lap.
Hush - she murmurs. bending down
over him as mother might over Sleep
ing child. Hush you must not speak
again. know how her heart is bound
up in you. and I'm to play mother to
you now.
And as Drummond, tingling all over
with wrath and excitement. stands SPELL
bound for the moment, a light step
comes to his side. a little hand is laid on
the bandaged arm, and Ruth Harvey's
pretty face. two big tears trickling
down her cheeks, is looking up in his.
You. too, will be i'll, Mr. Drum
mond. Oh, why cant you go and lie
down and rest? What will we do if
both OF you are down at once with
fever?''
She is younger by over two years
than her brave sister. Tall though she
has grown, Ruth is but a child, and
now in all her excitement and anxiety,
worn out with the long strain, she be-
gins to cry. She strives to hide it,
strives to control the weakness, and
failing in both strives to turn away.
All to no purpose. An arm in a
sling is OF little avail at such a mo-
ment. Whirling quickly about. Drum
mond brings his other into action Be-
fore the weeping little maid is we'll
aware what is happening her waist is
encircled by the strong arm in the dark
blue sleeve, and how can she see that
she is drawn to his breast, since now
her face is buried in both her hands and
those hands in the flannel of his hunt
ing shirt-just as high as his heart?
Small wonder is it that Corporal Co.'S
tigan, ilrrying in at the mouth of the
cave, stops short at sight of this pic
turesque partie carree. Any other time
he would have sense enough to face
about and tiptoe whence he came, but
now there's no room left for sentiment.
Tableaux vivants are lovely in their
way, even in a cave lighted dimly by
hurricane lamp, but sterner scenes are
on the curtain. Drummond's voice is
murmuring soothing, yes, caressing
words to his sobbing captive. Drum
mond's bearded lips, unrebuked, are
actually pressing kiss upon that child
ish brow when Costigan, with prelim-
mary clearing of his throat that sounds
like a landslide and makes the rock
walls ring again, startles Ruth from
her blissful woe and brings Drummond
leaping to the mouth of the cave.
Lieutenant, there's something COM
ing out over our trail.
THANK God!' sighs Wing, as he
raises his eyes to those of his fair nurse.
THANK God, for your sakes!"
THANK God, Ruth!' cries Fanny,
extending one hand to her sister while
the other is unaccountably detained.
'Thank God! it's father and the Stone
man party and DR.. Gray
And Ruth, throwing herself upon
her knees by her sisters side, buries
her head upon her shoulder and sobs
anew for very joy.
And then comes sudden start. All
in an instant there rings, echoing down
the canyon, the sharp. spiteful crack of
rifles, answered by shrieks of terror
from the cave where lie the Moreno
women and by other shots out along
the range. Three faces blanch with
sudden fear. though Wing looks instant
ly up to say:
''They can't harm you, and our men
will be here in less than no time
Out in the gorge men are springing
to their feet and Selling their ready
arms; horses are snorting and stamp
ing, mules braying in wild terror. Two
of the ambulance mules breaking loose
from their fastenings, come charging
down the resounding rock, nearly an
Initiating Moreno, who. bound and
helpless, praying and cursing by turns,
has rolled himself out of his nook and
lies squarely in the way of everything
and everybody. But above all the
clamor, the ring of carbine, the hiss
and spat of lead fattening upon the
rocks, Drummond' s voice is heard clear
and commanding, serene and confident.
Every man to his post now. Re-
member your orders"
Gazing out into the canyon with di
1o<o1 ovoc Ruth cooe him nin b1v clam.