Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-04-07
CHArTER VIII.

Whichever might have been his other
,,..r.I ..,ri atos. Plgual Morales had
I'm. rumnr Tor desperate courage that
,,.rr.d Justified in this supreme moment
.rr.ri.. and sicmptdo. What he saw
rsf, I.au.I odt Of tbs bounding vehicle
"a. certainly enough TO disgust a BAN
f.+ srl dlnoralizr many leader.
sg.t.~iue 'l.e chat before the gale his
ty.vrrs were scudding out across tho
d.a.e,. oy ~ mau Tor himself, rs though
th. VIZ d.,il were in pursuit of each
Individual tlgrbCr Of the gang. Eight
c I.H %. lC1sJ. squirting, lashing their
t.-.s Too 81. top Of their speed. were
ALREADY iqr iyoud rtach of his voice.
Tbs. r. h-1 however. si.. or seven of
f. fellows. drspcrado,s of the first
y.f. bud unlung "a ir henry rifles
ALL. rls.irg away for al they were
v.grI hlw,d evidence of determina-
tluttdigrmr Bctiul them. scream
ieraI tlv t,Y, Of their shrill. strident
yns. suu-l Moreno and her daughter
vr .Hr.,dt siouiiy tn tho iron rail
t .f.ir aa.s ~ the blackboard was
vUirIl anil dashed across the plain.
lnu,Ig both the wounded men had
IHrr Farg hplrl T-3ly out upou the sands.
Agi ,,u as h. looked the off fore
wheel -.rucfa s.uGt cactus stump: flew
into .ra-u.at: the tire rolled off in
"a. direction. and Morcno's lucklcss
FAMILY shot. cometlil;e. into space and
fetched ur slrilking in the midst of a
plentiful crop OF thorns and spines.
The husband and father, gazing upon
tGu incident from over his shoulder and
amr % gd the saints for their bene-
hcaurr ia having landed his loved ones
on soft soil instead Of among the Jag
g,d rocks across the plain. But for
himself ,hr sooner he reached the rocks
the better y tall gringo, who cast
aside lark blue blouse ms he rode,
stopping low over his horses neck,
stmA bent on racing the late ranch
owner To- she goal where both would
b.. uul There was none to dispute with
them q. doubtful honor. Even those
who bad s.ampeded ut the first yell of
alarm wy-g now refining back in broad,
sweeping circle. uns!inging the ready
riaa and raaling in long range fire on
the distant r.Il; of cavalry, Just burst
Ing into tl' triumph of the charge.
Here. there and everywhere across the
plain little pats Of blue white smoke
we've shooting up, telling of the leaden
missiles h.rled at the charging line.
But ua like the wind came the troopers
IN blle, uaTcr pausing TO fire shot,
their Leader at racing speed.
Wounded though he was. Pasuual
Morales was not the man to fail in tho
h-ht. Yelling orders and curses ut his
driver, he succeeded in getting him to
control his frantic team Just long
enough TO enable the outlaw captain
10 tumble ont Then away they dashed
again. The stitching body of Ramon and
The wcirhty little safe being now sole
occupants of H., interior. In the mad
excitement Of the first rush two or three
hois,s b1d broken loose. leaving their
owners atuot, and believing that no
quarter wuuld DO the rule these ahan-
doned roughs were fighting to tho last,
selling their lives. rs they called il. rs
dearly ms possible. From their rifles
and from others the shots rained fas.
upon the troopers. but never seemed to
check tbs charge. The rush YVES glori-
Gus. Drawing their rcyolvers now,
Tor they carried no sabcrs. the soldiers
hr'd as they rode down those wnuid be
Instructors. and two poor wretchcs were
hitt'urd out upon the plain when the
main body o. the troop dashed by. max
ing straight for the fleeing Concord
with the white canvas top. Drum.
nl'nd had not fired at all. Every
WH'-ht was concentrated on the occu-
,'ats of the wagon. Every shot might
u, h'.d.d when he got to them
N'.-''r was running grandly. The
u''I-hNt'u Tour who were TO follow the
~ "'. H'ni "erc already over 100 yards
".'hH Uu.u. ;r1m the trail of the am
un''u'', irnu little patch of cactus
,'lr' ''Il' flash and report. ard the
N"I.ltui t..sn swcrvcd. rccicd. but
PUSHED Iau'niy On. Noting the spot,
TWO on ta' following troopers emptied
t"rtfiu3o INTO the clump. but left the
~, ..,' slug 100 % be looked after later.
-H'y We're too clOsu 10 the Concord to
'"'uh ~ anvthin: cl8e-so close they
.ouId near the cries and pleadings of
"oiiiah voice, The terrified scream Of