The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-03-28

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But efforts with the half sufocated
men had no effect. The whisky with
Woods had better results. He present
~ ceased his shivering sobs and could
answer more questions. Drummond
begged for particulars Of the capture,
and these the man found it difficult to
give. He was stationed at the back
door, the corral side, he said, and hard
II saw the final rush. But there was
something so queer about it. There
had been q few minutes lun. Then
Harvey and Feeny beth began to talk
excitedly and to call out that the ''road
agents. were running away, and then
presently there came the sound of gal
looping hoofs and cheering and both the
sergeant and Mr.. Harvey had shouted
that the troops were coming and rushed
out to meet them-.And the nextthing ]
knew" said Woods, was seeing Feeny
fattened out on the ground and crawl
ing on his hands and knees and the
room filled with roughs, some Mexi-
cans, some Yanks, and I slipped into
the corral and saw one Of them shoot
Feeny as be was trying to crawl after
me; and while they were swearing and
searching for the.safe and carrying it
out, Mr.. Dawes and Mullan managed,
somehow, to help the paymaster out,
and then went In after the other man."
Then Woods could tell little more.
One thing, he said, amazed and excited
him so he couldn't believe his eyes, but
he was almost ready to swear that the
fellow Feeny ran to shake hands with
was a soldier in Uniform, and that he
held Feeny's hand while another man
came up behind and mashed" him
with the butt Of his pistol, and that
this fellow in soldier clothes vas the
man who afterward shot Feeny as he
was trying to crawl away.
Drummond looked around at the mar
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. derisive. The story
was improbable, too much SO to deserve
even faint attention. Just then Mel
necke came back and, precise as ever,
stood attention and sa1uted.
Herr lieutenant, Private Bland is
not with my party at all, SIR"
"Did you leave him back with the
packs?"
mo, sir; the men say he wasn't with
us all night. He rode ahead with the
lieutenant until we came to Corporal
Donovan's body"
"He's not been with me since" ex-
claimed the lieutenant. Sergeant Lee,
ask if any-of the men have seen him."
Lee was gone bat a moment, then
came back with grave face and troubled
eyes, bringing with him a young troop
er who was serving his first enlistment.
Private Goss, here, has a queer story
to tell, SIR"
What do you know? What have
you SEEM asked Drummond.
Why, SIR, right after Sergeant Lee
caught sight of the fire and sung ont
that It was Moreno's / was back about a
couple of rods looking for my canteen.
/. was that startled when they found
Corporal Donovan dead that I dropped
ii, and all Of a sudden somebody comes
out past me leading his horse, and l
asked him what he had lost, and he said
his pipe and passed me by, and l
thought nothing more about it-only
ne, sooner did he get out into the dark
where / couldn't see him than l heard
all Of a sudden a horse start at full gal
lop right over in this direction. and
now I think of it it must have been
Bland. for it was him that passed me.
sir-sneaking out like"
Drummond sprang to his feet.
What say you to this, sergeant? Do
you beievc-do you think it possible
that Bland has deserted and Joined
these outlaws?"
Il don't know what to think, sir,
but / haven't forgotten what Feeny
said Of him."
What was that?"
THAT he had too smooth a tongue 70
have led a rough and honest life; that
if he was q Texan as Ee claimed Texas
people had learned to talk a different
lingo since he was stationed among
them with the old Second cavalry before
the war, and that he wished he'd been
there at Lowell when the adjutant ac-
copied those letters from former officers
of the regiment as genuine. Bland
uor,ld mayer show Them 10 Feeny. Said
he had sent 'em all to his home in
Texas. That was what made bad blood
between them"
by heaveni and now to think that
n Of our troop-C troop-should
have been engaged in this outrage!
But We'll get them, men," said Drum
mond, Strengthening up to his full
height and raising his gauntleted hand
in air. They cant go fast OF fan
with those wagons such a night as this.
They'll strike the foot hills before
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