The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-01-18

~ Y y
The taller horsemnn held out his hand,
aUhich Wing shook aCitt cordial fervor
off detachment toward the Gila this
morning, and I sent one of my two men
back to Ceralvo's to inquire. You
must have met him.
mo, we made a circuit-came by
the old trail around the head of the
slough. We haven't passed anybody,
have we, Tony?' he asked of the 81
lent horseman by his side.
None, senior; but there were many
hoof trails leading to Ceralvo's," was
the answer, in the Spanish tongue.
"Then you'll need water here, Mr..
Harvey. It's 10 mile pull across to
Moreno's, - said Wing, as the four mule
team came laboring up to the spot and
willingly halted, the lantern at the for
ward axle slowly settling into inertia
from its pendulumlike swing.
where are we, Ned?" hailed a
blithe young voice. Sweet and silvery
it sounded to the troopers unaccus-
toned ears. surely not at Moreno's
YETI"
mot yet, paquita mia. Is Ruth
awake? Tell her to poke that curly
pate of hers out of the door, I want
you to know Mr.. Wing. Sergeant Wing,
who has charge of the signal station
here"
Almost instantly slender hand, hold
ing a little brass hurricane lantern, ap-
peared at the opening, followed by a
sweet, smiling face, while just behind
it peered another, only trifle older and
more serious, yet every whit as pretty.
Wing raised his old felt hat and mentally
cursed the luck that had sent him down
there in his ragged shirt sleeves. Pike,
the cynic, busted himself in getting
the buckets from underneath the stout
spring wagon, and bumped his head
savagely against the trunk laden boot as
he emerged.
II never dreamed of seeing ladies
tonight, - laughed the sergeant. Its
the rarest sight in all the world here,
but l remember you well when you
came to Yuma last year. That was
when you were going to school at San
Francisco, believe.
THAT was when l was in short
dresses and Iona face, sergeant, I"
merrily answered t1e younger girl. II
hated the idea Of going there to school.
Fan, here, waa willing enough, but
had never know anything but Arizona
and Mexico. All I could think of was
that was leaving home''
"She was soon reconciled, Mr..
Wing" said Miss Harvey; "there were
some very pleasant people on the steam
er."
"Oh, very pleasant for you, Fan, but
what did they care for chit of II?
You had lovely times, of course
so did you, Ruth, from the very
day Mr.. Drummond helped you to catch
your dolphin
"Ah! we were more than half way to
San Francisco .then," protested Miss
Ruth promptly, land nobody had
taken any notice of me whatever up to
that minute
''Well, Mr.. Drummond made up for
lost time from that on" laughed the
elder sister. II never told of her, Ned
wasn't I good? -but Ruth lost her
young heart to cavalry cadet not q
year out Of the Point.
lis it our Lieutenant Drummond
who was with your" queried Wing.
"Oh, yes; why, to be sure, he is Of
your regiment. He was going back to
testify before some court at the pre-
sidio, and-wasn't madame mean?-
she wouldn't allow him to call on Ruth
at the school, even when I promised to
play chaperon and insure strict pro-
priety and no flirting"
Ruth Harvey had, with quick move
ment, uplifted a little hand to silence
her sister. but the hand dropped,
startled, and the color rushed to her
face at Wings next words:
Then you're almost sure to meet the
lieutenant tonight or tomorrow. He's
been scouting the Santa Maria and the
Christobal and is due along here at this
very moment"
And now Miss Harvey had the field
to herself, for the younger sister drew
back into the dark depths of the COW
cred wagon and spoke no more. In 10
minutes the team was rafting down
the eastward slope, and Sergeant Wing
turned with sigh as at last even the
sound Of hoof and wheel had died away.
Slowly he climbed the steep and
crooked trail to their aerie at the peak.
No sign Of jackson yet, no message
from the ranch, no signal fires at Mo-
feno's or beyond.
Yet was he right in telling Harvey
with such precious freight to push on
across that open plain when there was
even rumors Of Apaches in the ARR The
loveliness oil chose two dark. radiant