The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-02-08

6UOoO III lower COuoS. But II the worst
comes to the worst we can make q rush
for the barley stack in the corral. Lie
still. Ruth. little sister 1t won't be
any time now before the soldiers will
come galloping to us. And. hiding
her terror stricken face in her sisters
breast. the girl obeyed.
Out at the corral gate meantime a
vehement council was being held. Fee
ny's bold defiance and threat had pro-
duced their effect. His voice had rung
out above the roar of the flames, and
what Morales could not hear was
promptly reported by those. who had
crawled up nearer to the bar and could
understand every word. Even hampered
by the care OF their helpless women. the
defense was undismayed. The little gar
rison was fighting with magnificent
hope and courage.
Beyond the wounding of one of their
number, no impression apparently had
been made. whereas the bandits had
a sorry loss to contemplate. Ramon
shot dead. Pastp1al crippled and the
two "gringos. the daring. enterpris-
ing leaders of the attack. painfully
wounded, one probably mortally so.
And now. with the flames lighting up
the whole valley between the Picacho
and the Christobal, with cavalry known
to be out in several squads within easy
march, some of the men were already
weakening. They had had enough of
I TO DIV 81
but Pasqual was a raging hon. Re-
venge for the death of his brother
wrath over his own crippled condition.
fury at the failure of the assault and
hatred on general principles of all hon
est means and honest men, all prompt
ed him to order and enforce renewal
of the attack, all served to madden him
to such a degree that even burning his
adversaries to death seemed simply a
case of serving them right What cared
he that two of the besieged were fair
young girls - noncom batants! They
were George Harvey's daughters, and
that in itself was enough to bring balm
to his soul and well nigh cause him to
forget his physical ills.
One or two of the band strove to
point out that the faintest indignity Of
fered to the sisters would array not only
all Arizona, but all Mexico against
them. Like dogs they would be hunt
ed to their holes and no quarter be- Civ
en-. Returning hitherto with their
spoils, chihuahua or Sonora had vel.
coined them with open arms, but what
outlaw could find refuge on Mexican
soil who had dared to wrong the chill
dren of George Harvey and Inez Rom
ero? 1t was even us they were point
ing this out to Pasqual and urging that
he consent to be lifted into the ambu-
lance and driven away southwark be-
fore the return of the cavalry that Mo-
reno himself appeared. Slipping out
OF his western window, dropping to the
ground and making complete circuit
of the corral. he suddenly joined in the
excited conference What he said was
in Spanish, or that pan-Arizona patois
that there passes current for such. and
was wild, fervid appeal.
They had ruined him-him and his.
He was unmasked, betrayed, tor now
his connection with the band was estab-
lished beyond all question. Now he
was known and would soon be branded
as an outlaw. His home was being de-
stroyed before his eyes-not that that
amounted to much now that he could no
longer occupy this wife and child
must flee at once for Sonora, and he go
with them, but recompense for his loss
he must have. Never again could he
venture into Arizona He would be
known far and wide as the betrayer of
his benefactor's children, though he
called God and all the saints in the
Spanish calendar to witness he never
dreamed of their being involved in this
plot. The paymaster's funds. not the
lives of any of the paymaster's men, were
what he had sought to take, and now
there lay the dollars almost within their
grasp. but unless captured at once
would be gone forever
Il know that pig of sergeant May
the flames of hell envelop him for all
eternity!" he cried. He will not scru-
pie to do as he says. He will cast ev-
cry package into the seething furnace.
Mira! Lookl The shed is now all
ablaze! In one minute the roof of the
rancho will burst into flame! There is
not an instant to lose! adjure you, let
the daughters Of Harvey, the son, the
men, come out at once. Swear to them
safety, honor, protection. Let them 20
their way now, now! Then you will
have to deal with only two or three,
and the treasure is ours. Look you,
Sanchez. Pedro, Jose, down with that
shed next the rancho! Hurl it, drag it
down so that its fire cannot reach the
brush beyond; then we can parley; we
can win their ear. They will be but
too glad to be spared to go on their way
unframed. Yonder are their mules
across the corral. Hitch them in at
once. Save the others for the ambu-
lance and the blackboard here and for
our noble chief. Is it not so, captain?
Am not right?"
Approving murmurs followed his fiery
words. So long as the Yankees held to-
gether there was little likelihood of the