The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-03-01

You had lovely times, of course.
80 did you, Ruth, from the very
day Mr.. Drummond helped you to catch
your dolphin. :
"Ahi 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.
We'll, Mr.. Drummond made up for
lost time from that on, +" laughed the
elder sister. Il never told of her, Ned
wasn't l good but Ruth lost her
young heart to cavalry cadet not a
! 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 p
she wouldn t allow him to call on Ruth
at the school, even when / 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 rattling 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-
fenos 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 air? The
loveliness of those two dark. radiant
| faces. the pretty white teeth flashing in
the lantern light, the soft, silvery, girl
ish voices, the kindly, cordial handclasp
vouchsafed him by the elder as they
rolled away-these were things to stir
the heart of any man long exiled in this
desert land. 1t had been his custom
to spend an hour i'll chat with his com
rades before turning in for the night,
but with jackson still away and Pike
still plunged in gloom-with. moreover,
new and stirring emotions to investi-
gate and analyze- Wing strolled off by
himself, passed around the rocky but
tress at the point and came to the broad
ledge overlooking the eastward way to
the distant range.
Here mass of tinder, dry baked by
weeks exposure to the burning sun
shine, stood in Il pyramid of tirewood
ready to burst in flame at first touch
of the torch. Close at hand were the
stacks of reserve fuel Never light
this until you know the Indians are
raiding west of the ChristoEal, " were
his orders prt well he knew that once
! ignited it could be seen for many a
league Here again he filled his faithful
pipe, and moving safe distance away
|
stump among the jagged rocks below.
He saw the spark go sailing down
ward, unwafted from its course by faint
est breath of air. Then he heard Pike
| growl or something like it and called
| to him to ask if he heard jackson. No
answer. Sure that he had heard the
| gruff though inarticulate voice of his
comrade, he hailed again more loudly
! than before, and still there came no re-
ply Surprised, he stepped quickly
back around the rocky point to where
the tents lay under the sheltering cliff
and came face to face with three dark,
shadowy forms, whose moccasined foot
steps gave no sound, whose masked and
blackened faces defed recognition,
| whose cooked revolvers were thrust into
his very face before a lariat settled over
his shoulders, snapped into place; and
yelling for help when help was miles
beyond range of his ringing voice Ser
geant Wing was jerked violently to
earth, dragged into tent, strapped to a
cot, deity gagged and then left to him
self. An instant later the Picacho was
lighted up with ID. unearthly
glare; the huge column ct sparks went
whirling and Kissing up on high, and
far and near the great beacon was
warning all seers that the fierce Apache
~, cut In force and raiding the Yuma
road.
Away out across the desert its red
| glare chased the Concord wagon where
in, all unconscious of the danger signal,
the sisters were now chatting in low
tone.
Drive your best, had Harvey NUT
red to his Mexican jehu, as he leaned
1T of the saddle to reach his ear.
Not word to alarm the girls" he
-cautioned his companion. but be ready
for anything.
Far out beyond the swaying, bound
ing vehicle; far out across the blistered
plain. the glare and CLEAN fell full
upon the Drown adobe walls at Mo
reno's. and glittering eyes and swarthy
faces peered through the westward
aperture, while out in the corral the
night lights were dancing to and fro,