Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-04-19

4 tur God sake, come QUICK, Blrl
gasps Costigan. Then, desperate at his
loved young leaders delay, tho Irish
man throws a brawny arm about him
and fairly drags him to the end Of the
steep. Then down they 60, Costigan
leading and holding up one hand to sus-
tain Drummond in case Of accident.
Down, hand under hand, to the accom-
paniment of cracking rifles and an
swering carbines, while every other sec
ond the bullets come "spat" upon the
rocky sides, close and closer, until, al
most breathless, Costigan reaches the
solid bottom of the gorge and swings
Drummond to his feet beside him. See
ing their leader safely down, the men,
with one defiant shot and cheer, scurry
to the edge of the canyon and come
slipping and sliding to join their COM
rades. At the mouth of the cave Co.'S
tigan strives to push Drummond in
through the narrow aperture left for
their admission, but miscalculates his
commanders idea of the proprieties.
Like gallant Craven at Mobile Bay,
Drummond will seek no safety until his
men are cared for. AFTER you, pilot, :"
the chivalric sailors last word as the
green waters engulfed his sinking ship,
finds its cavalry echo in Drummond's g
AFTER you, corporal, in this faraway
canyon in desert Arizona. The men
have scrambled through the gap, then
Costigan, with reluctant backward
glance, is hurried in just as flash of
flame and smoke leaps downward from
the crest and the foremost Apache sends
hurried, i'll aimed shot at the last
man left. Before another shot can fol-
low, Drummond's arm is seized by mus
cular hands, and he is dragged within
the gap. Two or three huge stones are
rolled into place, and in an instant
through the ragged loopholes the black
muzzles of half dozen carbines are
thrusting, and Costigan shouts exult-
ingly, NOW, you black legged black
guards, come on if ye dare!"
But no Apache is fool enough to at
tack strong position. Keeping well
under cover, the Indians soon line the
crest and begin sending down rain
of better aimed bullets at the loopholes,
and every minute the flattened lead
comes tipping through. One of these
fearful missiles tears its way through
Costigan's sleeve, and striking poor
old Moreno in the groin stretches him
groaning upon the floor. A glance
shows that the wound is mortal, and
despite his crimes the men who bear
him, moaning, in to the farther cave
are moved to sudden sympathy as his
hapless wife and child PROSTATE them
selves beside his rocky bier. Drum
mond can afford to lose no more and
orders the lower half of each hole to
be stopped with blankets, blouses, shirts,
anything that will block shot, and
then for an hour the fire of the besiegors
is harmless, and no longer can the be-
sieged catch even an occasional glimpse
Of them. At noon their fire has ceased
entirely, and even when breathing sigh
of relief the mon look into one anoth-
er's faces questioningly. How long
can this lastr How hot, how close the
air in the cave is growing!
Drummond has gone for moment
into the inner chamber, where Moreno
is now breathing his last, to inquire for
Wing and to speak word of cheer to
his fair and devoted nurses. Not one
murmur of complaint or dread has fall
en- from their lips, though they know
their father to have ridden on perilous
quest and into possible ambush; though
they know their brother to be lying at
the ruined ranch, perhaps seriously
wounded; though their own fate may
be capture, with indescribable suffering,
shame and death. Fanny Harvey has
behaved like a heroine, as the two troop
ers remarked, and Ruth has done her
best to follow her sisters lead. Yet
they, too, now realize how close and
sitting the heavy atmosphere is grow
ing. sit to be the black hole of Calcutta
over again? Even as he takes her hand
in his Drummond reads the dread in
Ruth g fearless face. Even as he holds
it and whispers words Of hope and com
fort there is heavy, continuous, crash
ing sound at the mouth of the cave,
just in front Of the rock barricade, and
he springs back to learn the cause.
"They re heaving down logs and
hrushwood, SIR" whispers Costigan.
They mean to roast us out If they
can't do anything else."
More thunder and crash; more heap
ing up Of resinous logs from the cliffs
above them. Some Of the men beg to
be allowed to push out and die fighting,
but Drummond sternly refuses. cat
the worst" he says, I'VE can retire in
to the back cave; we have abundant
water there, The air will last several
hours yet, and I tell you help will
come-must come, before the day is
much older"
Two o'clock. Kissing flames and
scorching heat block the cavern en-
trance. The rocky barrier grows hotter
and hotter; the air within denser and
more sitting. The water in the can
teens and pals is no longer cool. 1t is
hardly even cooling. The few men
who remain with Drummond in the
front Of the cave are lying full length
upon the floor. The pain in Drum
mond's battered head has become in
tense. 1t is almost maddening. Wing is
moaning and unconscious. Walsh Is
incoherent and raving. All are painting
and we'll nigh exhausted. The front of
the cave is like an oven. Overcome by
the heat, one or two of the men are
edging toward the inner cave, but
Drummond orders them back. To the
very last the lives of those fair girls
must be protected and cherished. In
silence, almost in desperation, the men
obey and lie down again, face down
ward, their heads at the rear wall Of
the cave.
And then Costigan comes crawling
to the neutenant's 3 side: