The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-03-22

got TO take at least four or them: load
them up with barley, bacon, hardtack,
ammunition. Kick off everything else.
Well feed and water here before start
ing, then we've got to ride like the
devil. Send Trooper Bland here as
soon as he has unsaddled. want him
to ride with me. He knows all the
roads to the south"
Meinecke saluted in his methodical
German fashion, turned away and pres
emily could be heard ordering Gun
saddle" and then shouting for Private
Bland.
''Are there any of our men besides
the farrier who have any knowledge of
SURGERY" asked the lieutenant of Ser
geant Lee.
"They say Bland has, sir. l don't
know any one else."
"Well, I've just sent for him. Dir.
Harvey here doesn't seem to be wound-
ed, yet it's impossible to bring him to.
Give Woods little more whisky and
see if you can get word out of the ma
jor or Feeny."
But efforts with the half suffocated
men had no effect. The whisky with
Woods had better results. He present.
ly 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
ly saw the final rush. But there was
something so queer about it. There
had been a few minutes lull. 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 next thing
knew, " said Woods, twas 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 l slipped into
the corral and saw ono of them shoot
Feeny as he 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 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 was the
man who afterward shot Feeny as he
was trying to crawl away.
Drummond looked around at the man
incredulous-alm 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 saluted.
Herr lieutenant, Private Bland is
not with my party at all, sir.''
"Did you leave him back with the
packs?"
''No, sir; the men say he wasn't with
Ills all night. Hc iole ahead with the
lieutenant unlil we came to Corporal
Donovan's body"
Hes not beer with me since" ex-
claimed the lieutenant. Sergeant Lee,
ask if any of the men have seen him. !"
Lee was gone vut a moment, then
came back with grave face lni troubled
yes, bringing with him a Young troop
81 who was serving his first enlistment.
Private Goss, here, has queer story
TO tell, sir.
'What do you know? What have
you seen?" asked Drummond.
why, sir, right after Sergeant Lee
caught sight of the fire and sung out
that it was Moreno's was back about a
couple of rods looking for my canteen.
l was that startled when they found
Corporal Donovan dead that dropped
it, and all of sudden somebody comes
out past me leading his horse, and 1
asked him what he had lost, and he said
his pipe andE passed me by, and I
thought nothing more about it-only
no sooner did he get out into the dark
where couldn't see him than l heard
all of sudden horse start at full gal
lop right over in this direction, and
now 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 EeIeve-do you think it possible
that Bland has deserted and Joined
these outlaws?''
II don't know what to think, sir,
but 1 haven't forgotten what Feeny
said Of him
tWhat was that?''
''That he had too smooth tongue to
have led q rough and honest life; that
if he was a Texan as he claimed Texas
people had learned to talk 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-
cepted those letters from former officers
OF the regiment as genuine. Bland
would never show them to Feeny Said
he had sent 'eln all to his home in
Texas. That was what made bad blood