The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-01-04
FOES IN AMBUSH.
From first page

! pockets now for three whole nights,
and they just can t stand it so long as a
drop Of liquors to be had by hard rid
ing. No soldier is happy till he's dead
broke, major-leastwise none ever
see.
What makes you doubt the story,
sergeantp 1t came straight enough"
ut came too ID straight. sir;
that 8 just the trouble. It came straight
from chihuahua Pete's monte mill.
It's only hook to draw 'em back, and
they played it on you because they saw
you were new to the country, and they
knew ! was asleep; and now, unless
Lieutenant Drummond should happe.
in with his troop, there's no help for
| it but to wait for tomorrow night and
no certainty of getting away then.
well, if Mr.. Drummond were here,
don't you suppose he'd have gone or
sent back to protect those people?"
"Oh he'd have gone-certainly-
that's his business, but it isn't yours,
major. You We got government money
there enough to buy up every rumhole
south Of the ella. You re expected to
pay at Stoneman, Grant and Goodwin
and Crittenden and Bowie, where they
haven't had a cent since last Christmas
and here it is the middle of May. You
ought to have pushed through with all
speed, so none of these jayhawkers
could get wind of your going, let alone
tina Apaches. Every hour you hals
is clear gain to them. and here you
simply got to stay "a hours all along
of cock and bull story about some
stageload of frightened women Is miles
back at ella Bend. It's plant. ma
jor; that's what believe"
Old Plummer kicked the toe of hi.
shoe into the sandy soil and hung g
reflective head. II wish you hadn't
shut your eyes,, he drawled at length.
II wouldn't, sir, if hadn't thought
you'd keep yours open. You slept all
night, sir, you and Mr.. Dawes, while
l rode alongside with finger on trigger
every minute
Absorbed in their gloomy converse
ton, neither man noticed that the wood
en- shutter in the adobe wall close at
hand had been noiselessly opened from
within, just an inch or two. Neither
knew, neither could see that behind it, in
the gathering darkness of the short sum-
mer evening. a shadowy form was
crouching.
Then you think wi bust stay here,
do your" queried the paymaster.
"Think? know it. Why, the range
ahead is alive with Apaches. and we
can't stand 'em off with only half
dozen men. Your clerks no count.
major"
Old Plummer stood irresolute. His
clerk, a consumptive and broken down
relative, was at that moment lying
nerveless on a rude bunk within the
ranch, benoaning the fate that had i'm
PEELED him to seek Arizona in search of
health. He was indeed of little
count, as the paymaster well knew.
After moment 8 painful thought the
words rose slowly to his lips:
Well, perhaps you know best, so
here we stay till tomorrow night, or at
least until they get back
One could almost hear the whisper
in the deep recess of the retaining wall
-sibilant, gasping. Some one crouch
ing still farther back in the black
depths of the interior did hear.
"Santa Maria!"
But when a moment later the propri-
etor of this roadside ranch, this arti-
fetal oasis in land of desolation,
strolled into the big bare room where
half dozen troopers were doing or
gambling it was with an air of conf
Dental joviality that he whispered to
the corporal in charge:
''Our fren, the major, he riffuse me
sell you aguardiente-mescal, but wait
tonight.
''Oh, d-n it, Moreno, we'll be- half
way to Stoneman by that time," in
terrupted the trooper quite savagely.
who's to know where we got the
stuff Well make 'em believe Dono-
vans squad brought it in from Ger
alvo's. Give me drink now anyhow,
you internal greaser; I'm all burnt out
with such day as this. We've got to
start the moment they get back, and
there won't be any time them
flush, caballero; they come not to-
night. You will rest here.''
why, how in blazes do you know"
"Softly!-I know not. l know
noting; yet, mira!-I know. They talk
long in the corral-the major and that
pig of a sergeant-for him l snap my
finger. Look your And Moreno
gave flip indicative of combined de-
fance and disdain.
Don't you count on his not finding
out, Moreno. It's all easy enough so
far as the majors concerned, but that
BLACKBOARD Feeny's different, l tell
you. He'd hear the gurgle of the
spigot if he were 10 miles across the
ella, and be here to bust things before
you could serve out a gill-d-n
him! He's been keen enough to put
that psalm singing Yankee on guard
over your liquor. How are you going
to get at it anyhow
For an answer the Mexican placed
the forefnger Of his left hand upon his