Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-04-07

rnem. ana NOT one woru nao me ma,oeu
vouchsafed.
Il heard your voice a moment ago.
| Ruthie. Can't you speak to me now p
he asked, half chiding, half laughing.
Have you forgotten your friend Jim
Drummond and the long, long talks we
used to have on the Newbern?"
Forgotten Jim Drummond and those
long talks indeed! Forgotten her hero.
her soldier! Hardly. Yet no word
would she speak.
The little lady seems all unstruno
yet, lieutenant. Miss Fanny will have
to talk for her, / fancy" And Wings
| clear, handsome eyes were raised to
| Miss Harvey face as he spoke in a look
that seemed to tell how much he envied
the soldier who was the object of such
devoted attention. shall we move
ahead9 The others win Join us later
| on.
But when few minutes later strong
arms lifted the tall lieutenant from the
wagon and bore him to blanket COW
cred shelter in a deep rocky recess
where the suns rays seemed rarely TO
penetrate, and cup of clear, cool
water was held to his lips. D1.uInmond s
one available hand was uplifted in
hopes of capturing the ministering fin
gers. There was neither difficulty nor
resistance. 1t was Sergeant Wings
gauntlet. and Wings cordial voice
again accosted him.
"Glad to SEQ You SO chipper. lieuten.
ant. Now. l have some little knowl-
| edge of surgery. Your right arm is
broken below tho elbow, and you're
badly shocked and bruised. have no
doubt the surgeon viii be with us bv
this time tomorrow, but can set that
arm lust as soon rs have looked the
ground over and disposed of ourselves
and our prisoners to the best advan-
tage."
How many prisoners have WEI"
asked Drummoud.
We'll, as yet only Moreno and his
interesting family and two of their
gang, who are very badly wounded.
Some of the others We're neither prompt
nor explicit about surrendering, and
the men seem to have been a triae i'm
patient IN one or two cases. You should
hear the old woman protesting to Miss
Harvey her innocence and her husband S
spotless character. You understand
Spanish, do you not:"
No, only the smattering we pick M
at the Point and what 'broncho' Snan-
ish l have added to it ont here. Where
did you learn it, sergeant? They tell
me You speak it like native"
Wings sunburned face-a fine, clear
cut and manly one it was-seemed to
grow a shader or two redder.
Oh. have spoken it many years
NY boyhood WAS spent on the Pacific
sloDe. Pardon me. sir. want to lool,
more carefully after your injuries
now"
1" But the ladies-where are they?"
| asked Drunmond uneasily.
Occupying the sanctum sanctorum,
the 1nneI1nost shrine among the rocks.
This is wonderful spot. sir. We might
eventually have starved these people out
if once they got here, hat 0 determined
soldiers could hold it against 1000.
I've as yet had only a glance. but the
Morenos have been here before. it is
| most evident, for the senorita herself
showed Miss Harvey into the cave re-
served for the women. There they
have cool water, cool and fresh air and
complete shelter"
And now, as with experienced hands
| the sergeant stripped off Drummonds
hunting shirt and carefully exposed the
bruised ant lacerated arm and shout
der, he piled his patient with questions
as to whether he felt any internal pain
| or soreness. How man could be
| flattened out ana rolled over by such a
weight and not be mashed into jelly
is what l can't understand. You re
about as elastic as ivory, lieutenant,
| and you have no spare flesh about you
either. That and the good luck of the
cavalryman saved you from worse fate.
You've got battered head, broken
arm and had the breath knocked out of
you. and that's about all. But we II
have you on your feet by the time the
fellows come from Stoneman.
But how about the young ladies?"
again asked Drummond YEARLY and
anxiously. for his head was still heavy
and painful and his anxiety great.
He WAS weak, too. from the shock.
Won't they suffer meantime?"
We'll. they might-at least Miss
Ruth, the younger, might in the reac-
ton after their fearful experience, but
I'm something of doctor, as said,
and shall be able to prevent all that.
Howl"
well. by giving her something to
do. Just as soon as they've had u
chance to rest, both young ladies will be
put on duty. Miss Ruth is to nurse
YOU"
Suppose she doesn't want to-"
1.-THE case isn't supposable, lieuten-
ant. She would have gone into hys-
terics this morning. think. had she
not been detailed. rs u preventive, to
hold your head. At all events, she
quieted down tho instant she was told
by her sister to climb into the wagon
again and sit still as a mouse and see
that your face was kept cool and moist
| and shaded from the glare" And now
Sergeant Wings lips were twitching
with merrimcnt, and Drummond. hard
lx- 1-V,rt t,rxr 70 M n.