Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-04-14
@DyslaAr 1898 BY oAARIEs kINa5

posed you knew II: sir. ana him. too
but no didn't. Those Morales fellows
got away with it on burro back while
VIC were chasing the white wagon"
For moment Drummond stood as
founded.
Man alive!" he at last exclaimed.
why was not told of this? Get me
q horse Mt once, Walsh" he ordered.
III take Pattcrson's. You two re-
main here and see that that old scoun-
drel don't get loose-Moreno there-and
that no harm befalls the ladies. III
ride down after Wing"
oh, Mr.. Drummond, you must not
think Of going" exclaimed Miss Har-
vey. You're far too seriously hurt,
tar too weak, to attempt such thing.
fIease lie down again. Surely MIR.
Wing will do all that any man could
do to recover the safe. All the others
are in pursuit. They must have over
taken them by this time. Come; am
doctor now that he is away. Obey me
and lie STILL"
Drummond's one available hand
found itself clasped by warm, slender
myers. He would have drawn it away
and striven to carry out his design, but
glance at his two troopers told him
that they plainly and earnestly advo-
Gated Miss Harvey's view of the case.
de was in no condition to make the at
tempt. And at the moment, too, even
as he strove to release his hand. another
voice was heard. almost imploring:
oh. don't let him go, Fan. Don't
let him try to rider
And turning suddenly at the sound
Mr.. Drummond found Ruth Harvey
standing close behind her sister, her
eyes suffused, her cheeks blushing red.
1t was the first time he had seen her to
speak to since they landed ut the old
wharf at San Francisco u year gone by.
and for the moment he forgot the safe.
the funds. the crippled arm, the band
aged head and every other item that
should have occupied his thoughts.
why, Ruthie, is this your how
You have grown!'
And then the imprisoned hand was
released only to be transferred to the
clasp and keeping of another. In her
fear that her knight. her soldier, would
leave them. and wounded though he
was insist on attempting to follow his
pen in their pursuit, the shyness Of
Aaidenhood was forgotten. Ruth had
seized and clasped the long, brown en-
gers, and Drummond forgot for the mo-
ment all thought of quitting her pres
ence for the field.
And then having-as she supposed
won her point, and having caught the
new light in his admiring eyes. it be-
came necessary to struggle for the re-
lease of the hand she had SO unhesitat-
ingly used to detain him. This might
have proved n difficult matter, Judging
from the expression in Drummond's
face, but for sudden hail from Patter.
son:
Can the lieutenant come up here q
moment? There's something going ON
down there can't understand.
Old Moreno, whose bonds could not
restrain his shifting, glittering eyes,
glanced quickly upward. Then, as he
caught nenacing look in the sunburn-
ed face OF the Irish trooper Walsh, he
became as suddenly oblivious TO all
earthly matters beyond the pale of his
own physical woes. And now it was
Ruth's hand that would retain its
clasp and Drummond's that was again
struggling for release. In n moment
the lieutenant stood under Patterson's
perch.
"What did you see? What was it
like? How far away?'
"Six or seven miles, sir. The valley
is broad and open, and three of our fell
lows were riding slowly back on the
west side, while Wing was gallopiny
as though to meet them. and when they
weren't more than mile apart Wings
horse went down-looks no bigger than
black apeck-and the other three
sheered of away from the rocks on
this side and seemed to be scattering
apart.
The words were low spoken so as to
reach only his ear. Now it was no
easy scramble for man in Drummond's
condition to make, but it took him only
little time to Chamber to Pattersons
side.
There's something back of all this,
and you know it, Patterson. What
Apache sign have you SEEM"
"Smoke. sir, on beth sides. But we
agreed, the sergeant and l, that the
young ladies mustn't be alarmed nor
you aroused. Then he rode away to
hurry in any Of our fellows who were
in sight and warn them to keep out
from the rocks. What I'm afraid of is
that they've been ambushed, or at least
that the Indians have ambushed him.
His horse is down, and those others Won
SEQ are nway out ON the plain now.
They're working around toward the
horse as though he were lying behind
it, and they appear to be firing mount
ed"
What was Drummond to do? To
leave his charges here, unprotected, was
out Of the question. Fail to 20 or
send to Wings relief he could not.
Decide he must and decide quickly.
Patterson, that party of Apaches
can't be over q dozen strong. or they
would have rushed out Of their cover
by this time, yet they are too strong and