Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-04-12

aud probably abandoning the wagons
and their precious contents on the road.
A sudden dash, a surprise, would in
sure success. The only fear he had was
that in the excitement of attack some
harm might befall those precious lives.
TO avert this he gave orders to be pass
ed back along the column to fire no shot
until they had closed with the band,
and then to be most careful to aim wide
of the wagons. Every man in the little
troop well knew how much was at
stake, and men, all mercy to their
beasts at other times, were now plying
the cruel spur.
Five, 6 o'clock had come and gone.
The chase was still ont of sight ahead,
yet every moment seemed to bring them
closer upon their heels. At every bend
of the tort1ous trail the leaders eve
was strained to see the dust cloud ris-
ing ahead. But jutting point and roll
ing shoulder of bluff or hillside ever in
terposed. Drummond had just glanced
at his watch for perhaps the twentieth
time since dsybreak and was replacing
it in his pocket when an exclamation
from Sergeant Meinecke startled him.
Look at Lee'
The head Of the column. moving at the
moment at walk to rest the pantilg
horses, had Just turned a rocky knoll
and was following tho trail into
broader reach of the canyon, which now
seemed opening out to the west. In
stead of keeping in the bottom as here
tofore, the wagon track now followed a
gentle ascent and disappeared over II
spur 400 yards ahead Here Lee had
suddenly flung himself from his horse,
thrown the reins to Patterson, and,
crouching behind bOwlder, was gazing
eagerly to the front, while with hat in
hand he was signalling. "Slow; keep
down." Up went Drummond's gaunt-
let in the we'll known cavalry signal
Halt" Then. bidding Meinecke dis
mount the men and reset blankets and
saddles. the young officer gave Ches-
ter rein and was soon lIneeling BY the
side of his trusty subordinate.
Lee said no word Mt all, simply point
ed ahead.
And here was sight TO make sol
diers pulses bound. Not quarter
mile away the rocky, desolate gorge
which they had been following since
dawn opened out into a wide valley,
bounded at the west by a range of rug
ged heights whose sides were beard
ed with dark growth of stunted pine
or cedar. On each side Of their path n
tall, precipitous rock stood sentry over
the entrance and framed the view of
the valley beyond. For full a mile
ahead the trail swept straight away,
descending gently to the valley level,
and there, just pushing forth upon the
wide cxpansc, with dots of horsenen
on flank and front and rear, dimly
seen through the hot dust cloud rising
in their wake, were the three wagons.
The foremost, with its white canvas top,
was undoubtedly the new Concord; the
second, dingy mustard yellow, the
battered old ambulance of the paymas-
ter; the third and last, with no cover
at all, Moreno's blackboard. 1t was
what was left of the notorious Morales
gang speeding with its plumber to some
refuge in the rocky range across the
farther valley.
/ Somewhere in the few evenings
/ Drummond had spent in the garrisona
of Lowell, Bowie or StOneman he had
| heard mention of mysterious hiding
/ place in the Cababi mountains whittier,
when pressed by sheritfs posses, Pas
/ quail Morales had been wont to flee with
/ his chosen followers and there bid de-
fiance to pursuit. And now the young
soldier saw at a glance that the chase
was heading along a fairly well defined
/ track straight for dark, frowning
/ gorge in the mountains some three OF
four miles ahead of them If allowed
| to gain that refuge, ii mi ut be possible
for Morales to SUGGEST fly resist at
/ tack. With quick decision Drummond
turned to the men still seated in sad
die.
"Dismount whore you are. you two
Reset all four saddles. We mount
again here. sergeant, md we II take the
! gallop as soon as the troop comes up. "
Its the only way, | believe, sir, -
answered Lee, his eyes kindling, hi,
lips quivering with pent up excitement
Most Of them willvstampede, | reckon
if we strike them i'll the open. But
once they, get among the rocks we {
have no chance at all. "
Drummond merely nodded. Field
| glasses in hand, he was closely study
ing the reccding par>y. moving now al
/ leisurely gait as though assured OF
safety. His heart was beating hard hi.
blood was bounding i'll his veins. he
had had some lively brushes with tn,
| Indian foe, but no such scrimlnage a,
| this promised to be. Never once hat
there been ut stake anything to com
pare with what lay here before his eyes
Sometimes in boyish day dreams he hat
pictured TO himself adventures of thi,
characterize rescue of imperilec
beauty from marauding foe. But neve,
had he thought it possible that it woult
be his fortune TO stand first in the field
riding to the rescue of the fair daugh
ters of one of the Oldest and most re
spected citizens OF the territory. Ii
l.-.