The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-04-26

Sur Gods sake, come quick, STRIP
him Costigan is slowly helping their
brigand friend. A few more shots come
singing overhead. A moment more
and the watchful Indians will come
charging up the now unguarded canyon
and crown both banks.
Now, lads, give 'em two or three
shots apiece to make them hug their
cover. Then down for thecaves. every
man of you, is the order.
For moment the Indian fire is 81
fenced in the rapid fusillade that fol-
lows. Sharp and quick the carbines are
barking their challenge, and whenever
puff of powder smoke has marked the
probable lurking place of an Apache,
thither hiss the searching bullets warn
ing him to keep down. Then Costigan
comes climbing to the lookout.
"Let us help you, lieut. 'nant. Now's
your time, sir, while they'r firing"
But Drummond shakes his head. He
wants to be the last man down.
Don't hang on here, sir. Come
now. Sure the others can get down from
where they are easy enough. but you
can't except when they're firing. Please
come, sir, and Costigan in his eager
ness scrambles to the lieutenants side
and lays broad, red hand on his shoul-
der. The men have fired more than
the designated number of shots and
now are looking anxiously toward their
commander. They do not wish to move
until he does.
"Give 'em another whack all around,
fellers, shouts Costigan, while l
help the lieut. 'nant down :" and so. with
laugh, Drummond gives it tup, and aft
er one last wistful glance out over the
desert, turns to pick up the binocular,
when it is struck, smashed, and sent
Gathering down into the canyon by a
shot fired not 20 yards away.
Fur Gods sake, come quick. sir!"
gasps Costigan. Then, desperate at his
loved young leaders, delay, the Irish
man throws brawny arm about him
and fairly drags him to the end of the
steep. Then down they go, Costigan
leading and holding up one hand to sus-
tain Drulnmond in case of accident.
Down, hand under hand, to the accom-
paniment of cracking rifles and an
. swering carbines, while every other Sec
ond the bullets come ''spat' upon the
rocky sides, close and closer, until, al
most breathiess, Costigan reaches the
solid bottom of the gorge and swings
Drummond to his feet beside him. See
ing their leader safely down, the men.
with one defiant shot and cheer, scurry
to the edge of the canyon and come
slipping and sliding TO join their COM
rades. At the mouth of the cave Cos
tigan strives to push Drummond in
through the narrow aperture left for
their admission, but miscalculates his
commanders idea of the proprieties
Like gallant Craven at Mobile Bay,
Drummond will seek no safety until his
men are cared for. After you, pilot"
the chivalric sailors last word as the
green waters engulfed his sinking ship,
finds its cavalry echo in Drummond's
After you, corporal" in this faraway
canyon in desert Arizona. The men
have scrambled through the gap, then
Costigan, with reluctant backward
glance, is hurried in just as flash of
flame and smoke leaps downward from
the crest and the foremost Apache sends
hurried, i'll aimed shot at the last
man left. Before another shot can fol-
low, Drummond s arm is seized by mus
cular hands, and he is dragged within
the gap. Two or three huge stones are
rolled into place, and in an instant
through the ragged loopholes the black
muzzles of half dozen carbines are
thrusting, and Costigan shouts exult-
ingly, Now, you black legged black
guards, come on if ye dare!''
But no Apache is fool enough to at
tack strong position. Keeping we'll
under cover, the Indians soon line the
crest and begin sending down rain
of better aimed bullets at the loopholes,
and every minute the fiattened lead
comes tipping through. One of these
fearful missiles tears its way through
Costigan's sleeve, and striking poor
old Moreno in the groin stretches him
groaning upon the floor. A glance
shows that the wound is mortal, and
despite his crimes the men who bear
him, moaning, in to the farther cave
are moved to sudden sympathy as his
hapless wife and child PROSTATE them
selves beside his rocky bier. Drum
mond can afford to lose no more and
orders the lower half of each hole to
be stopped with blankets, blouses, shirts,
anything that will. block a shot, and
then for an hour the fire of the besiegers
is harmless, and no longer can the be-
sieged catch even an occasional glimpse
of them. At noon their fire has ceased
entirely, and even when breathing sigh
of relief the men look into one anoth-
er's faces questioningly. How long
can this lastl How hot, how close the
air in the cave is growing!
Drummond has gone for a moment
into the inner chamber, where Moreno
is now breathing his last, to inquire for
Wing and to speak word of cheer to
his fair and devoted nurses. Not one
murmur of complaint or dread has fall
en- from their lips, though they know
their father to have ridden on perilous
quest and into possible ambush though
they know their brother to be lying at |
the ruined ranch, perhaps seriously |