Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-04-28

from the Sierra Blanca. concentrating
ON him now? The silence about him il
ominous. Not an Indian has shown him
self along the range for half an hour.
and now these fellows to the east are
close to the copse. In less than 30 min
utes there will DO Eve times his puny
force around him. Is there no hone of
rescue?
Once moro he turns to the east, across
the shimmering glare of that parched
and tawny plain, and strains his ewes
In VAN effort to catch sight of the
longed for column issuing from the op-
poslte valley, but it is hopeless. The
hot sun beats down upon his bruised and
achlng head and sears his bloodshot
eyes. He raises his hand in mute an
peal to heaven, and at the instant there
is a flash, a sharp report not 80 wards
away, an angry spat as the leaden mis-
siie strikes the shelving top of his para
pet and goes humming across the gorge,
stified shrek from Ruth looking fear
fully up from below, an Irish oath from
Walsh as he whirls about to answer the
shot, and Drummond can barely repress
little gasp.
Narrow squeak that, Walsh! That
devil has crawled close up on MS. Can
you see him!"
"Begad, sir. I can sec nothing at all
but rocks, rocks, rocks. How can q man
tight anyway az lin human beings that
crawl like snakes?''
Zipi Another shot, close at hand foo
and from another unseen foe. The FIRST
came from somewhere among the bowl
ders down to the southeast, and this
second whizZed from across the canyon.
a little puff of blue smoke is floating
up from among the rocks so yards OF SO
to the north of the narrow slit.
Crouching lower, Drummond calls
across to Costigan, posted as the eastern
most CT the two men on the opposite
side:
That fellow is nearest you, corporal.
Can you see nothing of him ?''
Nothing, sir; l was looking that
way, too, when he fired. Not even the
muzzle of his gun showed.''
This Is serious business. If one In
dian or two can find it so easy to creep
around them, and armed only with their
mnzzle loading guns send frequent
shots that reach the bssIeged in re-
verse, what can be hoped when the
whole band gathers and every rock on
every side shelters hostile Apache :?
From the first Drummond has feared
that however effective might be these
defenses against the open attack of
/ white men. they are i'll adapted to pro-
tect Che defenders against the fire of In
dams who can climb like squirrels or
crawl or squirln through any chink or
crevlce like so many snakes.
Another shot! Another bullet flattens
itself on the rock close TO his right
shoulder and then drops into the dust
by his knee. 1t comes from farther ND
the cliff-perhaps 200 yards away
among those stunted cedars-but shud-
deringly close. Costigan and the other
men glance anxiously over their Shout
ders at the point where their young
commander and Walsh are crouching.
They are not yet subjected to fire from
the rear, these others. The lookout,
the signal station, as it might be call
ed, is the highest point and most ex-
posed about the position.
For Gods sake, lieutenant, cries
the corporal. don't stay there. They've
got your range ON two sides anyhow
Come ont of it. You and Walsh can
| slip down as we open fire. Well Just
let drive in every direction until you
are safe below"
Drummond hesitates. He sees half
pleading look in Walsh's honest face.
| The Irishman would willingly tackle
the whole tribe in open fight, but what
he doesn't like is the idea of being pot
ted like Gagged tiger. never knowing
whence came the shot that laid him
| low. Then the lieutenant peers about
him. Yes. il is exposed to fire from a
point in the cliffs to the west, and
there are rocks over there to the north
that seem to command it, but if aban-
doned there Will be no way of prevent
ing bold advance on the part of the
Apaches up the rugged eastward slope.
| 1t would then stand between the de-
| Tenders and the assailants, giving to the
| latter incalcaiable advantage. Hold
| it he must for few minutes at least,
| until, recalling McGuffy, he can sci
| him and one or two others TO work pill
ing up rock barricade in front of the
cave. Then if driven out and no longer
able to stand the Indians off they can
retire into the caves themselves, hide
| their precious charges in the farthest
| depths, and then: like Buford at Get
tysburg, fight like the devil" till res,
| cue comes.
mo, down with you, Costigan, he
answers. Get McGuffy and Fritz
block mp tho front of the cave with
rocks; movo in those Moreno women
carry Sergeant Wing back to the far.
Their cave-hIiss Harvey will show you
where. Stand fast the rest OF you.
Don't let an Indian close in on MS"
Look, lieut. 'nant, !" whispers Walsh
they're coming up down beyant you
there"
And peeping through a narrow slit
left in his parapet Drummond can
just see bobbing among the bowlder:
far down toward the willow copse two
or three Apache crests-Apache unmls
| takably, because of the dirty white tur