Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-03-24
CHATTER VI.


awful sense of the calamity that had
IaHIlan luu and the dread and doubt
r. 90 tho fate uf his beloved ones seemed
prliv his stunned and bewildered fac
Mite, auI bring him face 10 face with
tb. horror of the situation. Barely able
t Irpathe. hc found himself rudely
-3..pd. Striving to raise his hand
nfar the hateful bandage away, he
found that he was pinioned by the el.
bows and bound hand and foot by the
very RATA probably that had dragged
ru thithcr. No doubt as to the ma
aua,i,v ct his unseen captors here.
Tr, skill with which he had been
IHaI. trippod. whislsed away and
uua0d-t the sharp, biting edges, even the
oiug ct dirty shide rope-all told
him thlt..iS.tAmericans were not
lacking -, 81. his immediate an
t.olis .tn across the Sonora
huH. vt they were mat
tr, kid o,ov.r' The fact that
after, hlc Sio'e,sc in open attack
f. t'Shiefs. la'udden carried their
castle eorsets ole ruse was only too
mnhlyNl ca. writhing. struggling
h,. bonds. ~ Harvey's burning ewes
vrr madlene5 by the picture before
um uu'y a couple of hundred yards
away.
There in the n rec light of the flames
pv bursting from every window and
roaring and shooting high in air from
tla brush heapAd roof of Moreno's
Ian b thorc stoodNthe Concord wagon,
.r.v1rt m,a clingitlg to the heads of
OH p'wgiug and exSited mules. a big
udn already in tte drivers seat.
whip and reins in hagd; there beside
i' WIS the paynastcr's mbulance. into
which three of the gani were Just shov-
luz Che green painted' iron safe-the
lJrdu-a's COX that had caused all their
Sorrows there Morcnols California
ba uourd. pressed into service and be-
~ used 20 carry tho wounded, drawn
rs .bn extra mules, and thon-God Of
haven! what a sight for brothers eyes
trs.p and make no sign!-then one big
brute lifted from the ground and hand
,j up to "a follow already cnscorced
within the covered wagon the senseless.
Perhaps ifgl1ss. lorm of pretty little
buth. his fathers idol. Tho POOR child
Lg uurrsis.ing in the ruifian's arms,
lUt not .r Paquita. lt took two men.
strong aud lurly, To- lift and force her
iU,' the dark interior. and one of these,
20 the uttermost detail of his equip
mont. was to all appearance a trooper
ui the United States cavalry.
Th.rp stood his painting horse with
hanging head and jadcd withers, the
very stccd whose rush they had well
coined with such exceeding, JOY, sad
diUl. lridlod. blanketcd. saddlebagged,
h.iJted. side lined. every item complete
anil cg5rtly rs Issued Iy the ordnance
q apartment. The trooper himself wore
o." field uniform Of tho cuvaIry-.the
dJrN lluc blouse. crossed 1y the black
crhiuc sling. whose big brass buckle
NHl could Can now sec cleaning he
'w.0n the broad shoulders and gath
og'd Gt Tho wait by the old fashioned
,uimhlo lclt the troop saddlors used
'1 make for field service before the
woven rifdle was devised. Even
moro. Harvey in his misery rcmcm-
Ifr'd the thrill of joy with which he
tla noted. rs the splendid rider refined
IN and throw himself from the saddle
'u' crossed sahers. the troop letter &c"
amt no" rogim7rtgl number cleaning
ut ,nn front ui his campaign hat.
"aH#wbu c1Jld this DC. wearing the
I"lNgNu.. eurh OF n soldier of the United
H'a. got figuring ~ n ringleader iii
'''N '. r.H' r and assassins now add
l"t Ntu. t' their calendar of crime?
hu"afd liar'oy's heart almost burst
WIN hnipI- roe and wrctchedness
when be- saw his precious sisters
or"gtod within the canvas shelter-saw
'h' tan uniformed brigand leap lightly
di''r t1om and heard him shout to the
ready driver. Now, off with you."
crack went the whip rs the men
spiduS from the heads of the frantic
HIuI's. and with n bound that nearly
'9'd the trace hooks from the stout
Whlppietreo the Concord went spin-
ill| over thu sands to the south. whirl-
INK so ncgr him that over rho tbud of
i'"l'7 ana whrl OF wheels and creak of
spring and woodwork he could hear
Ioor ! anny's dcspairing cry-tho last
.'u'l'. nc was aware of for hours. for
now IN dead earnest Harvey swooned
away. S"ooie"
nan an hour later, the rafters of tbe
ranch having by this time trrb,od j.,
and turned the interior into n slow;,,,,
Iurnacc' there came riding from fine
west a slender sl;irmish line of horrn
men In the Worn campaign drosa ~ .ho
regular cavalry. With tbc ad,.,rao
there were not moro than six or oi,,h.
tall, slender lieutenant LEADING thor,
ON and signaling his Instructions
With carbines advanced. with c,,os
peering out from under the iaryed -.
rims, the veteran troopers came lop;ny
into the light of the flames. expectont
every instant of hearing the crack of
outlaws rifle or perhaps the hiss of
loathered arrow of unseen foe. Tbou,b
some of the steeds looked hot and wen.
fied, the big rawboned eorrel that car.
ma the yogns commander turred RI
ms BIT and bornded impatiently as
though eager for the signal charge ="
su'.ight into the circle of light. straight
10 the southern entrance, now gate of