Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-02

SCTea1u or cAclJSuGu6 dIlQ Uel1Slb dflU Esaw the younger sister bracing her tiny, slender feet and hanging on to line with all her strength. In an instant he was at her side, and together, hand over hand, they finally succeeded in pulling aboard beautiful dolphin and landed him, leaping, Tapping, splashing madly about, in the midst of the merry party on the deck. It was the first time Ruth had seen the gorgeous hues of this cele- brated fish, and her excitement and plea sure over belng heralded as its captor were most natural. From that time on she had pinned her girlish faith to the coat sleeve of the tall, reserved young cavalryman. To him she was child, even younger by a year than the little sister he had left, and of whom fle soon | young knight crrant, tho hero of a bud ding maidcn's shyest, sweetest, fondest fancy and ere long the idol of the dreams and thoughts she dared n9t whisper even to herself. Paquita, with tl1e wisdom of elder sisterh00d. more than half be- lioyed she read the yOunger's s heart, but wisely held her peace. No wonder the little maid had so suddenly been si- i fenced by tho announcement at the pass that that very night sho might again see the soldier boy to whom. in the ab- sence of all others, her heart had been so constant. No wonder the ride for ward to Moreno's s was one of thrilling excitement and shy delight and antici- patton. No wonder hers reason, her very life, seemed wrecked ill tho tragic fate that there befell them.
 And now as he rode swiftly in pursuit Drummond was thinking over the in cidents of that delightful voyage, and marvelling at the strange fate that had brought the Harvey girls again into his life and under circumstances so thrill ing. Never for an instant would he doubt that before the sun could reach meridian he should overtake and rescue them from the hands of their cowardly captors. Never would he entertain the thought of sustained defense on the part of the outlaw band. Full of high con- tempt for such cattle, he argued that no sooner were they assured that the cavalry were close at their heels than most of their number would scatter for their lives, leaving Pasqual to his fate, and probably abandoning the wagons and their precious contents on the road. A sudden dash, 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 l 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. o'clock had come and gone. The chase was still out of sight ahead, yet every moment seemed to bring them closer upon their heels. At every bend of the tortuous trail the leaders eye 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 daybreak 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 tho panting horses, had just turned Q rocky knoll and was following the trail into a broader reach of the canyon, which now seemed opening out to the west h. stead of keeping in the bottom as here tofore, the wagon track now followed a gentle ascent and disappeared over spur 400 yards ahead. Here Lee had suddenly flung himself from his horse, thrown the reins to Patterson, and, crouching behind powder, 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 well known cavalry signal i Halt" Then, bidding Meinecke dis mount tho mon and reset blankets and saddles, the young officer gave Ches- ter rein and was soon kneeling by the side of his trusty subordinate.
 Lee said no word at all, simply point ed ahead.
 And here was q sight to make a sol dier's pulses bound. Not 9 quarter mile away the rocky, desolate gorge which they had been following since
 
 bounded at the west by range of rug ged heights whose sides were beard ed with a dark growth of stunted pine or cedar. On each side of their path tall, precipitous rock stood sentry over the entrance and framed the view of the valley beyond. For full mile ahead the trail swept straight away, descending gently to the valley level, and there, just pushing forth upon the | wide eXpanse, with dots of horse1nen 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 tho new Concord; the | second, a dingy mustard yellow, the | battered old ambulance of tho paymas- | ter; tho third and last, with no cover | at all. Moreno's blackboard. It 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 garrisons of Lowell, Bowie or Stoneman he had heard mention of a mysterious hiding | place in the Cababi mountains whither, when pressed by sheriffs' posses, Pas | qual Morales had been wont to flee with his chosen followers and there bid de- tiance to pursuit. And now the young soldier saw at glance that the chase was heading along a fairly well defined track straight for a dark, frowning gorge in the mountains some three or l four miles ahead of them. If allowed to gain that refuge, it might be possible for Morales to successfully resist at- tack. With quick decision Drummond turned to the men still seated in sad dle.
 "Dismount where you are, you two. Reset all four saddles. We mount again here, sergeant, and we'll take the
 gallop as soon as the troop comes up