The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-14
FOES in
AMBUSH
BY CAPT LBAs. KING us. \.
Copy righ. 1898, by Charles King.
Continued from last Wednes lay y
CHAPTER III.

and few hundred feet below his perch
the Yuma road came twisting through
the pass, and then disappeared in the
gathering darkness across the desert
plain that stretched between them and
the distant Santa Maria. Over to the
east the loftiest crags of the Christobal
were still family tinged by the last
touch of departed day Southwark
still, beyond the narrow and tortuous
pass, the range rose high and precipi-
tous, covered and fringcd with black
masses of cedar, stunted pine and juni-
per.
North of west, on the line of the now
invisible road and far out toward the
Gila, faint light was just twinkling
There lay Ceralvo's. and nowhere
else, save where tho embers of the cook
fire still glowed in a deep crevice among
the rocks, was there light of any kind
to be seen. ~ lonely spot was this in
which to spend ones days, yet the SOL
der i'll charge seemed in no wise OBJ
pressed with sense of isolation. 1t
was his comrade, sitting modify ON a
convenient rock, elbows on knees and
chin deep buried in his brown and hairy
hands, who seemed brooding over the
desolation of his surroundings.
Watching him in silence moment,
quiet smile of amusement on his lips,
Sergeant Wing sauntered over and
placed friendly hand OH the broad
blue shoulder.
We'll, Pikey, are you wishing your
self back in 'Frisco?"
I'm wishing myself in Tophet, SER
gcant; it may be hotter, but it isn't as
lonely as this Internal hole. ="
No, its populous enough probably"
was the response; "and." added he,
with whimsical smile, no doubt
you've lots Of friends there, Pike.
Maybe have, and maybe haven't
AT all events, I've none here Why in
thunder couldn't you let me look into
that business over at Ceralvos instead
of jackson: He gets everything worth
having. I'm shelved for his sake dav
after day"
'Couldn't send you, Pike, on any
such quest us that Those greasers have
sharp eyes and one look at your face
would convince them that we'd lost
our grip or were in for funeral.
jackson, now, rides in as blithe ms a
Arizona, | mean. They never ret the
best of him. The only trouble is he
stays too long; he ought to be back here
now.
"Humph he'll be apt to come back
In hurry with Pat Donovan and those
Y troop fellows spending their money
like water at Ceralvo's.
You still insist they're over there,
do you, Pike? / think they're not. /
tagged old Feeny half an hour ago
that they hadn't come through here. y
Who was that follow who rode back
here with the note?" asked Pike.
II don't know his name. 'Dutchy'
they call him in q troop. He's on
his second enlistment.
More fool he! The man who re-cn
lists in this territory must be either
drunk or Dutch" And Pike rclapsrd
into gloomy silence again. IN, eyes
fixed upon the faint flicker of the bar
lights at Ccralvo's miles away. but
Wing only laughed again, and still
pniiing away at his pipe went Oh down
the winding trail To where in the deep
shelter of the rocky walls pool Of
water lay cleaning Here lie threw
himself fiat, and lying aside his pre-
cions pipe drank long and eagerly; then
with sudden plunge he dousrd his hot
face in the cooling flood and came up
dripping.
Thank the Lord have no desert
march TO make today all on ii wild
goose chase, " was his pious ciacula-
ton. What on earth could have in
Ia, Il ,l
ment over TO the Gila?" He took from
his pocket Il penciled note and slowly
twisted it in his fingers 1t was too
dark to read, but in it's soldicrly brcvity
he almost knew it by heart
1'Thc major sent Donovan with half
TGhe escort back To the ella on an Apache
scare this morning. They will prob
ably return your way. empty handed
Signal If they have passed Latham
knows your code and we have IL good
glass Send man TO Ceralyo's with
orders for them to join mt once if they
haven't come. and flag or torch when
they pass you. It's my belief they've
gone there.
This was signed by Fecny and over
and again had Wing been specializing
as to what it all meant. When the cs-
cort with the ambulance and paymaster
went through before the dawn, Feeny
had reused him to ask if anything had
been heard Of Indians on tho warpath
between them and the Sonora line, and
the answer was both prompt and posi-
tive, "No." AS for their being north
or north Of west Of his station, and up
toward the ella, Wing secuted the sug
gestion. He wished, however, that