Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-29

moine." (Copnor was first sergeant Of
K troop "Oi must bunk in. said
O'Leary. Good uoightr'
Good noightI' and O'Leary saun-
tered over TO barracks by a route known
best to himself and unfrequented by pa
trolls after midnight.
The duty was not exciting. It might
prove only 30 mile ride on his favorite
saddle horse across the weary, brown
desert under grilling autumn sun, but
it was Hodgson's first detached service.
He was to ascertain the cause of delay
of the mail, and riding along he tugged
at his fatigne blouse to see if the order
given him by the adjutant ON leaving
the post was still in his pocket
Hodgson was secretly glad of this
field service and welcomed it as par
tial escape from himself, for he was ex-
pecting an important letter--just how
important this story is written to show
and with expectancy, inaction and
heat he was getting nervous. Chris
topherson might have drunk native
brandy and be lying by the roadside, or
his mule might have gone lame, as had
| happened before, for the road from San
Carlos to Florence climbs the rocky
comb which crowns the Pinal divide,
as those who have once travelled it we'll
remember. The Apaches may have ap-
propriated both mail and blackboard.
This last eventuality was so pleasingthat
Hodgson, being inexperienced, clurg to
it closely until from familiarity the
idea seemed probable.
The commanding officer at Fort Mil
ton as well as his less versed subalterns
knew better, as Hodgson should have
known The Chirachucas were on the
reservations, all having drawn beef the
day before, else Wilson, with White
Mountain scouts, and not he, would
now be tracing up the mail. Besides
Apachos now rarely attacked mails
which were watched and protected, find
ing remote ranchers more profitable
prey, as their feiendlessness often made
disappearance unknown and unnoticed.
These are the deductions of wiser men,
and Hodgson had but lately joined, so
he rode on planning the attack and To-
Gated it in little arroyo which holds
very snugly some hundred yards of the
Florence road where it reels off the
Pinal foothills to cross the Rio Gila
Just why Hodgson should have To-
Gated the attack ON the mail in this par
ticular arroyo he himself probably could
not tell you and is no part of my story,
but that it actually occurred there is
mere coincidence, unless you credit tele-
pathy, which l profess not to undor-
stand. The locality was well chosen, as
is easily seen by those who have passed
it. The inclosing hillsides of the arroyo
are covered with granite cairns, and
they may have suggested to Hodgson's
excited brain certain pictures from an
old "art of war;" illustrating the de.
fense of stone structures showing loop
holes and crenulated fanking arrange
ments easily reproduced by imagination
from the freaks erosion had played
among the patches of bastard granite
now exposed and left lying like great
brown scars Oh the bare bosom of this
narrow valley.
The detachment halted ON fording the
Rio Gila, and while O'Leary was wet
ting and filling the heutenant's canteen
Hodgson's eyes were resting on foot.
hill overlooking his chosen valley, and
from it he was deploying his little
squad in rapid counter attack. Yes,
Christopherson had at that moment been
surrounded, and he was just in time to
protect the mail
In a moment the Apaches were re-
pulsed, and he had saved from savage
hands his letter. He had picked it up
from the ground, where they had drop
ped it, Yes, it was the same old hand
writing ON the same "old rose" paper
as always before. He was just about to
open it when reason, for some unaccoun-
table freak, shone for an instant on his
vagary and asserted that. as Christie
pherson broke camp at Rillito arroyo ON
Friday morning, he could not possibly
have any concern with Apaches there on
Saturday afternoon, and the absurdity
striking in his reverie took OH more
rational turn. OF course the mail had
been attacked there Friday morning,
and now he had picked up tho trail,
WAS lOlAOnAhB ~ tOb AA"oNS WA f%fN
rugged Superstition range and was
heading for the four peaks Of the Mat;
zatzals He had followed this tortuous,
arid trail many days and was rescuing
that precious letter, while his own tired
saddle horse, heading the detachment,
had borne him from Rio Gila TO Rillito
arroyo, as the road winds 10 miles.
Hodgson was not even aware that he
was nearing the arroyo, 80 engossed
was ho with his imaginative war chase,
until OLeary, riding close behind,
called out, "Lootenant. they've been at
ut ngaiD"
Starting from bis reyerie, Hodgson
saw white letters and papers littering
the level road few PAGES before them,
He rubbed his eyes 10 assure himself IL
was not mirage, and ~ he rode up 20
!hat his horse stepped on them he shud-
dered at tho uncanny coincidence,
Spread before him was a fair reality Of
follies that for hours had controlled hia
brain.
/ N