Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-04-05

scored off. Look yonder." For at the
instant ono of the packers came leading
into the corral resisting mule, at sight
of whose burden many of tho horses
started in fear. 1t was tho lifelcss body
of Donovan's companion, the soldier who
had escaped tho assassin's bullet when
Patsy fell only TO be overtaken and cut
down half way to Moreno's.
It's the bloodiest night I've known
even in Arizona, said Lee to his young
leader. "The paymaster and Mr.. Har-
vey about as good as dead, old Fccny
dying, most like, the clerk and Mullan
and some other trooper of the escort
burned to ashes in that hell hole there,
and Donovan and this last one-some
of our fellows think it is Flynn from i
troop-shot to death. It's worse than
Apache, lieutenant, and thcre'll be no
use trying to restrain our fellows when
we catch the blackguards. "
A quarter Of an hour later, leaving
half dozen soldiers under an expert
enced sergeant to guard the packs, the
wounded and the noncombatants at the
smolderino ruins of the ranch, with
barely score of seasoned troopers at
his back, Lieutenant Jim Drummond
rode resolutely out toward the southern
desert toward the distant line of Jagged
mountains that spanned tho far hori-
zon. The false and fatal blaze at the
Picacho had utterly disappeared, and
all was darkness at the west. The red
glow of the smoldering embcrs behind
10, l;,.It l,.,s,
path. Straight away southwark led
the wheoltracks, first separate and dis
tinct, but soon blending. as though ono
wagon had fallen behind and followed
the trail of the holder leader in the
first. Straight away after them went
the ruck Of hoof tracks telling plainly
that for time at least the gang had
massed and was prepared to guard its
plumber.
Stop to divide it was evident they
dared not, for they had not with them
the implements to break into the safe,
and all their searching and threatening
had failed to extract from the appar-
emily dying paymaster any clew as to
what no had done with the KEY. Stick
together, therefore, they undoubtedly
would, reasoned the lieutenant, and all
their effort would be to reach some
secure haunt in the Sierras and there
send back their demand for ransom.
twenty-five thousand dollars in cash
and George Harvey's precious daugh-
ters 1t was indeed rich haul one
that in all tho dread history of the
Morales gang had never been equaled.
Even had they failed to secure the safe
the richer booty was theirs in having
seized the girls. But few people in Ar
izona-as Arizona then was constituted
would make great effort to overhaul
a gang of robbers whose only victim
was Uncle Sam and his Everied hire
lings." Nobody III Sonora would fail
to regard them with envious eyes. but
in the deed of rapine that made them
the captors and possessors of those de
ftnseless sisters each man had put y
price upon his head. a halter round his
neck, for "gripgo' and "greaser. "
American ard Mexican alike, would
spring to arms TO rescue and aveugo.
As the rearmost of the little party
of pursucrs disappeared in the darkness
and the wcaried pack mules went jog
Slh@ suIlenly AFTER urged On by the Soad
OF lhelr mar Mexican driver the scr
Seant LETT III charge OF the detacnment
al lhe colral looked at ms watch and
noted that II was Just 2;3o o clock.
Inc dawn would be creeping on at t.
Woar;ed as vera bis rocn no did not
hermit Them all 70 resi- The condit,on
Of his wounded and fine instructions leet
him Nv Iioutona,,+ Drnmmo,d made il
necessary. II, at tbov sbo,,Id have constant
attention # was sore trorh1a for him
ia Iool, at fine old navnaster whose
life seemed ehl,ino AWAY Ivinc tbarn ca
pallid and moaning at fines SO nitiful.
IL hrt Eao,v Io,, to,nid lroa+bi,,, vet
seeming TO snfTer NOT at all
RotIl were in daene~ate nae1 Of s,,r-
yical attendance b,t ,rbara could srr-
econ ho found Tbo rearost was IT