Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-03
FOES IN AMBUSH.
By Capt. CHARLES KING, U. s. A.
CopyrIght, 1soa by Charles King.l

Whatever might have been his other moral attributes, Pasqual Morales had borne name for desperate courage that seemed justified in this supreme moment surprise and stampede. What he saw us he leaned out of the bounding vehicle was certainly enough to disgust a ban dit and demoralize many a leader. Scattering like chaf before the gale his followers were scudding out across the desert, every man for himself, as though the very devil were in pursuit of each individual member of the gang. Eight or ten at least, spurring, flashing their horses to the top of their speed, were already far beyond reach of his voice. Close at hand, however, six or seven of the fellows, desperadoes of the first water. had unslung their henry rifles and blazing away for all they were worth showed evidence of determina- ton to die game. Behind them, scream ing at the tops of their shrill, strident voices, Sonora Moreno and her daughter were clinging stoutly to the iron rail of their seats as the blackboard was whirled and dashed across the plain. Already both the wounded men had Deeu lllIlS uelplSoSIS OuG tlpOn luo Sol1IlS, and even as he looked the off fore wheel struck a stout cactus stump; flew into fragments; the tire rolled off in one direction, and Moreno's luckless family shot, conetlike, into space and fetched up shrieking in the midst of plentiful crop of thorns and spines. The husband and father, gazing upon the incident from over his shoulder and afar blessed the saints for their bene- ficence in having landed his loved ones on soft soil instead of among the jag ged rocks across the plain. But for himself the sooner he reached the rocks the better. A tall gringo, who cast aside dark blue blouse as he rode, stepping low over his horses neck, seemed bent on racing the late ranch owner to the goal where both would be, and there was none to dispute with them the doubtful honor. Even those who had stampeded at the first yell of alarm were now refining back in broad, sweeping circle, unslinging the ready rife and pouring in long range fire on the distant rank of cavalry, just burst ing into the triumph of the charge. Here, there and everywhere across the plain little puffs of blue white smoke were shooting up, telling of the leaden missiles hurled at tho charging line. But on like the wind came the troopers in blue, never pauslng to fire shot, their leader at racing speed.
 Wounded though he was, Pasqual Morales was not the man to fail in the fight Yelling orders and curses at his driver, he succeeded in getting him to control his frantic team just long enough to enable the outlaw captain to tumble out. Then away they dashed again. the stiffening body of Ramon and the weighty little safe being now sole occupants of the interior. In the mad excitement of the first rush two or three horses had broken loose, leaving their owners afoot, and believing that no quarter would be the rule these aban- doned roughs were fighting to the last, selling their lives, as they called it, as dearly as possible. From their rifles and from others the shots rained fast upon the troopers, but never seemed to check the charge. The rush was glori- ous Drawing their revolvers now, for they carried no sabers, the soldiers fired as they rode down those would be Instructors, and two poor wretches were fattened out upon the plain when the main body of the troop dashed by, mak- ing straight for the fleeing Concord with the white canvas top. Drum mond had not fired at all. Every thought was concentrated on the occu- pants of t.e wagon. Every shot might be neede3 when he got to them. Chester was running grandly. The designated four who were to follow the lieutenant were already over 100 yards behind when, from the trail of the am bulance, from little patch of cactus, there came flash and report, and the beautiful horse swerved, reeled, but pushed gamely on. Noting the spot, two of the following troopers emptied a cartridge into the clump, but left the lurking foe to be looked after later. They were too close to the Concord to think of anything else-so close they could hear the cries and pleadings of a woman s voice. the terrified scream of