The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-02-11

is u Hash, u SHARP report not ~ yards
away. an angry spat as the leaden mis-
silo strikes the shelving top of his para
pet and goes humming across the gorge,
stifled shrek from Ruth looking fear
fully up from below, an Irish oath from
Walsh us no whirls about to answer the
shot, and Drummond can barely repress
little gasp
Narrow squeak that, Walshl sThat
devil has crawled close up Oh us Can
you sec him?"
Begad, sir, can see nothing ut all
but rocks, rocks, rocks. How can n man
fight anyway ag'in human beings that
crawl like snakes?"
Zip! Another shot, close ut hand too.
and from another unseen foe. The first
came from somewhere among tho bowl
dors down to the southeast and this
second whizzcd from across the canyon.
a little puff of blue smoke is floating
up from among the rocks 30 yards or SO
to the north OF the narrow Slit
Crouching lower, Drummond calls
across 10 Costigan, posted as the eastern
most of the two men on the opposite
side:
That fellow is nearest you, corporal.
Can you SEQ nothing of him?''
Nothing, sir; was looking that
way, too, when he fired. Not even the
muzzlc of his gun showed"
This is serious business. If one In
dian or two can find it so easy to creep
around them, and armed only with their
muzzlc loading guns send frequent
shots that reach the besIcged lin re-
verse, what can be hoped when the
whole band gathers and every rock Oh
every side shelters hostile Apache?
From the first Dlummond has feared
that however effective might be these
defenses against the open attack of
white men, they are i'll adapted to pro-
tect the defenders against the fire of In
dams who can climb like squirrels or
crawl or squirm through any chinll or
crevice like so many snakes.
Another shot! Another bullet flattens
itself OH the rock close to his right
shoulder and then drops into the dust
by his knee. 1t comes from farther ND
the clitf-perhaps 200 yards away
among those stunted cedars-but shud-
deringly close. Costigan and the other
men glance anXiously over their Shout
ders at the point where their young
commander and Walsh are crouching.
They are not yet subjected to Il fire from
the rear, these others. The lookout,
the signal station, as it might be call
ed, is the highest point and most ex-
posed about the position.
For God S sake, lieutenant. =" cries
the corporal, don t stay there. THEY'VE
got Your range on two sides ANYHOW.
Come out of =. You and Walsh can
slip down as we open fire. Well lust
let drive i'll every direction until YOU
are safe below"
Drimlnon,l hcsitates. He sees half
pleading look in Walsh's honest face.
The lrishnan would willingly tackle
the whole tribe III open fight but what
he doesn like il the idea of being pot
ted like Gagged tiger, never knowing
whence came the shot that laid him
low. Then the lieutenant peers about
him. Yes. it is exposed to fire from IA
point i'll the cliffs to the west, and
there are rocks OYER there to the mort II
that seem To command it, but if aban-
doncd there will be no way of prevent
ing Bold advance on the part of the
Apachcs up the rugged eastward slope.
1t would then stand between the de-
tenders and the assailants. giving TO the
latter incalculablc advantage. Hold
it he must for few minutes mt least
until. recalling McGuify, he can SGT
INN and one or two others to work pill
ing up IL rock barricade in front of the
cave. Then If driven out and no longer
able to sta2d the Indians off they can
retire into the caves themselves. hid.
their precious charges i'll the farthc.t
depths. and then. hike Buford at Get
tysburg. fight like the devil till res
cue comes.
y" no. down with you, Cost.igan. Ec
answers. Get McGulfy and Fritz:
block MP the front of the cave with
rocks; move 'in those Moreno women ::
carry Sergeant Wing back to the far
ther cave Miss Harvey will show you
where. Stand fast the rest of You.
Don't let an Indian close i'll or us. -
&" Look, lieut. rant, whispers Walsh
thcy'r re coming MP down beyant you
there.
And peeping through narrow slit
left III his parapet Drumnond can
Just sec bobbing among the powders
far down toward the willow copso two
or three Apache crests Apache unmis-
takably, because OF the dirty white tur-
banlikc bandagcs about the matted
black locks. At that distance they adj
vance with comparative security. 1t is
when they come closer 10 the defenders
that they Will be lost to view.
Obcdicnt To his orders, Costigan slips
out of his shelter and takes IL sneak"
for the edge of the cliff In an instant,
from half Il dozen points above. below,