The times., 1894-08-03

marrow squeak that, Walshf That
devil has crawled close up ON us. Can
you see himf"
"Begad, sir, l can see nothing at all
but rocks, rocks, rocks. How can man
fight anyway ag'in human beings that
crawl like snakes?"
Zipi Another shot, close at hand too,
and from another unseen foe. The first
came from somewhere among the bowl
ders down to the southeast, and this
second whizzed from across the canyon.
A little puff of blue smoke is floating
mp from among the rocks 30 yards or SO
to the north Of the narrow slit.
Crouching lower, Drummond calls
across to Costigan, posted as the eastern
most Of the two men on the opposite
side:
THAT fellow is nearest you, corporal.
Can you see nothing of him?"
Nothing, sir; was looking that
way, too, when he fired. Not even the
muzzle 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
muzzle loading guns send frequent
shots that reach the besieged lin re-
verse;" what can be hoped when the
whole band gathers and every rock on
every side shelters hostile Apache?
From the first Drummond has feared
that however effective might be these
defenses against the open attack of
white men, they are ill adapted to pro-
tect the defenders against the fire of In
dians who can climb like squirrels or
crawl or squirm through any chink or
crevice like so many snakes.
Another shot! Another bullet fattens
itself on the rock close to his right
shoulder and then drops into the dust
by his knee. 1t comes from farther up
the oliff-perhaps 900 yards away
among those stunted cedars-but shud-
deringly close. Costigan and the other
men glance anxiously over their shoul-
ders at the point where their young
commander and Walsh are crouching.
They are not yet subjected to 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 Gods sake, lieutenant" cries
the corporal, don't stay there. They've
got your range on two sides anyhow.
Come out of it.. You and Walsh can
slip down as we open fire. Well just
let drive in every direction until you
are safe below"
D,,,,D,,,,o,,I Loe;+oka. un m I, aI
pleading look in Walsh's honest face.
The Irishman would willingly tackle
the whole tribe in open fight, but what
he doesn't like is the idea of being pot
ted like a 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
point in the cliffs to the west, and
there are rocks over there to the north
that seem to command it, but if aban-
doned there will be no way of prevent
ing q bold advance on the part of the
Apaohes up the rugged eastward slope.
1t would then stand between the de-
tenders and the assailants, giving to the
latter incalculable advantage. Hold
it he must for few minutes at least,
until, recalling McGuffy, he can set
him and one or two others to work pill
ing up rock barricade in front of the
cave. Then If driven out and no longer
able to stand the Indians off they can
retire into the caves themselves, hide
their precious charges in the farthest
depths, and then, like Buford at Get
tysburg, fight like the devil" till res
cue comes.
mo, down with you, Costigan, he
answers. "Get McGuffy and Fritz;
block up 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 in on us.
Look, lieut. 'nant, whispers Walsh;
they're coming up down beyant you
there"
And peeping through a narrow slit
left in his parapet Drummond can
just see bobbing among the powders
far down toward. the willow copse two
or three Apache crests-Apache unmis-
takably, because of the dirty white tur-
banlike bandages about the matted
black locks. At that distance they ad-
vance with comparative security. 1t is
when they come closer to the defenders
that they will be lost to view.
Obedient to his orders, Costigan slips
out of his shelter and takes sneak"
for the edge of the cliff. In an instant,
from half dozen points above, below,
and ON both sides, there come the flash
and crack of rifles. The dust is kicked
up under his nimble feet, but he reaches
unharmed the cleft in which some rude
steps have been hacked and goes, half
sliding, half scraping, down into the
cooler depths below.
"Mother OF Moses!" he groans, but
we'll never get the lieut. 'nant out alive.
Shure they're all around him now.
Then bounding down the gorge he
finds McGuffy lneeling at the point.
They're coming, Barney" whispers
the boy, all eager and tremulous with
excitement, and pointing down between
the vertical walls. "Look!" he says
Gazing ahead to the next bend, Cos
tigan can see Moreno and his Yankee
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