The Portland daily press., 1894-12-01
spies lurking behind every mesquite bush,
Gliding hesida avarv trail

spies lurking behind every mesquite bush,
gliding beside every trail
In front of the commanding officer the
officers halted before they started off. The
women, still in their evening gowns,
crowded around them to say goodby.
They could recognize faces only when the
light from the commandments windows
fell upon them. Beyond that all was dark.
King waited for the mascot that had
been promised him and was despairing
when he felt something hard slipped be-
tween his fingers and heard voice which
seemed to come out of the inky air muir
muir, "Adios"
"Adios, he answered and followed the
sound of the hoofs of his captains horse.
In the midst of the chaparral, trotting
slowly along with the column, he struck
a match and looked at the bit of paste
board in his hand The light was uncer-
tain, but he could make out head and
neck, and the eyes seemed to glitter.
Then a gust of wind blew out the match,
and coyote yelped near by.
The rations were almost out, and orders
were to return to the post for fresh sup
plies. King was happy at the prospect
naturally. He drew out his mascot from
time to time and looked at the beautiful
face thereon, the lips half parted, the eyes
glancing from under heavy lids. 1t was
only a head, with masses of fluffy hair fad
ing into the shaded background but it
was beautiful, perfect.
The twilight came on. They had march
ed all the afternoon. They were weary Of
chasing phantoms, of following useless
trails. They passed through pine forest,
and the darkness deepened.
A creek at the bottom of a gully flowed
along in the shadow of the pines. The
column went down to it, listening to the
sound of the ripping water. All else was
quiet No one spoke The black wings Of
the pines, like shadow of doom, lay over
the troops.
A crack, a hiss, a bullet striking through
flesh. startled mur1nur, orders ringing
on the air in the midst of the shots. Then
the soldiers returned the fire of their I'M
seen foes. On all sides they were sur
rounded, but the gully was wide enough
for a little maneuvering. Tho men got
under the shelter of an abrupt rising of
the bank and had only to defend them
selves from three sides.
They were badly frightened-not as COW
ards, but as men who are fond of life and
mean to sell it dearly. 1t was an ugly
position, and not a few fell face downward
in the dancing mountain stream. The
only person who seemed completely to ig-
more the danger was King. A cigarette
between his teeth, he strolled, with ap-
parently utter carelessness, up and down
under cover of the bullets of his men and
in full range of the Indians hidden up
above behind the tree trunks.
Some way the thought of the mascot
under his coat gave him sense of securi-
IT, He heard again the sound of the voice
which said to him from the darkness, IF
my picture is with you, no harm can
come near" He felt again the touch of
the phantomlike hand, the warmth of the
lips he could not see.
There was sharp pain in his breast.
He gave little cry and fell, his head half
buried in the pine needles.
The girl, when she heard of it from the
| dust stained courier, grew uneasy She
was afraid that her picture might be found
on the body, and that the man she had
promised to marry-the middle aged colo
mel, who had great ideas of her constancy
might hear of it.
But he did not There was photograph
found in Kings pocket, but the bullet
had plowed right through the face, and
it was SO smeared with blood as to be I'm
recognizable. 1t was sent back east to his
family. - Gwendolen Overton in San
Francisco Argonaut.