The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-05-04


can't leave them here. We must head
for Ceralvo's at once. How could those
Indians have got over that way?'
1T Is beyond me to say, sir. / didn't
know they ever went west of the Santa
Maria.
II can hardly believe it now, but
there's no doubling that signal; it is to
call us thither at all speed wherever
we may be and means only one thing
--Apaches here Sergeant Wing Is
not the man TO get stampeded. Can
they have jumped the stage, do you
think, or attacked some OF Ceralvo's
people?"
Lord knows. sir. don't see how
they could have swung around there.
There's nothing to tempt them along
that range until they get to the pass
itself They must have come around
south of Moreno's. /"
II think not, sergeant.
The words were spoken in very
quiet voice. Drummond turned in sur
prise, his foot in the stirrup, and looked
at the speaker keen eyed trooper Of
middle age, whose hair was already
sprinkled with gray.
"Why not, Bland?"
Because we have been along tho
range for nearly 80 miles below here,
sir, and haven't crossed sign, and be-
cause understand now what couldn t
account for at o'clock-what l
thought must be imagination.
"What was thatp"
''Smoke, sir, off toward the ella,
north Of Ceralvo's should say, just
about north Of west of where we are !"
why didn't you report it?"
You were asleep sir, and by the
time got the glasses and looked it had
faded out entirely, but it's my belief the
Indians are between us and the river,
or were over there north of Ceralvo's
today. If not Indians, who?"
You ride with me, Bland. I'll
talk with you further about this. Come
on with the men as soon as you have
the packs ready, sergeant. And so
saying Lieutenant Drummond mounted
and rode slowly down the winding
trail among the powders. At the foot
of the slope, where the water lay gleam-
ing in its rocky bed, he refined his horse
to the left to give him his fill of the
pool, and here the troop addressed as
Bland presently joined him.
Where was it you enlisted, Bland?'
was the younger soldiers first ques-
ton. II understand you are familiar
with all this country"
AT Tucson, sir, six months ago, aft
er the stage company discharged me.
II remember, was the answer as
the lieutenant gently drew rein to lift
his horses head. Il think you were so
frank as to give the reason of your
quitting their employment.
well, there was no sense trying to
conceal it or anything else a man may
do out here, lieutenant. They fired me
for drinking too much at the wrong
time The section boss said he couldn t
help himself, and | don't suppose he
could"
LAS remember, said Drummond
presently, and with hesitation, for he
hated to pry into the past of man who
spoke so frankly and who made 10
effort to conceal his weakness, you
were driver of the blackboard the Mo-
rales gang held up last November over
near the Catarinas.
Eyes; that's the time got drunk,
sir. It's all that saved me from being
killed, and between keeping sober and
losing my life or getting drunk and
losing job preferred the latter
Yet you were in a measure resDon-
sible for the safety of your passengers
and mail, were you not?"
well, no, sir; not after the warning
gave the company. | told them
Ramon Morales was in Tucson the night
before we had to pull out, and wherever
he was that internal cutthroat of a
brother of his wasn't far away. told
them it was taking chances to let Judge
Gillette and that infantry quartermas-
ter try to go through without escort. !
begged to throw up the job that very
night, but they held me to my contract,
and had to 60 We were jumped not
10 miles out of town, and before any
one could draw derringer every man
of us was covered. The judge might
have known they'd shoot him on sight
ever since that greaser from Hermosillo
was lynched. But they never harmed
the quartermaster.
Huh! The devil they didn't
laughed the lieutenant. They took
his watch and his money and every
thing he had on except his undercloth
ing. How long had you been driving
when that happened9"
Just eight months. sir. between
Tucson and Grant"
And did you never serve with the
cavalry before9 You ride as though
you had"
Most men hereabouts served on one
side or other, said Bland calmly, as
his horse finished his long pull at the
water.
And your side was"--
Confederate, was the brief reply
II was born in Texas Here comes the
troop, sir"
Come on then. want to ask you
about that trail to Crittenden as we
ride. We make first for the Picacho
pass from here.
| "Wbv that's south of west sir - an