The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-07

to find what number and manner of
men Moreno might have in concealment
there. Questioning was OF little use.
Moreno WAS ready to answer to any.
thing and was never known to halt nj
lie. Old Miguel, the half breed, who
did odd jobs about the we'll ans, thc
corral, expressed profound Ignorance
both OF the situation and Fccnys Eng.
llsh The Mexican boy had but one
answer to all queries, No sa-a-nbc."
Other occupants there were. but these
even Fccny's sense of duty could not
prompt him To disturb Somewhere
IN the depths of the domestic portion
OF the ranch, where the brush on tho
flat roof was piled most heavily and
the walls were icalously thick all
scouting parties or escorts well knew
that Morcno's wife and daughter were
hidden from pryinS eyes, and runior
had it that often there were more than
two feminine occupants; that these
were sometimes joined 10y three or four
othcrs-wivcS or swccthcarts of ont
lawcd men who rode with pasqual Mo
rales-;nd all Arizona knew that Pas
quail Morales had little more Mexican
blood i'll his veins than had Fccnv
himself. Ho was an Americana. Il
cursed gringo for whom long years ago
the shcrills of California and Nevada
had chased in vain who had sought
refuge and mate in Sonora and whose
swarthy features found no difficulty i'm
masqueradinS under IL Mexican iamo
when the language of lovo had mado
him familiar with the Mexican tongue.
Slow To action, slow of speech as was
the paymastcr, he WAS not slow to soc
that Sergeant Fccny was anxious and
Ill ut case, and If Il veteran trnoDcr.
whom his captain had pronounced the
coolest, pluckicst and most reliable man
in the regiment. could he so DISTURBED,
over the indications. it was high time
to take prccaution. What was the
threatened danger? Apachcs? They
would never assault the ranch with it's
guard of soldiers, whatsoever they
might do in the canyons in the range
beyond. Outlaws? They had not been
heard of for months. He had inquired
into all this mt Yuma, ut tho stage sta
tons, by mail of the commanding
officers at Lowell and Bowie and
Grant. Not for six months had Il stage
been held up or blackboard
jumped south of tho turbid ella.
True, there was r,mor of riot and law.
lessncss among the miners mt Castle
Dome and the customary shooting scrapc
Mt EhrcnhcrS and La Pax, but these
were river towns. far behind him now
as he looked back over tho desert trail
and aloft into the star studded. cloud.
less sky.
Nothing could he more placid, moth
ing less prophetic of peril or ambush
than this exquisite summer night.
Somewhere within the forbidden region
of Morcno's harcin Il guitar was begin
ming 10 tnkic sortly> That was Ill
very well, hut then II wonans voice,
anything but soft, took mp IL strange,
monotonous refrain. Line after line,
verse after verse il ran. harsh change
less. He could not distinguish tho
words-hc did not wish to; the music
was bad enough i'll all conscience, what
soevcr it might become when sung bv
youth or beauty. AS it fell from the
lips of Sonora Moreno the air was a
succession of vocal nasal dishni,nonics.
high pitched. stri1ent, nerve rackin.
Unable To listen after the third rene
titiOn. Plumincr slowly retired from
the corral and once more appeared at
the front, Just in time for 81 sensation.
Two troopers. two of the men who had
ridden back with Donovan, came lurch.
ing into tho lighted space before the
main entrance. At sight Of tho pay
master one of them siiffcncd mp and
with prctcrnatnral gravity of micn cx-
ccutcd the salute. The other. with an en-
vclopc in his hand, rccled ont of the sad
die, failed to catch his lrllancc. plunged
heavily into the sand and lay there.
Corporal Murphy sprang eagerly for.
ward. the first man to reach him, and
turned the prOStrltc trooper over on his
back
"What's,hc mattcr?" qucricd Pln,u-
mcr. Is lic Sick
Sick, is it," WIS thc quick rctort
as the corporal shifted at the tainted
breath of The sufferer. BE The pow.
crs, only wish had half his dis
aysc "
And then came Fecny. glarng. wrath
full.
Como down off the top of that
horse, Mnllan," he ordered, ficrccly.
How-how'd yc get hcrc2 Which
way'd We come? Where's the rest ?"
With the ponderous dignity of in
ebricty, Mullan slowly pointed mp the
desert under the spot where the pole
star glowcd in the northern skies.
Sarsh nj. he hiccouShcd, wore
we're too late; PEACHES got there
first
Hwat! hwat!' thundcrcd Fccny
Dye mean there were womcn-that
it wasn't Il plantt'