The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1894-03-29
straight at his soldierly subordinate.
BY love. Patterson. SO did y,

straight at his soldierly subordinate.
/ By Jove. Patterson, SO did IT.
1 There was little stir across the
canyon. Moreno was edging about un-
easily and beginning to mutter BIAS
phemy at his bonds.
! That fellow begged very, hard to be
moved down into that wolf hole of q
place where the Mexican women are,
lieutenant. with those two bunged up
bandits to take care of. Nice time
we'd have, sir. if the three of them was
able to move. The boys'd make short
work of them now, the way they re
feeling. went in and took look at
those two fellows. One of 'em is a
goner, sure, but they re dead game,
both of 'em. Neither one has a word
to say.
No answered Drummond, '.thev
refused to give their names to me-said
it was no earthly consequence what
name we put over their graves; the right
set of fellows would be along after
awhile and do them all the honor they
cared for. How were the Moreno women
behaving?'
THE girl was asleep. should Judge,
sir. The old bag was rocking to and
fro, grooming to herself until one of
the two-the live one, l should call
him-hurled a curse at her in Span-
ish and told her to dry up or he'd kill
her. All bluff. for he can't move a
peg"
Watch them we'll. Patterson, all
the same. Hush!'
Again from within the deep shelter
of the rocky cave came the low moan
Of anguish:
Mother! mother if you knew''-
Here, Patterson, l can't stand this.
I'm going in to him. And picking
up the dim lantern which he had taken
from the Harvey wagon Drummond
stole in on tiptoe and knelt again be-
side his wounded comrade.
Wing! sergeant! Look up, man.
Speak to me. You must be in distress,
mental or bodily. Do let me help you
in some way"
| Fo, & moment no reply whatever
Wings face was hidden. Then he
locked gently upward.
Lieutenant, I'm ashamed to be Civ
| ing you so much trouble. Please go and
lie down again, sir; you're worse hurt
than l am-only suppose get to doz-
| ing off and then turn on that side. -
mo, it isn't that, sergeant. There's
something wrong, and it has all come
on you since yesterday morning. Where
is your mother?''
Again Wing turned away, burying
his face in his arms.
Listen, sergeant; we hope to get
you out of this by tonight. DR.. Gray
ought surely to reach us by that time,
and while we may have to keep up
field hospital here a day or two my
first duty will be to write and tell your
mother how bravely you have served
us, and she shall be told that you are
wounded, but not in such "a way as to
alarm her.
Out came a restraining hand.
Lieutenant, she must not know at
ALL
We'll. she can't, so far as I'm con-
cerned, as | don't know her address,
But think a moment; you know and /
know Hold on, waltz And Drum
mond rose and tiptoed to cleft in the
rock through which shone dim light
It was the entrance to the remote in
ner cave where the Harvey girls were
sleeping. Assured that his words could
reach there no listening ears, Drum
mond returned, kneeling again by the
sergeant's side. ''Just think, man;
any moment after daybr the Apaches
may be upon us, and, who knows? it
may be my last fight. OF course be-
lieve that our fellows can stand them
off until rescue comes, but a bullet may
find me any moment, and then who is
there to report your conduct and secure
the recognition due you, or if the doc
tor should be late in coming and fever
set in and this wound prove too much
for your strength is there nothing that
ought to be said to her for you?'
Again only painful silence. At last
Wing spoke.
Il understand. appreciate all you
say. But I've got to think it over,
lieutenant. Give me an hour or SO.
Don t ask me to tell you now"
80 be it, man. Now rest all you
possibly can. It's almost day. The
crags are beginning to light up back of
US here already. Yes, and the sentry's
calling me now. I'll be back by and
by. What is it, Patterson he whis-
pered, going to the mouth of the cave.
''I've just come down from the tree
up there, sir. You can see quite ways
down the range now, though the light
is dim, and what take to be signal
fire leaped up not three miles below us,
certainly this side of where Wing was
shot
$50 soon? All right; then get back
to the post just as quick as you can.
I'll rouse the man who has slept long
est. All must be astir in half an hour,
but you keep watch there"
And half an hour later it is that, field
glass in hand, the young officer is there
by Patterson's side, peering eastward
| almost into the eve Of the sun. search