The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-10-16

ton for the move. They were
full of sympathy for him and
of distrust of Muncey, the ex-
partner, and of Manuel Cardoza, the
maternal uncle. They believed implic-
lily Icons story of his transportation.
The boy said that Uncle Manuel had
treated him fairly well until they were
south of the Gila river, Muncey had
left then and gone back to the Santa
Anita, after signing and exchanging
some papers with Manuel at ranch on
the Auga Fria. Leon could tell little
about his journey southward. The
driver of the blackboard had made q
place for him among the mail sacks,
and there he cried himself to sleep at
night. But instead Of taking him back
to Aunt Carmen, of whom his mother
had often told him, Uncle Manuel had
turned him over to this boss packer at
Tucson, and Leon soon found there
was something wrong. Instead OF TAX
ing the southwark trail, the pack train
was travelling eastward day after day,
and he learned presently that they
were going to old Fort Crittenden-far
over where the Chiricahua Apaches,
under Cochise, their famous leader,
were then in the height of their bloody
work. Mrs. Cullen had taught Randall
and him the beautiful consultations in
the cloudlcEs Arizona skies, and from
the pole star by night and the sun by
day he knew they were never going to-
ward Hcrmosillo-his mothers far
Sonora home. Then he overheard
talk among the packers that BODIED ill
for him. Manuel had reasons for want
ing to "gct him out Of the way" was all
he could make of it, and if he wasn't
"lost," as they expressed it, before they
reached the Sierra Bonita, he must be
"lost" there where it could be
laid to Cochise and the Chiricahuas.
Terrified, the boy still kept his
wits. They passed wagon train,
qunrtermaster's ''outfit," west
ward bound, one day, and that
evening, soon after dark, he slipped out
of camp, and all alone and afoot, took
the back track across the desert, ano
after an all night tramp, caught the
train with its soldier escort just as ii
was starting on the next stage. Tho
troopers gave him food and place to
sleep under the canvas cover OF one o.
the wagons. Leon was carried back tc
Tucson safely, but from there home tc
the old post far up to the north was
matter Of days and weeks. He had go
there at last, worn and weary, bu
something told him it wouldn't be long
before Uncle Manuel md Munccy were
after him again, speedily learning tina
he had returned to his friends insteat
of being lost" rs the packers nigh
say, among their foes, the Chiricahuas
He warned his soldier friends, old ant
new, that he would not and dare no
return to his uncle's control. Th
problem, therefore, was what to d.
with him until Capt. and Mrs. Cullel
could be heard from, and the solution
came quicker than might have bee
expected. Senior captain OF his rcgi
IncuU Wncu ~ lclO AilHOhn, NuiiSh w.
looking forward to promotion to tn
grade of major within the year, an
probably in his own old regiment. Blu
one Of those sudden and unlocked fo
opportunities occurred that are so chal
acteristic of army life. Maj Wharto
of the --th cavalry, the new regimen
just. reaching Arizona, concluded the
he would rather retire with the thre,
quarters pay Of that grade after thirt
years of hard service than go out to tf
desert and dcsolate land of Arizona fC
four years more, Capt. Cullen, pr
NOTED major of the -th cavalry, vic
Wharton, retired, would soon return
the very station he had SO recently lef
Icons best friends were coming bac