The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-10-30
CHAPTER E.-CoHT1NUED.


major, after a moments thought.
"This is something I'll have to talk
over with you. No." he continued, as
many of the frontiersmen, too, showed
evident inclination to consider them
selves included in the invitation.
%'Excuse me, now, if l have to talk with
my officers a moment. There is no
news except that Capt. Foster has
found couple of MeXicans who
claimed to have been jumped by
Apachcs, and who say the Indians
have gone toattack small camp of
prospectors at Ration Springs. Do you
know any miners or prospectors who
could be thcre?"
general shaking of heads followed
No one knew. One or two went so
far as to say they didn't believe it.
"What sort of looking fellows were the
Mexicans, corporate" asked Ferguson,
the brainiest, apparently, of the civil
;ans.
"Oh, insignificant little runts, both
of them" replied Foley. Zone of them
spoke English enough to make himself
understood; the other could only jab-
Der some lingo didn't know no more
of than do of Apache. So far as I
could make out, they had all been trav-
cling together, but when the bigger
part of the crowd stopped to camp at
the springs, these two fellows came
ahead-said thev were afraid to stay
there after what they had heard of the
outbreak"
swell, what did they hear, and how?'
asked Ferguson.
"They said that they met some Of
the couriers from Prescott, and some
prospectors who were driven back
from the Clear creek countrywide
were skipping for the settlements.
They told the couriers that they were
going in, but despite that they came
down to the Springs"
"Queer," said Ferguson, rchectively.
"The only Mexicans in the Santa An
ita country were those half dozen that
Muncey was mixed up with-Manuel's
lot-and scrubby lot they were; but
they went off to Tucson over two
months ago, seems to me-"
"What! The same Manuel that says
he was brother-in-law to MacNutt,
Muncey's partner?"
"The same. heard he took Macs
boy back to Sonora with him, and that
the kid didn't want to go at all"
"Indeed, he didn't" answered Foley,
stoutly, 'for he's worked his way back
to the old post inside of a month. He's
down there now with the ordnance SER
geant."
"Yes, and Muncey was pretending to
be surprised when he heard of 1t to-
night, and there was two letters came
to him from Tucson last week that
prob'ly told him all about it, though 1
don't suppose Manuel could write.
Where'd Muncey go to, anyhow"
broke off Ferguson, suddenly. II
reckon he knows where those fellows
are if anybody does"
"Gone to get a bracer," laughed one of
the miners, "Muncey's nerve amt
what it used to be, and he's ratified to-
night. He's been shalsy ever since that
cloudburst swept his partner into
eternity two years ago. l never under
stood what drew them together. Mac
was square man and hard worker,
and what's more, everything they had
in the way of an outfit was bought with
money-wagons, mules, burros, grub,
tent and tools-it was all Macs, and he
had some coin and gold dust besides.
Yet when Capt. Cullen tried to get hold
of it for the boy, nothing could be
found that Muncey hadn't lien on
him and that damn. little grcaser
brother-in-law of Macs = what's his
name, Manuel Cardoza."
"Cardoza?" exclaimed Corporal Foley.
Manuel Cardoza? Why, that's the
name Of the boss of this party up near
Ration Springs, where G troops gone.
heard it given to Capt. Foster twice. y
Ferguson turned quickly around. He
had been standing facing the north,
keeping intent watch in the direction
taken by the troopers. Now he whirled
on the corporal. 'Are you sure OF
thatP" he said. "IIy the great jumping
Jehosaphat, that means something !
hadn't thought of. Muncey swore tc
me that they had gone to Sonora, and
wouldn't return until October. But
the boy got away and came back2 And
he's over there at the old post now-to'
night?"