The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1895-04-04

W
The bullet struck the failing rock.
full vein over these probabilities, there
came scratch at the eastern door. As
the men gazed at each other in the dim
light reflected down the chimney,
startled by the unexpected sound, the
scratch was repeated, accompanied by
Q whine and low bark.
"God bless us, lieutena.t, it's Vic
come back!" exclaimed the sergeant,
springing to the door and opening it.
In walked Vic, and approaching Ray
mer she dropped a stick at his feet and
began capering about the room, licking
the hands and faces Of every one The
sisters embraced and fondled her, weep
ing tears of 10y upon her neck, and the
young lady uttered musical and endear-
ing expressions in Spanish, for which
English has no equivalent All seemed
for the moment to forget that even if
help was on the way it could not have
come on the feet feet Of this gentle pet.
It was some minutes before the lieu
tenant secured the setter and quieted her
so that her collar could be examined for
the expected reply from the valleys.
When secured, kaymer climbed half
way up the chimney to read it by the
roof fire. It was written in the follow
ing words:
CAMP AT Los WALES GRANDEs,
Oct. =, 1854. !
LIEUTENANT-Message received. Corporal
Coffey and eight of the best runners in the
company leave here at 1015 p. m.
JAMES MULIIGAN,
Sergeant Company F, -th Infantry.
"Come here, little doggie." said Ser
geant Cunningham. eff we get out Of
this hobble, the company shall buy a
silver collar for you"
"And l." said voice in tie corner,
"will add medal Of honor to be at
tached to it,"
"Iwonder who that mysterious maid
en- in the corner can be?" thought Ray
mer. "Priest and sisters do not intend
I shall know her evidently. If her face
is as fair as her voice is sweet, she must
be beautiful. She speaks English with
out a flaw, and something in her voice
seems familiar. cannot imagine how
such person as she seems to be can be
Oh the way from Jemez to Pena Blanca. I"
eff the detail marches at the regula-
tion gait of three miles an hour" OBJ
served the lieutenant aloud, "it should
be here at quarter past l, and it is
now quarter of H."
''The men will do much better than
that, sir, said the sergeant, eff they
keep ON the road. The trouble will be
in sticking to the trail. They have never
been this way"
Gas the intersection of this trail and
the other is not far from here" said
Raymer, eve will take a shot at that
log once minute from now on, and
the sound may attract our friends.
Firing was begun at once, the rifles
being aimed at the under side Of the log.
where it touched the earth. All felt
confident that this would send some
gravel into the eyes of the rollers, if 1t
did no other damage.
The second stone dropped by the de-
Tenders was undermined and sunk, and
the log had paused at the third, less
than hundred yards away. AS it came
Oh Sergeant Cunningham, who had gone
up the chimney to replenish the fire,
said he could see the prostrate bodies OF
two warriors revealed beyond-good
evidence that both his and the PADRES
shots had proved fatal. If the next two
stones should be removed as rapidly as
the others, all feared the Indians would
reach the cabin before the rescuing par
ty arrived.
The time, marked by the periodical
shots at the log, dragged wearily on
when measured by their anxiety for the
appearance of the rescuing detail, but
flew when they watched the unrelaxine
persistency with which the enemymoved
toward the cabin. The hopes raised by
Vic's return were already weighted with
the certainty of their fate should the
soldiers arrive too late.
Knowing nothing Of the use to which
Raymer had put his dog, the Navajoes
looked upon the occupants Of the cabin
as sure prey and were probably in ne
haste to reach them. 1t was in theil
nature to rrolong the visions Of crue
fate in the minds of their intended vic
Tins.
The third stone disappeared, and th'
log moved with louder grating ovel
the gravelly soil to the last obstacle
about 80 yards away, and stopped.
II think. lieutenant, said Cunning
ham. II could hit those legs now from
the top Of the chimney"
"All right. sergeant. Go up and try.
replied Raymer. IA redskin with {
broken leg can do Us as little injury a
one with q broken head"
The words were hardly spoken ant
the sergeant had barely reached the IRE
place when, as II anticipating thi
movement. two figures leaped over tn
end Of the log nearest the perpendicula
sock. ran 10 the corner formed By tn
cabin and wall and By the cid q th'
} dovetaiisd ends of the loss olinbs'