Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-09-12
Copyright, 1904, BY the Author

: Darkness h., settled down on the
garrison. The last hues Of the twi-
light faded ont Of the western sky. The
guard lights ut the distant valley
twinkled family, but steadfast, through
the warm, pulseless air. Over at the
half-hnishcd quarters the drums and
fifes Of the infantry were sounding tat
too, and still the party fingered at the
westward bluff, Wharton, Raymond
and Foster chatting In low tones apart,
the civilians talking to some younger
officers, eagerly and excitedly recount
ing the circumstances Of their morn.
ing's fight Munsey was Of these the
most voluble. lie was just saying: II
tell you the whole Tonic tribe is out Of
the hills and down here in the basin
this very night when another cried
'llush!"
Somewhere over on the north side the
call Of q sentry rang out sharp, clear
and full upon the night air:
Corporal Of the guard, No 81"
"That's old IIennicke,' said Ray.
mond, promptly when he has any
thing to report it's no boys story. Ill
60, SIR"
The cry went echoing back toward
the guard-house, sharply passed along
by Nos. and on the eastern flank
The corporal came out on the
run, and the guartlsmen, sitting or
sprawling around the stacked rifles,
scrambled, many Of them, to their feet.
Before even a feet corporal could
reach the distant post Thornton and
two captains bore down upon it, others
at respectful distance following.
whats up, Iennicke?' hailed his
troop commander, scorning prelininar-
les.
Firing, sir. Out on the Prescott road
to the northwest. could see the
flashes"
'lYho on earth can it be?" asked the
major. Capt. Foster, let your troop
saddle at once"
CfIAPTER1I
That there should be repeated
alarms from the northeast, east and
south, where were the pine covered
crests Of the Back Mesa and the Sierra
Ancha-where were the haunts Of the
Tonic and the White Mountain Apaches
every one expected. There were
still among the foothills some parties
Of miners and prospectors over whose
fate there was good reason for alarm,
The Santa Anita placers had been
promptly abandoned, as we have seen.
There was eager watch for danger sig
mails from the site Of the old Retribu-
ton, down In the Sandy valley to the
west, but from the site Of the new post
to the crossing Of the Sandy above
Apache canyon the road turned and
twisted among the foothills Of the
mountains for twenty-three miles and
there wasn't human habitation for
nearly forty. Then, deep in cleft Of
the range, a stage station with corrals
and well and lunchroom and bar had
been built by some daring spirits,
eager to accumulate money at what
ever risk. Beyond them for another
thirty miles the road lay through desc
lation itself and reached the outskirts
Of even frontier civilization again
among the newly finished ranches in
the broad and sunny valley Of Willow
creek,
In view Of the sudden and simulta-
neous swoop Of the Apaches upon the
roads east Of Prescott everybody had
been warned. Even the mail riders
held back for mounted escorts. No
stage for Wickenberg and the south,
no blackboard for the Santa Anita had
left the territorial capital for three
days. No mail had been received at
Retribution for forty-eight hours. The
daring troopers who rode in with the
dispatches early that June morning
had come through the Sandy valley, as
they frankly admitted, with revolvers
In hand, their hearts in their mouths
and the relns In their teeth. They
had passed no party eastward bound.
Who, then, could 1t be, who, striving
now To reach the post by way Of the
new road, should have fallen foul Of
the Apaches only mile or SO out?
Thornton's first impulse was to say the
sentry must be dreaming. Raymond,
who had known the old trooper nearly
decade as promptly declared the sen.
try's report reliable. " not only saw
tho Aashes," SAID Hennicke, "but l
could family hear the shots, sir-ff-
teen or twenty. 1t was still as death
out here"
Meantime, sending an eager boy
lieutenant on the jump TO order out