Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-09-26


surfing, but women can SEQ 90 49,
possibilities Of peril to loved ones Ut
such time. Somebody was sure 10 be
killed and several wounded-no matter
how the Indians were driven. II al.
ways happened so. The troops might
win the fight and hold the ground and
drive the warriors heller sllclter
through the hills, but who suffered
most? Who got the worst Of the fight
itself? was the thing which wives and
children, mothers and daughters. most
considered, and in almost every case It
must be owned that the preponderancc
Of dead and wounded lay with the
troops. ALREADY two OF our best are
gone sobbed an Irish laundress, ''and
what have we got to show for it?"
Two killed outright" cried Mrs.
Foster, and one Of them our Rafferty,
and now where is l4eon?"
Alasl who could say9 Leaving Ray.
mond, his weeping women and anger.
ing men, let us spur on after Turner
md the sorrel troop, by this time near.
ly half way to the Sandy Even on
f lleetest Of American horses we cannot
hope to overtahe them until they arc
almost within pistol range Of the vii.
lows in the bottom, and when we do
the first platoon Is dispersed In wide
skirmish line, the men riding five
yards apart The other is in reserve,
ready to strike wherever the foe may
be developed. Only mile away lie the
old ruins across the Sandy. Only
mile and half up there along the
ialda, to the northwest, are the brown
adobe buildings Of Kelly's little ranch,
llercaway to the north, nearly opposite
the gateway Of Apache canyon,
through which the Sandy comes brawl.
Ing, towers the black pyramid Of
Signal butte, thin smoke still float.
ing slyward from Its summit. A dozen
times, say the men OF the reserve, have
they seen Icons pony tracks on the
way, but not once since passing the
dry arroyo two miles back Over
beyond that strange cone-shaped
butte, so strong landmark as
IT stands like q sentry guarding
the canyons gate, the shallow rift in
the Socorro tells where the trail comes
in from Ration Springs over on the
northeast Riding at speed until within
mile Of the timber, Turner has been
watching with eager eye for any sign Of
life or action, Of friend or foe, from
across the stream, aud not so much as
wave OF flag or blanket, or even ban.
dana has rewarded his wistful scrutiny.
Kelly's home is apparently deserted.
The dismantled walls Of the old post
are now hidden behind the sheltering
fringe Of timber close 70 the stream.
Downcy's ranch below Is ont Of sight
behind the shoulder bluff that shrugs
to the very brink OF the Sandy.
Queer" says Thornton "Not sign.
yet they must have seen us coming.
Look out for every clump Of trees or
bush ahead there, Turner Since last
nights experience | sniff an Indian in
every twlg," Turner only mods grlmly
in reply All along the qki,anish line
the carbines arc advanced, the men
peering eagerly into the thickets
ahead Of them. The road itself winds
through the low bottom and enters the
stream at Il gravelly bend opposite the
walls OF the old quartermasters corral,
but that Is u couple OF hundred yards
further to the south now Turner Is
aiming to reach the open ground mid
way between kellv's and the post, and |
thereby be enabled most promptly to
lend aid to either. II the Tontos are
In strong force and lurking in the tim
Der to give hima hot welcome, then the
fight will be hand to hand, and that's
what he wants. II, on the contrary,
they are too weak to match him, then
there Is little hope OF netting punish
ment, Tor IN ms own hands the Apache
can only be thrashed when thoroughly
surprised ana one might almost as well
hope to catch weasel asleep Ono
hundred yards only to the timber now,
Il 49,. H.. L. \
and not a sign from anywhere. Moro
slowly, cautiously the line advances,
expecting any instant to hear the crack
OF the Indian rite among the trees.
The suppressed excitement OF the men
communicates itself through muscles,
that pardonably culver bit, to the
mettlesome horses, and these are sniff
ihB tne hot ar susplclously, WIN wide
eye ana nostrila' ana erect whitening
ears SHRINKING rom the possible am
At Ksl1ysl' And huff T. dozen horses