The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-10-23
CHAPTER IL

L ndU w ASpNNSSN
alarms from the northeast, east and
south, where were the pine covered
crests of the Black Mesa and the Sierra
Ancha-where were the haunts OF the
Tonto 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
nails from the site of the old Retribu-
tion, 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-thrce miles and
there wasn't human habitation for
nearly forty. Then, deep in cleft OF
the range, q stage station with corrals
and we'll 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 reins in their teeth. They
had passed no party eastward bound.
Who, then, could it 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 outf
Thornton's first impulse was to say the
sentry must be dreaming. Raymond
who had known the old trooper nearly
a decade, as promptly declared the SEN
try's report reliable. II not only saw
the fashes," said Hennicke, but
could family hear the shots, sir-hf
teen or twenty. 1t was still as deatf
out here
Meantime, sending an eager boy
lieutenant on the jump to order ou
&c" troop, Capt Foster had hastenet
to his temporary quarters-half can
vas, half adobe-to make his hurried
preparations. Already the rumor wa
running from mouth to mouth. Onl.
three of the officers had their familie
with them at the time, Mrs. Foste
was one of those women who insiste'
on accompanying her husband on tn
) move to Arizona, even though tn
rudest Of camp life was to be her POI
ton, and she and Nellie with anxiousl
beating hearts were standing on tn
unfinished porch of the new quarter
listening for further sound, as the cal
tain hastened up the slope.
at can't be anything very seriou
dear, he said reassuringly. "Probabl
| some belated miners, whose mules tn
, Indians are trying to run off. We
: know in half an hour and I'll send wor
in at once" Silent and anxious st
followed within the doorway, whei
? hung Navajo blanket as the only ba