The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-11-06
CHApTER IIl.-CoNr1NuEp
(Copygight, 1894, by the Anthony

They were walking slowly back to
the porch of his unfinished quarters as
they tallzed--he, his adjutant and his
special friend, Capt. Raymond. Quiet
had settled down on the post. Wearied
with watching almost everybody had
gone to get such sleep as was possible,
but the guard and few officers still
remained wide awake Mrs. Foster,
unable to control her anxiety, was still
restlessly pacing the veranda or rock
ing in her big chair, and the officer of
the day, returning from tour of the
sentry posts, was standing on the walk
and saying some reassuring words,
when the post commander and his party
came along
II feel dreadful nervous about that
boy, major" said she. "Of course,
it was all very brave of him to take
such a risk for Mrs. Downey's sake, but
when Indians have dared to come with
in mile of us what's to prevent their
being all along that westward road now?
Couldn't you have sent few men?"
Gould, perhaps" said the major,
with an air that betrayed just little
how much he resented it that any Of
the ladies should question his iudg.
ment, ''but there are two reasons why
didn't-more than two, in fact. In
the first place, the boy had just come
safely in over the road, and that shows
that it is probably safe for tonight
at least. Even Apaches have to
sleep sometimes, you know In the
second place, Capt. Foster has driven
ahead of him any Indians that
might have been out here to the
north : if, indeed, those MeXicans
weren't shooting at spool1s. We have
only their word for it, you know, that
there were any Tontos at all"
"They ran off two mules, interposed
Mrs. Foster, impetuously.
''Wait moment. The Mexicans say
they did, but I've known these greasers
to lie like Ananias already and we'vo
only been here few weeks. Even If
they had had two mules and u boy, what
was to prevent the mules stampedingi
into the hills on their own account, and
hiding in some ravine TO the west of the
road, as their owners did to the east?"
''But Capt. Foster wouldn't chase
spooks all night" said the lady, rock
ing rapidly and excitcdly now. She
was full of conviction that the Apaches
were all around them, and there was moi
comfort in being argued out of the idea.
"Capt. Foster" replied the major
'l1nows as well as we do from official;
reports that the Indians have raidedi
the mines and the Prescott road, and,
he is gone on, like the good soldier hei
is" added he, automatically, ito warn
or rescue these other parties, if they
really exist, and stir up the Indians if
they get in his way. South Of that cur
tain of mountains, he continued, point
ing to the black mass of The Socorro,
"and behind your husbands skirmish
line we arc free from danger. West Of
this post, which guards the descent to
the Sandy valley, no Indian is going to-
be fool enough to venture unless he's
doubly Tonto, which, I'm told, means
mad. Now my advice to the wife of my
good friend, Capt. Foster, is that she
go to bed and sleep. That's what l.
mean to do"
"But, major" persisted Mrs. Foster,
''suppose Leon should be cut Off by
by anybody. He told me you said his
Mexican uncle was again here trying
TO get him. Suppose he shouldn't reach
the old post by three o'clock or later
how would you know?"
"Ah, thought of all that. / told
him to start fire under what's left of
that old stack of condemned hay the
moment he got in. The sentries out
here on Three aud Four have already
received orders to watch for fire at
the old post. If they don't see it by
half-past three at the latest, well start
a party in search. But that tire'l be
there all right. Good night, Mrs, Fos-
ter-now don't worry"
But Mrs. Foster did worry. She wor7
ried about Leon-exposed, as she be-
lieved, to danger from two sources.
She worried about her husband, even
though her native common sense told
her it was not likely so strong COM
mand as his company would meet with
Apaches that night. If Apaches were
in the neighborhood they would be apt
to keep well out of the way. She wor-
ried SO that even by two o'clock when
she retired to her own room she could
not sleep.
But she worried even less than her
friend the major, who found himself too
uneasy to lie down at all. Bidding
good night to the three officers, he had
gone to his quarters, and as he took a
final look out over the silent and shad-
owy prairie, thanked goodness Mrs.
Thornton and the children were safe in
the east. Not that they would have
been in any particular danger at Retri-
button. but because they'd be in the
way just now, and when women and
children will ask questions that are
hard to answer, especially Of post
commander. "Confound the Apaches
and Munccy and Manuel Cardozap said