The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-11-20
CHAPTER v.-uoNr1Nurp.
Copyright. 1894, by the Author.

CHAPTER V.-CONTINUED
With any luck at all the boy should |
have rot back to the old post BY three |
or quarter past three in the morning.
Crane and his little guard, Mrs Do~ney |
and her sympathizing friends, how
Never, had reasoned that he would not
Ibe allowed to attempt to return, and so
lhad ceased to look for him. Crane con-
Y veyed to the woman the tidings
Abrought by Ferguson, for up to that
Amoment he ad disbelieved Muncey's
wild tale. Then, doubling his sentries,
kbut telling the rest of his party to lie
down and rest, he coolly sprawled him
self on his blankets and went to sleep.
The next thing he knew it was nearly
A dawn, and the sentries had reused the
Springing to his feet, Crane de-
manded the cause of the alarm, and
was told there was firing up by Kelly's
ranch 1t was still dark, though the
eastern sky was beginning to flush as
the little detachment quickly, noiseless-
ly assembled in the starlight in front
Of the old guard house. Two veteran
war soldiers, Tracey and Collins, were
on post at the time, and both declared
\ tnat there had been rapid fusillade-
at least dozen shots. 1t could have
come from nowhere but Kelly's, said
they, though from their stations they
could not see the farm buildings. Cor
poral Foot, on duty, was inside the cor
Ii iral wall when the distant firing began,
n and ran for the gateway at once, but it
had ceased by the time he got to
III point whence Kclly's ranch was visible.
AiA Then for O. moment the lieutenant
in quandary. His orders required
lfFShim to send to and fire the beacon at
the butte if the Apaches appeared in
FiIthe valley, but this might not have
Ilibeen Apaches at all 1t might have
IiJlwell been sl1irmish between the
yllhorse thief and his pursuers, who had
IYtracked y him to some refuge near Kel-
n lly's. That was matter in which mil
n .itary interference could hardly have
HI Ibeen tolerated. Settlers and frontiers
NJ linen, though eager enough to have the
N larmy look after the Indians, much pre-
H fer to dispose of their own reprobates
lin their own way. If an attack had
lbeen made by Apaches it was speedily
Il lover, for not another sound was heard.
/ within the corral the women and chill
II hren, however, had been aroused by
4 khe suppressed excitement, and Kelly's
/ daughters were now clamoring to be
II hllowed to go to see if all was well
h with father and mother, and Crane
III on1 tyun moi ff
mount, ride thither and ascertain what
Nd happened. In ten minutes they
ma he away, and in ten minutes more
'fod IRE back again, driven in by
'Ee hrp and sudden volley from the
Rha lcket along the Sandy, not five hun
lhi ed yards up stream. The prowler'
Hre b SO secreted themselves as to enable
Olad I'm TO command the road leading tt
we hly's and the canyon, reasoning, NJ
kel hbt, that some of the troop would b'
|ol Il M to reconnoiter. Crane hat
er ker fought Apaches before, but thi
Vel we'd to convince him. He reasoned
|er} Ii the bottom was full OF Tontos
Ahgl they surrounded him on ever.
ihal and that the only thing for him t.
tde was to dispose his little force a
b to defend the terrified women ant
,estl kdren and hold out against over
blk ering numbers until relief reaches
ows trom the fort He now thought
m time to fire the beacon, but wh
gh to do It with Apaches watchin
las pathway? How could anyon
Perry to reach that outlying butte
Ppe minute 1t was growing lighter
very Ner. and as soon as broad do
pweS he determined to make the a
|me and then Downey, also an e1
|mpt Ion and stalwart settler, took
|ago lin questioning the corporal whC
md his fellows, had been driven in III
Ith wet q trife demoralized. Neith6
|rt, nor man had scratch, yet ever,
|rsel had heard the fusillade-six {
|dy rapid shots almost punched.
sht knew Apaches to fire so man
|ver3 before" said he, land mis-
PTS Ne sure they weren't more'n te
(ur away?"
Fdsl srtain sure,p said the corpora
|'Cel lain sure" said his followers, tv
|ertI hooking young troopers. The
|d moments pondering Downt
Ter She believed he could get to Il
d in safety, and he'd go and fire II
|tte Iwhereat the women began to wa
,, and the lieutenant to protest, al
biz IN the midst of the discussi'
|h sbody shouted "HurrahW and
pc kan Of smoke, speedily bursting in
|pn shot upward toward the zeni
|nd the summit Of the old butte, al
|m Ibody thought how plucly thil
|rJl Is in Kelly to creep out there a
Eg b that Jagged bowlder strewn co
n lie dim morning light, set fire to