Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-10-17
AR11 Er WEEKLY REFLECTOR ABILENE KANSAS OCTOBER " 1895

could follow the winding trail. "Wei
within few rods Of Sanchc2's camp
mnttered Kelly to the inpatient BOY.
THE canyon opens out Jus; below
here"
Il know" said Randall, briefly. I'm
wild to signal to Leon now. lie knows
my call us well Us bird knows It's
mates"
'Ah, but il isn't up here yen In
him, Masther Randall" sail the o.
man. striving to prepare the boy f.
disappointment Even II they h,
fetched him this fur he'd be worl.iA
back now for the post, where Mrs. Kelly
and the girls will be 'mazln' ghd to see
him."
But no sooner had the leader Of the
little column passed the base OF Tie
cliff than Randall urged his horse for.
ward to his fathers side, II can tel
1t in the dark" said he; may 70
ahead?"
Cullen nodded, and the hoy spurrcd
eagerly on. The Sandy roarcd rad
rushed close by the trail as it turned the
point, then more placidly swept along
over some pebbly shallowa, where the
heights on the western side fell ayay
and gave place to adecp and sheltered
nook. They had reached the spot
where the Sanchez pnrty was caMpcl
when overwhelmed by the cloudburs,,
where the luchlcss Mcxicans, that very
morning, following blindly their ras-
eally leaders, were corralled md mas.
sacred without mercy, Their bodies,
as We have seen, had been buried by
Cranes party, but the stiifcncd or.
cases of the mules still lay Lhrfc. al
ready beginning to faint tho summer
air. The major had expected Randy
to turn into the cove, but the boy
pushed stnrdily ahead
How much further, Randall" he
asked In low tone
1.-Two hundred yards or 80, father.
Theresa pitahaya right opposite the
place"
Then for Il moment more the click,
click OF the ironshod hoofs along the
stony trail and the soft rush ui the
waters were the only sounds to hreaiI
the silence Of the night Dark and
shadowy, still In single ille, the party
rode uperingly on. Randall leading
The boys heart was bounding with
hope and eagerncss. The grief which
had overcome him when told OF Icons
probable fate had given place to high
and spirited resolve to play u mans
part In the effort to rescue him. What
boy with Il drop Of soldier blood in his
veins would not rejoice in being Il
leader OF men" amid such surround.
ings and on such II quest? No trooper
could see more than the dim outline Of
his Ole leader, but Maj Cullcns eyes
rejoiced In the alert, soldierly bearing
Of his son. They had Utmost passed the
cove and were once more entering the
black shadow Of tho clit when llar
dalls horse SHE'D suddenly, siumbn
and went down on his knees. The boys
dcft, practlced hand had him up in IN
instant but something went Sinking
away down the bank, and over on tho
opposite shore the Wild weird cry Of
the lynx, half snarl, half warning, rose
above the rush Of the stream. Some
where further down The cohoing can
yon the cry was taken up and repeated
and old Kelly growled aloud: "Tho
major knows best, sir, but II there's
Apaches hanging about here anywhere.
that's the way they'd DO signaling may.
be, and wouldn't like 10 have them
heaving rocks down on Masther Ran.
dali"
We're almost there now, father"
spoke the boy for himself. They cant
roll rocks on us once get you In there.
There's our landmark now" And
right ahead, around another abrupt
/ shoulder Of the cliff, there loomed up
through the night the shaft Of tall
cactus-the cereus giganteus Of the
ella basin-and here again the heights
broke away, and through broad open
Ing to the right the stars peeped down
in silvery splendor. Unhesitatlngly the
boy led on into this nook Of the noun
taina. One after another the click Of
hoofs on tho rocks gave place to soft
thud upon the yielding turf, and pres
emily as Randall relned In and threw
himself from tho saddle, tho party
gathered in silence around him.
Its quite climb from here no
said. "Will you come, father - and
Kelly? The rest had better stay"
A trooper took their relns Silently
the boy led ON, bending low and search
Ing the foot trail. In a minute they
were climbing some steep ascent, slow
ly, cautiously. Presently they reached
the little ledge Of rock and stopped To
breathe Down In the depths Of the
cove a trooper struck match to light
his pipe, and the stern voice Of Scrgt
Charlton reproved him with: Don't
you know that II there are Indians
about that's sure way Of telling them
where to flre?"
I've got to light match In min
ute, father" said Randall, "but II will
be SO far In the cleft II won't be seen
above" Then once again he pushed on,
still climbing some old game trail.
About two hundred feet above the bot
tom he stopped, his heart beating hard.
"lm going to give our signal" he whis-
pered. "lt's one we had when We
played scout"
A moment Of silence and then, In
low, mellow whistle, two notes, not
unlike the Bob White pipe Of our quail,
were lifted on the night air. Breath
less all the troopers for below and the
little party on the hillside waited the
result.
The boy'srlght, muttered old Kelly
to himself. III Icons in hiding from
Apaches anywhere here he1l welcome
that call" No answer came, and once
again, little louder, Randall pped
ono,y Gtill mn result and with n cob