The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-11-13

and the soaring dust cloud faded out Of
sight, men, and women, too, gathered
on that westward bluff to watch for
further sign of veal or woe. "Oh! that
we had kept Leon with us!" was Mrs.
Fosters plant. ''It breaks my heart
to think of him." Indeed, Leon and
Icons fate seemed uppermost in the
hearts of all. Rare, indeed, were the
occasions and strong their numbers
when Apaches had dared to face
whole troop in the field, and Capt Ray
mond strove to soothe the fears of
those who' trembled at the thought of
peril to Foster and Turner and their
men. "Apaches have raided the ranches
most probably" was his theory. "Crane
cannot protect them and the old post,
too He has probably been penned at the
corral and could hardly look out for
even Kelly's homestead. The Apaches
are possibly there all around them, but
Turner will brush them off like so
many flies. Kelly's people are safe in
the cellars, l haven't doubt, and the
old man, with the assistance he has, can
easily stand off the providers until they
see Turner coming; then they'll all skip
for the range, perhaps run slap into
Foster, and between the two there
won't be much left OF the Tontos."
All this was very buoyant and reas-
'c,1,.i1,rr b,,k
possibilities of peril to loved ones at
such time. Somebody was sure to be
killed and several wounded-no matter
how the Indians were driven. 1t al
ways happened so. The troops might
win the fight and hold the ground and
drive the warriors helter skeltcr
through che 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 ii
must be owned that the preponderance
of dead and wounded lay with the
troops. Already two Of our best are
Gonc," sobbcd an Irish laundrcss, land
what have we got to show for it?"
1.-TWO killed outright" cried Mrs
Foster, 'and one of them our Rafferty,
and now where is Leon?"
Alas! who could say? Leaving Ray
mond, his weeping women and anger
ing men, let us spur on after Turner
and the sorrel troop, by this time near
.ly half way to the Sandy Even OF
.fleetest of American horses we c2nno
hope to ovcrtake them until they art
almost within pistol range of the vii
lows in the bottom, and when we dC
the first platoon is dispersed in wild,
skirmish line, the men riding fv'
yards apart. The other is in reserve
ready to strike wherever tho foe MAJ
be developed. Only amile away lie th
old ruins across the Sandy. Only {
mile and q half up there along tn
falda, to the northwest, are the brow
adobe buildings Of Kelly's little ranch
Hereaway to the north, nearly opposit
the gateway of Apache canyon
through which the Sandy cones brawl
ing, towers the black pyramid o
Signal Butte, thin smoke still float
ing slSyward from it's summit. A dozel
times, say the men of the reserve, hav
they seen Icons pony tracks on tn
way, but not once since passing tn
dry arroyo two miles back. Owe
beyond that strange cone-shape,
butte, so strong q landmark q
1t stands like a sentry guardin
the canyons gate, the shallow rift i
the Socorro tells where the trail come
in from Ration Springs over on tn
northeast. Riding at speed until with
milo of the timber, Turner has bee
watching with eager eye for any sign {
life or action, of friend or foe, fror
across the stream, and not so much q
wave of flag or blanket, or even bar
dana has rewarded his wistful scrutiny
Kelly's home is apparently deserted
The dismantlcd walls of the old pos
arc now hidden behind the sheltcrin
fringe of timber close to the strean
Downeys ranch below is out of sigl
, behind the shoulder bluff that shrul