People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-12-26

mount, ride thither and ascertain what
had happened. In ten minutes they
rode away, and in ten minutes more
were back again, driven in by a
sharp and sudden volley from the
thicket along the Sandy, not five hun
dred yards up stream. The providers
had so secreted themselves as to enable
them to command the road leading to
Kelly's and the canyon, reasoning, no
doubt, that some of the troop would be
sent up to reconnoiter Crane had
never fought Apaches before, but this
served to convince him. He reasoned
that the bottom was full of Tontos,
that they surrounded him on every
side and that the only thing for him to
do was TO dispose his little force as
best to defend the terrified women and
children and hold out against over
towering Numbers until relief reached
him from the fort He now thought it
high time to fire the beacon, but who
was to do 1t with Apaches watching
every pathway? How could anyone
hope to reach that outlying butte?
Every minute it was growing lighter,
however, and as soon as broad day
came he determined to make the at
tempt, and then Downey, also an ex-
dragon and stalwart settler, took a
hand in questioning the corporal who,
with his fellows, had been driven in I'M
hurt, yet trife demoralized. Neither
horse nor man had scratch, yet every
body had heard the fusillade-six or
eight rapid shots almost punched. 81
never knew Apaches to fire So many
shots before" said he, land miss.
You're sure they weren't more'n ten
yards away?"
Certain sure" said the corporal.
Certain sure" said his followers, two
good looking young troopers. Then
after moments bordering Downey
said he believed he could get to the
butte in safety, and he'd 60 and fire the
pile, whereat the women began to wall
again and the lieutenant to protest, and
right in the midst of the discussion
somebody shouted "Hurrah!' and
column Of smoke, speedily bursting into
fame, shot upward toward the zenith
from the summit OF the old butte, and
everybody thought how plucly thing
1t was in Kelly to creep out there and
climb that jagged bowlder strewn cone
in the dim morning light, set fire to the
ever ready stack ofwood and steal back
to his lair. They were talking Of ii
when broad daylight and Kelly came in
together.
THE blackguards ran of my mules"
he said, with a fierce oath, land killed
poor Bustamente. There can't be moren
six all told. Can't the lieutenant spare
me few men to go after them? They've
all skipped off for the Socorro." But
Crane said he'd 60 himself with dozen
men if need be, for he had been chatting
at the idea of having done nothing at
all and was eager to retrieve himself
ere relief could reach them and the
chance be gone.
1.-The bottom must be clear if you
came across from the butte" he said,
''and very likely they'll run for all they
are worth"
eyes, the bottoms clear enough, sir,
though l haven't been near the butte
-
"You haventP Then who fred the
beacon?"
I'm sure I don't know, sir. 1
thought, Of course, some Of this party
had been sent over to do So"
And then men began looking into
each others faces, bewildered. II not
by some one at Kelly's or here at the
post who could have scaled the butte