The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-06-11

had fallen at the first fire, and the rest
fighting desperately, had at last sue
ceeded in taking refuge on a mound
about a hundred feet long by fifty feet
wide, rising some ten feet from the
plain.
Irregular lines of stone wall, jutting
from the ground, and hollow pits.
where the roofs of the lower chambers
had fallen in showed it to be the ruin OF
one of the "puebTos," once SO common
all through that country. I~tfurnished
a position impregnable to the dashes of
the undisciplined Indians, who had at
last settled down to starve the defend
ers out. The whites had food enough
for several days, but no water. This
the Indians could procure from a little
branch of the Colorado Chiquita, which
ran about five miles away, but the
beseiged had no such recourse.
One of their number, Aleck Pike.
wounded in the first days fight, was
already d~elirious from his wounds and
from thirst, and the rest were suffer
ing greatly for the two days siege and
loss of rest joined to the burning sun,
which aggravated their thirst, was tell
ing fearfully upon them.
Sweet prospect, this, for a man
with a wife and two kids waiting for
him in Taosl" said Clay to himself.
"Well, Sallie, you're a plains mans
daughter, and you knew what kind of
a life mine was before you married me
and wish you'd been home so that
I could have kissed you good bye be-
fore I started. But I've been in worse
places than this before now and saved
my scalp, and please God, I may see
you and the kids yet before the red
skins get me-"
He limped over to where the men
were standing and said aloud:
well, boys; something's got to be
done. These fellows out there seem to
have taken root. We can hold Out a
couple of days longer, maybe, but af-
ter that we'll be past praying for.
We've got to do something, and do it
quick. Anybody got anything to pro-
pose2"
"Only thing 1 see," said one of the
men, sis to make a dash and cut our
way through, if we can"
Yes, if we can, but we can't. Those
fellows out there are too many for
u.s."
"Well, anyhow, I'd rather go under
with a bullet through me than stay
here and die, like a trapped XII yoter'
"So'dI, but there's Aleck," pointing
to the sick man; 1--WE can't take him
with us and it won't do to leave him
behind"
mo use of the rest of us staying
here to die, when it won't do him any
good"
THAT may be, but we promised to
stick together, and I'm goin to do my
part of it"
Gap" spoke up Collins, chow far
are we from Fort Merritt9"
about sixty miles,"
"And what way9"
Due north, as far as I can make it.
Why's"
well, I vas thinking mebbe n Of
us might slip through the redskins
yonder, and get to the fort and let the
troops know how wer're fixed. Cap'n
Kirby wouldn't ask anything better
than a chance for a slap at old Juh."
Hum! yes; but I don't think any
one could get through"
There's no telling where lightning
might strike; and a fellow might as
well die there as here"
Clay hesitated. "What do you say,
men9" he asked presently.
There amt no show to get through"
said one.
1--WE might as we'll try it. We can't
do worse" another protested.
owed better stick together-we're
showed under, anyhow" still another
said.
"Well," said Clay, "if it's our only
chance, will any one here try9'
Il will" said Collins and Finch, in
the same breath, both springing to their
feet.
81 spoke first" growled Collins.
I'm the lightest weight, Cap" said
Finch, eagerly.
Ssh? said Clay, gravely, 'let's see.
The moon will be down by 9 o'clock,
and that black stallion ought to carry
a man to the fort by sun-up. Kirbym
not wait a minute when he hears what's
up, and the troops ought to get here by