Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-06-05

1lOlu WetluL w du OJCId Ilo w do udbSo
ed for stealing horses
"Served him right, the beggar! What
music do you like best?" persisted the
/ intruder.
81 like Italian serenades the best.
They are entrancing."
"Won't you sing me one?"
''Listen to this little song" she an
swered willingly, "of Guiliani's.'
She sang it soft and low, simple
serenade, which might have been a lul-
laby, we al enthusiastically applauding
at its conclusion. Abelson began to clap
| his hands, then checked himself, and
signing raised his light blue eyes to her
| dark orbs.
Course his impudence, said 1 al
most aloud.
9TH play no more" said Sergeant
Maberly, throwing down his cards. ''Let
Mr.. Breitman take my place if he likes.
Will you, sir?''
| ''Thanks, yes," said the second specu-
lator, a slim, gray bearded man of so.
"What are the stakes?'
tCigars, said I, with laugh.
| Liz SGIS6.tnG SOu up, NeiAou O1i q
way and stood gazing at the moonlit
landscape In moment he strolled
carelessly over toward the fair guitarist
and dropped down likewise short dis
tance from her feet, but with great re-
spect and reverence Of manner.
Of course we watched him.
The other, Abelson, was obviously
| OF tho infr,,ciOn He Sh1ftp6
himself restlessly and said with irrita-
| tion:
''Fine night, sergeant, for raid.
Hadn't you better keep a sharp lookout
for savages and skunks and something
of that sort?'
81 can scent 'em with my eyes shut,
and scoundrels, too," said the noncom-
| missioned officer with aspcrity.
Abelson gave him an angry glance,
but made no answer, while the lady,
laughing gayly, rippled forth:
Don't let any of them into camp,
sergeant, or we shall have to feel for
our scent bottles and our purses. -
''To save our scalps," said Abelson,
with sneer, ''for all the good the SOL
diers would be-
''We look to the civilians for protec-
tion," said the sergeant.
Zone scout is worth ter of them, :"
| rep11e6 the other.
Miss Bleomingdale seemed suddenly
to awaken to q realizing sense of the
situation Blushing, she said with grace !:
Doubtless you would all do the most
| Iofo
are brave men and Americans. "
No words were spoken by the knights
Grant of the camp, though many eyes
flashed fire, and judging by my own ev-
cry heart beat high.
AS I have said, our party was mix
ed one. Sergeant Maberly was short,
clean limbed fellow of 26 Or %, we'll
Drowned by the sun, frank, yet fierce Of
eye, powerful of build and bold as a
lion.
.Pouchee liked him. The character of
Seth Abelson, capitalist, prospector and
speculator, was complete contrast to
that of the young soldier.
Crafty, stealthy, calculating, he SEEM
ed to possess the cruel and cold blooded
] 1uoUlllCtS Ol tlIO IlttblNO GU
man was a product of crowded cities.
Colorado Charley, our chief scout, was
familiar and numerous type in the far
west. A son of the plains, tall, graceful,
slim wasted, with Saxon blond hair
and pink complexion, he was athletic
as an acrobat
We sat at our game, Charley, Sanga-
/ ,,,xco1f xrI,i 1n
Maberly and Abelson knelt at the leo
nine beauty S feet and scowled defiantly
at each other. Pouchee kindly smiled
upon her worshipers. Charley could bear
the situation no longer. Throwing down
his cards, he said:
pardon me, gentlemen, have had
enough. Let one of the soldiers take my
/ place and play my hand. -
Calling up one of the priyates, Char
| ley strolled straight over to join the
group of courtiers gathered about the
pretty half breed queen. She had struck
the strings of her guitar again and was
spiritedly singing a popular Mexican
war chant, "The Hymn of Maximil-
ian
At that moment the horses, which
had been tethered back Of the tents,
broke in upon the harmony with loud
whinneying and restless movements,
! while Sleuth, our bloodhound, uneasily
Whined and growled by turns, as the
/ mule set up most discordant bray
simultaneously we all sprang upright
and stared inquiringly about US, but
| neither eye nor car was able to distin-
| guish single sign Of any interloper.
/ Charley and the sergeant, however,
| caught up their rifles and paced 100
| yards about the camp without discover
ing the slightest cause or pretext for
| alarm. Still the sentries were doubled,
| firearms We're examined and placed
/ handy, our bowies were unsheathed and
| kept by our sides, and it was decided
| that none of US should undress for slum-
/ ber.
/ Sleuth was unclaimed and allowed to
stray at large about the camp. Every pre-
caution against surprise by either ami
NAL or Indian had been most promptly
| taken.
Bidding US good night, Miss Bloom
ingdale withdrew to her tent, while we
loitered awhile and smoked before retir-
ing. After a time I turned i'll on my
blanket with the others and fell speed
lily asleep, for one soon becomes indiffer-
ent to peril where perfect safety cannot
be assured. had slept perhaps an hour
or two, when the sudden crack of rifles
ruthlessly aroused me. I well knew
what it was, What it must be--Indiansl
Instantly we wero on our feet weapons
in hand and hur1ying outside the tent.
| The crescent moon had set, the night
was pitch dark, SO that nothing could
be seen, but wild, curdling noises broke
on the ear. They came from Pouchee's
tent. With an involuntary impulse l
rushed toward it. Already it was filled
with savages, grunting like swine to-
| gether and brandishing their knives
about with wildness. What was the ex-
citement?
The savages were bluffed-the lady
was not there. Had she spryly made her
escape ere the firing Of rifle or pistol
which I had heard? l had no means of
knowing, not much time to think, for
the Indians turned on me like madmen
rather than red men knocking me down