The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-02-06

Barbara and Wilmington with supplies
and ammunition in about an hour"
Mrs. Cullen gave u little shiver and
drew closer to her soldier husbands
side, but said no word. She knew thai
what he conceived to be the soldiers
duty would rule.
"Then you and Randall will go with
Cap. Thorp to mothers, " he gently said
after moments thought, land l will
take the boat"
But when the Meritana sailed tina,
night the majors family went with
him. Mrs. Cullen calmly announced
her intention of going back to Arizong
with her husband, and accepting the
warmly profered hospitality of the
generals wife until their new quarters
should be in readiness. The mail buck
board went on across the California
desert within an hour Of the Maritana's
arrival, and while Mrs. Cullen was
cordially welcomed by the little colony
of army wives and mothers at Whining.
ton, her husband and her only son
hurried on to overtake the chief. II
was with infinite misgivings that she
let Randall go, but the boy pleaded
with all his heart and soul, and the
father decided. ~ promised him that
he should cross the desert with me" he
said, instead of going round by sea
as he has, both ways, thus far, and he
will be as safe at Prescott or Camp
Sandy or Retribution as he is here-and
Mrs. C.'s house is crowded now. He is
wild to meet Leon again, and the two
boys can remain together at the post
while I'm in the field. I'm only afraid
the fun will be all over before we get
there,
And so it was settled,
Many time before the boy had been
his fathers companion in mountain
hunt or scout, but never when the
Apaches were swarming as at this mo-
ment. "We shall find none of them
east of Date creek, said Cullen, 'and
east of there our escort will be too for
midable for them to jump. Have no
fear for him." But what mother could
Danish fear for the safety of her only
boy? No one saw her parting with the
brave, eager, blue-eyed little fellow.
Devotedly though he loved her, he was
soldier all over, like his father, and
eager to act the soldiers part-eager to
go with him to the seat of war, over
mountain pass and desert and treach-
erous stream bed, regretting, If any
thing, that there was no likelihood OF
encountering Indians on the way.
Her heart was wrung-yet like many
another army mother of the old army
: days, she simply had to face the in
evitable. She was to follow with.
: in the fortnight with the generals
wife and their party of ladies, children
and servants by steamer around Ole
: California and up the gulf TO the Colo
RADIO. BY the time they reached Fort
, Yuma the outbreak would probably bt
) all over and the Indians back in theil
mountain homes-the troops in garri
, son. 1t was one of those temporary
separations mothers elsewhere mar
veled at and declared impossible, bu
that army mothers wept over, ye
; bowed to. Night and day for forty
eight hours while she prayed for then
within sound of the Pacific surges
father and son whirled rapidly east
, ward across the turpid Colorado, rest
r ing only an hour at Gutenberg wher'
: they changed blackboard, mules ant
driver then on again by starlight
t gradually rising from billow to billov
: of the long leagues of desolation to tn
{ wild and picturesque scenery of tn
Y Sierras, then through resinous forest
: of pine, through rocky canyon an
S winding gorge, until they were landed
Y stiff and sore, dusty, hungry an
1 thirsty, among the log hutsof the littl
: garrison at old Fort Whipple, eatchin
], the department commander just tw
/ days before even that impatient soldie
/, thought it possible.
a Then, after refreshing bath and
!, few hours rest in the generals own bi
+ ambulance, and escorted now by war
: troopers, away they went for the vale
/, of the Sandy. Everything indicated
r said the chief, that the Indians, afte
wiping out the Santa Anita settlement
y had swooped upon the lower vale
l. while the garrison at Retribution we
S in it's state of transition, and very pro!
C ably they had made it lively for Thor
v ton. Couriers had rushed to Col. Pc
i ham at Camp Sandy with orders to sen
" strong columns southwark at once, or
O of them following the valley to me,
:. the general at the fords just aboV
L Apache canyon.
y Away sped their strong six-mule tea
i down through the fertile Hassayamp
5, across to the broad valley of Willo
;, creek, changing mules and escort at Il
:, mountain ranch and getting all ma
|" ner of startling news and rumors on IL
way. Away at last for the Sandy, pas
e ing early in the afternoon, while Ra
10 dy was doing in his corner, the foar
covered, dust-begrimed pair, Munc'
and Cardoza-"too badly starnpeded
stop and talk" said the sergeant cor
manding the escort, ''but shouting tn
they alone had escaped"
I'VE should reach Retribution |
midnight" said the general. "Al
just won't hunt up Leon and wal
him and hug him the moment &
there, and won't he be amazed?" sa
Randall, joyfully
The story of the boys long tran
home was familiar to one and all
this time and had won the little fellc
host of friends among officers Al
soldiers alike. mo one can belle
what that fellow Muncey says, thous
l have reason to think the Apach