The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-12-18

UnrOuRn, anu YET uOt Ilc last. 1AcTc
were still left few minutes to dark
ness, and the devil of mischief seemed
afoat in the very air. go and tell Mrs.
Foster the truth the best way you can"
said the major, miserably, to his adju-
tant. "There she is on the veranda
now I'll go round the west side of the
office You can join me there. Yes,
Turner, mount and start at once if your
men have had their coffee. Now sweep
that road clean from here to the Sandy,
and don't leave an Indian to tell the
story Look for Foster or his men and
try to find Rafferty," And SO saying
he turned him to the west and pushed
slowly up the slope, heavy-hearted
man. Almost the last thing he heard
as he reached the end of officers row
was Nellie Fosters weeping If stout,
soidierlike Irish Jim could be so swiftly,
surely massacred by unseen foes what
must have been Icons fate? Little
black-eyed Leon riding alone, unarmed,
with Mrs. Downey's sorely needed
medicine, through the dark depths OF
this Indian haunted night? But now
the mountain tops were all shimmering
with the glow of coming day, and even
into the valley depths the faint light
seemed to peer, and still there walked
no sign of life from the distant outpost,
no reassuring flame to warm his heart
with tidings of the boys safe coming
but something new and weird and
strange was bulging Signal Butte all
out of shape and the sentry on No.
-, nd
The purple fringe of the familiar pine
srest seemed to be soaring slowly up
ward, drawn out into a floating curl,
rose-tinted at the top where it met the
blush of dawn, deep hued below where
it left the black base, then all on sud-
den it burst into lurid glare, red, yell
low, banishing the rose and flaming
over the valley for many mile. No
welcome signal that, telling of the
wanderers safe return, no message Of
hope or comfort, but most dreaded
sign Of all, it was the cry for help from
women and children-the token that
red war had burst about the walls Of
the old frontier fort, and even it's little
garrison was now in peril.
If Maj. Thornton was in grave dis
tress before he was in the depths of de-
lection now. For hours he had been
longing for day, and day had only
brought him new and worse disaster
Here he was with one small company
of infantry as permanent guard and
three troops of cavalry, fresh from the
ca1Iln xxroY.1r oP thn ,Iosr, 20, ~
untaught in mountain fighting, as his
striking and scouting column. Well
had the Apaches chosen their time, and
dire indeed was the effect of their con-
| certed blows. All in a fash the major
realized that his little force was scat
tered or scattering-Foster somewhere
up in the Socorro to the northwest, pos
sibly pushing still farther away from
the post and into peril; Turner already
marching out in support of him and in
pursuit of the ambushing Indians, who,
at this rate, before another sunset
would line the Prescott road with
graves, and this left only Raymond's
troop, diminished in strength by the
| detachment of Lieut.. Crane and his
party to go to the rescue now. Thorn
ton was quick to think and act
mount your horse, you'll" he cried to
the orderly trumpeter just issuing from
the adjutant's office. "Ride like a
streak after Capt. Turner. He can't be
across the lowlands vet. Tell him to
return at once"
rosters strong enough to take care
of himself" reasoned the major. "Poor
Raffertys done for, and anybody who's
fool enough to be riding the Prescott
road this morning must take his own
chances. My first duty is to save these
people to the west" Already the SEN
try's cry had summoned the corporal
The guard was springing to ranks at
the tidings that the beacon was blazing
on Signal Butte. There was no need
of sounding ITO arms" since the whole
command was practically alert and
belted now-no need to sound reveille
since the entire post was up and astir
The sunbeams were gliding the west
ward peaks and the upper pillows of
the clouds of dust, in which Turner's
troop came trotting back and, met half
way by instructions, never entering
the post, turned column half right"
midway across the sandy swale and
went cantering westward into the dim
valley, squirting swiftly to the rescue
Thornton and his adjutant with
them, leaving Raymond in command at
Retribution.
And as the sun climbed higher and
blazed slantlpg down upon the mesa
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. "Ohl that
we had kept Leon with us!" was Mrs.
Fosters plant. 1T 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 a
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