The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-01-02

there and in dozen spots the track of
Tonic moccasin-unmistalia as the
hoof prints of moose, but finding not
a single Tonic. Fleetest of mountain
warriors, they had made their recon
Nuisance, and then while some drew
Fosters troop toward the Ration Springs
others, slipping behind, had crept
noiselessly within ten yards of the
browsing sentry, lolling in fancied Sc
curity along his shadowy path, passing
and repassing between their lair and
the star-lit southern sky, until, crawl
ing upon him, sinuous and slow and
patient as the boa constructor, they had
struck at one and the same instant, and
dropped him in his tracks with no more
than one gurgling, inarticulate cry,
then sped away for the foothills.
While Raymond's men were beating
the bush, their comrades of + troop had
saddled and led into line at the stables.
1t was three fifteen when the dis
mounting company came swinging
back up the slope, silent, vengeful, yet
thrilling bit with the sense of unseen
danger. Thornton by this time was
fully aroused to the possibilities of
Apache warfare.
ut will be daybreak soon," he said,
'and l want you, Turner, to push out
on the trail of those beggars and run
them to earth if possible thing. Ray
mond will remain with me. They must
belong to some bigger band hereabouts.
God grant it isn't along the Sandy
now"
Involuntarily as he spoke he turned
and looked to the west. There stood
old Signal Butte--dark and silent still.
No sign of beacon fire there. There
lay the dim and distant ruins of the
old post, down in the depths of the
shadowy valley. No sign of danger or
excitement. Yet if the Apaches dare
stalk the sentries OF big command as
these had done, what would they not
dare with so small a detachment as
Cranes? And then those unprotected
women and children at Kelly's ranchl
Thornton had seen exciting times dur
ing the war of the rebellion, but
women and children never entered into
those calculations. 1t was after three
when Raymond's men returned from
their fruitless quest. Turner's troop
had gone out to the stables, and not
word had come from Foster, not a sign
from the Sandy valley to tell that Leon
had safely reached the post Nervously
the major paced up and down his broad
veranda now, every little while pausing
to address some query or instruction
to officers or men hastening by. Lights
were fitting about in every set of quar-
tiers and on every side.
Everybody was astir, even the chill
dren. Over at the east the stars were
beginning to pale in the faint, pallid
light of the coming morn, and little by
little the jagged outline of the Mogol-
Ion range grew sharp and clear against
the reckoning sky. Over at the west
the peaks began to warm and glow in
answer, while at their base the valley
of the Sandy still lay dark and unre-
vealed. Nearly four oclock-no fur
Their word from Foster Could he have
sent couriers from the springs, who,
riding carelessly, confidently home
ward, had met poor Ruckel's fate?
Certainly by three o'clock he should
have been heard from, and here it was
almost daylight. In ten minutes, just
as soon as coffee could be served, Tur-
ner, with his troop, would push away
on his scout, and then, all on sudden,
the old anxiety flashed again upon the
major. Nearly four O'Clock and Icons
signal had not been fired. Great heav-
ems! were the Apaches on the westward
road, then, after all? Was that brave
little life another sacrifice? Taking
Raymond and his adjutant with him,
the major once more tramped out TO
the westward. There over the tum-
bling aof rock and gorge and beetling
cliff the cleaning tip of old San Pedro
peered at them, his rugged tanks robed
in royal purple, but even Signal Butte
in the lower valley lay shrouded in
gloom. In low tone the sentry on No.
A challenged at their approach. He
recognized the voices of his officers. but
orders compelled him to demand further
token. Friends with the countersign, y
answered the adjutant, half impatient.
ly, as though to say: "We weren't com.
ing on or across your post, yet refrain.
ing from other words because he knew
the sentry's right.
"Halt, friends! Advance one with
the countersign," ordered the soldier
in the same low, firm tone, and, obedi
emily, Thornton and Raymond waited
| while the junior officer went quickly
forward and whispered the mystic wore
over the lowered bayonet of the in
fantry guard. Permitted then to holt
conversation with his visitor, Private
Graham answered. the first anxious
question of the major: mo, sir; not ,
sign of a fire anywhere in the valley
I've been watching particular. Ant
lust at that moment the call of foul
o'clock began.
Only two calls had gone the round
since the discovery of Ruckel's fate
and once more now, still dim and indis
tinct, the post OF No. 5, down in tn,
low ground to the north was uncov
cred at the front, for Raymond's trool
had returned. Instinctively the off
GERS turned away from No. anc
walked back nearer the northwarl
slope as the soldier watch cry came Oh
from lip to lip. They could just faint
ly distinguish the form of the sentr,
rvell IN the westward of the road wei