The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-01-23

WHICH lHcy ucSCcuucu hioO VIC 'diiCf.
If so they must have come over from
Ration Springs and Fosters men should
not be far behind them--only Foster
hadn't a soul with him who had ever
been through there or could trail by
night. lie had to wait for day, and
possibly for orders. There were game
trails all through the rocky, pine
covered heights, but these would only
confuse the uninitiated.
If, as Kelly declared, the Indians had
dared to drive their captured stock
straight through the canyon to lure the
troops after them, while a larger party
hlrllcd in ambush on the overhauging
cliffs, it meant that they had scout
watching Foster and ready tolead him
astray, while others far to the north,
keeping wary eye On the movements of
Col. Pclham's troops at Sandy, dis
patched swift runners or communicated
by smoke or flame signals that only
Indian eye could read
"They feel secure for this day, SIR"
said Kelly to the anxious and perplexed
field officer, whose command was now
SO widely scattered, "or they wouldn't
wait to jump the lieutenant" W
Had they Jumped" the lieutenant?'
That was the absorbing question. The
firing had died away almost as sudden
i, ly as it began. The sounds came from
>Sthe general direction of the canyon
mot that of the trail to the springs. 1t
could not. therefore, be clash between
Fosters troop and the Apaches. 1t
must have been Cranes men, to whose
support whole platoon had been dis
patched; but if what Kelly said was
true, they were little better off than so
many rats in a trap. All this the major
was rapidly considering while Turner
rallied his men down stream and came
trotting up to the cienega Then, led
by Kelly, afoot and in single file, the
little party began the tortuous ascent
to the heights. In ten minutes they
were. again in saddle and trotting
through bold and beautiful range.
To their left lay the deep chasm of
Apache canyon and off to the eastward
could be seen the dark rift through
which ran the trail to Ration Springs.
A guard of ten men, together with
Downey and his fellow ranchmen, re-
manned about the post, so that
at this moment, say eight o'clock of a
hot June morning, Maj. Thornton's
force was distributed at five or six diff
fercnt points at both the southern
angles and along the outer edge of this
rough triangle. Verify, the Apaches
seemed to know how to play" the
newcomers.
IF poor Rafferty, hadn't been headed
\ off and killed" said the major to Capt.
Turner who, now that there was greater
room, rode up alongside. ''wc should
have known Fosters discoveries and
movements. AS it is, we are complete
ly in the dark. I'm not so anxious about
Crane now, for he has evidently got
through the lower part of the canyon
: all right, and hasn't had time to reach
| the northern end, but hope he's safe
out OF the bad place in the middle"
And just at this moment the old ser
, geant, riding dozen yards ahead, and
: coming to sharp turn around rocky
point, refined suddenly in, signaling
J halt. With much clatter and sputter o.
/ hoofs the rear of the column seemed tt
/ double up on the leaders before the
, rapid trot could be checked, and ther
r with heaving tanks the horses huddlet
III a bunch. There was an opening in The
; hills to the right and game trail lee
, down around the very point where
! Kelly had halted and was now off hi
| horse studying the ground.
t 81 thought SO, SIR" said he, pointing
eagerly to certain prints in the rocl
l dust along the trail. Then, bending
: low. he worked over toward the edge
of the cliff. "Sec, here again, sir, ant
hcre--Tonto moccasins! They probably
: cropt up close to the edge, two or three
/. Of them, to watch what might be com
t ing up through the gorge below.
Turner was listening with whimsical
S smile on his face, and here interposed
s "Looll here moment, sergeant,
: said he. Il have been doing some lit
e tie scouting down stream and ther,
are some points that may not have oc
t Cured to you. l admit we're new t,
Apache scouting, but there are SOM
y general rules that all Indians recog
!, nize. Now, we learned from our Paw
n noe scouts, and Pawnee would sa,
J., that these fellows" land here Turne