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

shout from the reserve: "Lookl Look
at Kelly's!" And half dozen horses
cover and shy, and, such is the nervous
strain of the moment, score of hui
man hearts bound in young troopers
breasts.
Some one-they can't discover who
is waving a shawl or blanket from
Kelly's doorway. Some one else can
be dimly seen lunging out from behind
the ranch and fiercely gesticulating and
pointing toward the range to the north.
Its the old man himself" cries ser
geant. 'They're all right" The next
minute, too, waving his hat, a trooper
comes squirting through the willows at
the front and rides brislSly out toward
the advancing line. Men breathe free1
at the sight.
"What's gone wrong? Where are the
rest, corporal?" queries Turner, riding
eagerly to meet the coming trooper.
Patches, sir-ran off Kelly's mules
and killed his herder and tackled the
ranch at dawn. They skipped away up
the canyon, and the lieutenant's after
them with ten men. He said he knew
the captain would be coming as soon as
the signal was seen. They fired on us
too, sir, but didn't harm anybody. Six
of us were left to look after the women
and children. It's lucky Downey's peo
pie had come or they'd all been killed.
"Are the women all safe?"
'All safe, sir, but pretty badly
scared. They must have had close
call at Kelly's. The old man wouldn't
leave it last night and Mrs. Kelly
wouldn't leave him, but"
"Then if you're all safe at the post
we'll go right on to Kelly's," said
Turner, impatiently. ASSEMBLE ON the
right sltirmisher!'' he shouted to the
fighting line. Sound the trot, trum
peter!' and away he went with his or
derly and few men at his heels to the
point where the right of the line had
just reached the timber.
But Thornton fingered. "How's Mrs
Downey? Did she get her medicine?'
he asked, uneasily.
"Mrs. Downey's better since the Indi
ans skipped, sir; but don't know Of
her getting any other medicine"
Didn't Leon get back?"
mot here, sir. He may be up at Kel
ly's. We didn't suppose he'd attempt
to come back after Ferguson and the
other fellers got in here last night
chasing old Muncey. They must have
run foul of this very band, sir. Muneey
rode in all by himself, he said, to warn
us and Kelly's people, and was ther
going"
"Never mind him. hope the Apaches
have got him. You are sure Leon never
got back"
"Sure, sir. We never knew he'd LEFT
you" And then Thornton turned anc
rode hard to the ranch. There stood the
old sergeant, mopping his red face anG
modestly receiving Turner's congratu
lations on the pluclzy fight he made ir
defense of his home; but the light went
out of Kelly's eyes when the major burst
forth with:
Sergeant, is Leon with youa Did he
reach you in timer"
Of him since yesterday. l thought he
was with the women and children dowr
yonder," and the sergeant pointed to
the old post, his face paling with grief
and apprehension.
II wiah to Heaven he were!" said
Thornton, sadly. Mrs. Downey was
suffering great pain, and the boy rode
all the way to us for the doctor and in
sisted on going back with the medicine.
We never dreamed-at least didn't
of Apaches here. God grant they
haven't got him!"
But just then there rode up from the
direction of the canyon sergt. Chari-
ton, with sorrow in his sunburned face.
I'm afraid they have, major" said he,
dismounting. ''See, here's the medi-
cine phial-an we can find of him-and
his pony lies dead at the foot of Signal
Butte"