The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-01-16
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Copyright, 1894, BY she Author.

Copyright, 1894, by she Author.
been -4ade by Apaches it was speedily
over, for not another sound was heard.
Within the corral the women and chill
dren, however, had been aroused by
the suppressed excitement, and Kelly's
daughters were now clamoring to be
allowed to go to see if all was well
with father and mother, and Crane
ordered corporal and two men to
mount. ride thither and ascertain what
had happened. In ten minutes they
rode away, and in ten minutes more
were back again, driven in by
sharp and sudden volley from the
thiellet along the Sandy, not five hun
bred yards up stream. The providers
had SO sccrcted themselves as to enable
them to commend the road leading to
Kclly's and the canyon, reasoning, no
doubt, that some Of the troop would be
sent up to .reconnoiter. Crane had
never fought Apachos before, but this
served to convince him. He reasoned
that tho bottom was full of Tontos,,
that they surrounded him on every
side and that the only thing for him to
do was to dispose lis little force as
best to defend the terrified v'oma and
children and hold out against over
powering numbers until relief reached
him from the fort He now thought it
high time to fire The beacon, but who
was to do it with Apachcs watching
every pathway? How could anyone
hope to reach that outlying butte?
Every minute it was growing lighter,
however, and as soon rs broad day
came he determined to make the at
temp. and then Downcy, also al ex-
dragon and stalwart settler, took a
hand in Questioning the corporal who,
with his fellows, had been driven in I'M
hurt, yet trife dcmoralized. Neither
horse nor man had scratch, yet every
body had heard the fusillade-six OK
eight rapid shots almost punched. Il
never knew Apaches to fire so many
shots before" said he, 'and miss.
You're sure they weren't more'n ten
yards away?"
Certain sure" said the corporal.
Certain sure,r said his followers, two
good looking young troopers. Then
after moments pondcring Downey
said he believed he could gel to the
butte in safety, and he'd go and fire the
pile, whcrcat the women began to wall
again and the lieutenant to protest. and
right ip The midst Of the discussion
somebody shouted "IIurIal!' and a
column of s,nolc, speedily bursting into
fame, shot upward toward the zenith
from the summit of the old butte, and
everybody thought how pluclly thing
it was in Kelly'to creep out there and
climb that jagged bowlder strewn cone
in the dim morning light, set fire to the
ever ready stack of wood and steal back
TO his lair. They were talking of it
when broad daylight and Kelly came in
together.
''1'he blac!lguards ran off my mules"
he said, with q fierce oath, ''and killed
poor Iiagtarcnte. There can't be rore'n
six all told Can't the lieutenant spare
me few men togo after them? They've
all skipped OFT Tor The Socorro.' But
Crane said he'd go himself with dozen
men if need DC, for he had been chatting
st the idea of having done nothing at
all and was eager to retrieve himself
ere relief could reach them and the
chance be gone.
"The bottom must be clear if you
came across from the butte" he said,
''and very likely they'll run for all they
are worth"
eyes, the bottoms clear enough, sir
though l haven't been near the butte
-
"You haven't? Then who fred the
beacon?"
!: I'm sure don't know, sir. l
thought, of course, some of this party
had been sent over to do So"
And then men began looking into
each others faces, bewildered. If not
by some one at Kelly's or here at the
post who could have scaled the butte