The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-02-13
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Copyright, 1894, by the Author.


to turn into the cove, but the boy
pushed sturdily ahead.
"lIow much further, Randall?" he
asked in low tone.
Two hundred yards or so, father.
There's pitahaya right opposite the
place.
Then for a moment more the click,
click Of the ironshod hoofs along the
stony trail and the soft rush of the
winters were the only sounds to break
the silence of the night. Dark and
shadowy, still in single file, the party
rode unerringly on, Randall leading.
Tie boys heart was bounding with
hope and eagcrness. The grief which
haA overcome him when told of Icons
probable fate had given place to high
and spirited resolve to play mans
part in the effort to rescue him. What
boy with drop Of soldier blood in his
veins would not rejoice in being a
'leader of men" amid such surround
ings and on such quest? No trooper
c0lll see more than The dim outline of
lis GU leader, but Maj. Cullen's eyes
-cio, n Tic alert, soldierly bearing
OF his SOB. They had almost passed the
cove and were once more entering the
black shadow of the cliff when Ran
dall's horse SHE'D suddenly, stumbled
and went down on his knees. The boy s
def, practiced hand had him up in an
instant, but something went sinking
away down the bank, and over on the
opposite shore the wild, weird cry of
the lynx, half snarl, half warning, rose
above the rush of the stream. Some
where further down the echoing can
yon the cry was taken up and repeated
and old Kelly growlcd aloud: "The
major knows best, sir, but if there's
Apaches hanging about here anywhere,
that's the way they'd be signaling may
be, and l wouldn't like to have them
hcaving rocks down on Masther Ran
dali"
Were almost there now, father
spoke the boy for himself. They can't
roll rocks on us once | get you in there.
There's our landmark now" And
right ahead, around another abrupt
shoulder of the cliff, there loomed up
through the night the shaft of tall
cactus-the cereus gigantcus of the
ella basin-and here again the heights
broke away, and through broad open
ing to the right the stars pceped down
in silvery splend3r. Unhesitatingly the
how 1n1 on; ,,4y e
tains. One after another the click of
hoofs on the rocks gave place to soft
thud upon the yielding turf, and pres
emily as Randall refined in and threw
himself from the saddle, the party
gathered in silence around him.
cts quite climb from here" he
said 'Will you come, father and
Kelly? The rest had better stay"
A trooper took their reins. Silently
the boy led on, bending low and search
ing the foot trail. In minute they
were climbing some steep ascent, slow
~, cautiously Presently they reached
the little ledge of rock and stopped to
breathe. Down in the depths Of the
WV llOOIJNi obI uSh IL llldpSll w liz III
his pipe, and the stern voice of Sergt.
Charlton rcproved him with: Don't
you know that if there are Indians
about that's sure way of telling them
where 10 fire?"
1--WE got TO light match in min
ute, father" said Randall, "but it will
be so far in the cleft it won't be seen
above" Then once again he pushed on,
still climbing some old game trail.
About two hundred feet above the bot
tom he stopped, his heart beating hard.
"I'm going to give our signal, he whis
pered. Its one we had when we
played scout"
A moment of silence and then, in
low, mellow whistle, two notes, moi
unlike the Bob White pipe of our quail
were lifted Oh the night air. Breath
less I'll the troopers far below and The
little party on the hillside waited the
result
The boy right, "m.uttcred old Kelly
to himself. IF Icons in hiding from
Apaches anywhere here he'll welcoml
that call" No answer came, and once
again, a little louder, Randall pipc(
anew Still no result, and with sol
in his voice the boy turned.
"I'll not give up till I've searched The
cave, he said, "but he'd have answered
if he'd heard, and SO once more les
on. Presently they came to deel
cleft in bold outcropping Of rock, ant
into this cautiously Randall turned
keep few yards behind me-" h
whispered 1--WE got to light IN.
match" =
One moment, and with snap an,
Hare the blue fame of the lucife
flashed upon their sight, slowly turne,
to yellow red, and was lifted toward
dark aperture in the rock. One instan
of hesitation, of doubt and bitter dis
appointment, and the boy passe,
stealthily in Then something scenes
to stir far back in the dark. Their
was q sudden start-a stifled gasr
Then the simultaneous cries: Leon
Randy" and in confusion of sound @
scrambling and hugging, and some
thing suspiciously like sobbing an
laughter intermingled, the match wen
out.
When, after moments lull, old Kel
ly struck a light and peered wit
moistened eyes, the boys were appal
emily doing bear dance together, an
bear dance consists in hugging one
partner tight as tight can" and hor
ping up and down, around and around
and then the word went down tn