The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-01-30
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prints OF those going up. Now, wasn't
that Manucl's party? Don't you sup
pose Muncey met them in the hills, had
them hide until Ferguson and his
friends passed them by in the darkness
and then came on down by Signal Butte
intending to stay with Cranes guard or
else, perhaps, to push on down the
Sandy to the ella and Tucson after
they got what they wanted?"
''Got what fthcy wanted? Does the
captain meaA Leon?"
Leon, mules, horscs-anything else
to help them in their fight. How do
You know who killed your herder and
ran off your mules, sergeant? Could
You see?"
mo sir; it was lighting up a little at
the east and I'd fallen into sort of
doze, and the boy, l suppose, thought
everything was all safe and he went
out to let the mules out of the stuffy
box, in which we'd penned them for the
night. The next thing Mrs. Kelly and
/ heard was the firing. 1t was down
the hillside toward the water and l
could only shoot at the flashes
Exactly. What | believe is that
those two bands of thieves = Apache
and Mexican--ran afoul each other in
the dark. Muncey and his party,
scared to death, perhaps, have fed
northward into the canyon, and the
reason you have had no more trouble is
that the Apaches put out after him. We
have got the whole field ahead Of us at
this minute. only wish we knew who
has Leon"
Mount, then, and come on" said
the major eagerly. Turner, you're
probably right" And then, as if in
confirmation Of the theory, far to the
front again the crack of cavalry car
bines echoed along the mountain
gorge.
And here, four miles out from the
lower gate, the walls of the canyon
seemed to fall away. Still jagged and
steep where the Sandy laslcd at its
rocky banks, the cliffs were but dozen
feet or so In height, and thence the
pinc-covered slopes rose and rolled in
bold uphcavals with sheltered valleys
between each mountain wave. Along
through the pines led the Tonic trail
Along in single file, now at rapid trot,
Z now at easy lope, but often climbing
and sliding clu1nsily, the sorrels fol-
lowed. Far down in the gorge the old
canyon trail could be seen. ITS just
around the point, SIR" said Kelly pres
emily, his eyes Swapping with excite
mont "ould Sanchez and Icons
father were drowned oft We knew it
because when the flood went down you
could find mules and men, saddles and
apparejoes, rifles and blankets lodged
among the rocks and trees for miles
below, but nothing above. They were
swept out just like so many ants in a
millrace.n
There's mule down there now
cried a lsccn-sighted trooper, riding
close behind the captain.
''He's killed tins morning then-and
yon's horse. See!' cried Kelly, point
ing eagerly down into The depths of the
canyon. 1.-THE first tackle must have
been right along here somewhere"
Once more ahead of them the cliffs
began to narrow Once more the trail
ascendcd to a projecting point, and
then skirted rocky palisadc command
ing view of the canyon for two miles
the Sandy leaping in foaming rapids
five hundred feet below. One after
another the troopers reached the point
md then, following the leader, spurreG
into lopc, for Turner and Kelly, fore
most now, had caught again the SOUND
of firing, and presently out from ths
sockets whipped carbines- the fight
was in view ahead
But what fight Down in the depth!
of the gorge, sheltering themselves al
best they could from occasional bullet
and frequent bowlder hurled from vi
the heights, some forty blue uniformed
troopers were falling slowly back be
fore the ceascless onslaught of a fo'
they could neither sec nor reach. Jus
as Kelly had feared, Lieut. Crane hat
been lurcd into a trap, and the sup
porting platoon, reaching him, coult
only share his predicament. Just how
far up the canyon he had succeeded il
following the trail was now q m2tte
of little consequence. Crane and hi
men were making the best of their wa,
out, bringing their wounded with them
1t was the first lesson, q bitter one, anc
one that would have been far NOR
tragic but for the coming of their bet
ter led comrades along the upper trail
Long before Turner and Kelly coul'
sight" single Apache, the Apache
had caught sight of them. Darling iron
rock to rock, sinking from tree to tree
away sped the 1.-the, sinewy fellows on
of rifle range. Only few long dis
lance or random shots were exchange,
between Turner and the invisible seat
tering foe, and Cranes fellows, sendin,
up stentoriRn cheers from the streau
bed below, drowned for the momen
the roar of the waters, Throwing on
some keen shots as sSirmishers to pre-
vent the temperance of the Indians
Thornton and his troop leader signale
Crane to fall back to point wher
the Sandy flowed in smooth tran
quill reach for a hundred yard
or SO, and there, one side climbin
down the heights, the other climbing
up, the officers were able to compar
notes. The first question was as t
Cranes losses. Several horses killed
three abandoned and two men wounded
Bat" said he, they've cleaned on
some Mexican outfit mile up stream
We almost caught them at it" An
SO, leaving the wounded with the guar
and attendants to make the best c
their way back to the old post, the tw
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