The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-12-11
CHAPTER ~,

passed Jne call. Entitled to his relief
Immediately after two thirty and al
lowed a few hours rest and sleep at the
guardhouse, he had but half an hour
now to tramp up and down-up and
down along that dark and dreary post,
with the black silhouettes of the Off
GERS quarters rising between him and
the southern sky and the black shadows
of the northward foothills hemming the
view to the Prescott road. Soft and
sandy was the soil in this depression,
with stunted shrubbery and hardy
brushwood dotting it here and there.
West of the road by which G troop had
trotted away the ground lay open and
clear. East of it and over toward the
upper end of SKIS post there remained
many clumps of wild vegetation, and If
any doubts existed at two o'clock of the
near presence of Apaches in force they
were banished at two thirty, for @
troop, tumbling out in hot haste and
formed in fighting line, went down
the slope in single rank, out over the
post of poor Ruckel lying there skew
cred with Tonto shafts, and in dis
persed order, with carbines at ready,
they beat through that chapparal,
stirring up the Jack rabbits by the
score, and, later on, finding here and
there and in a dozen spots the track Of
a Tonto moccasin-unmistakab as the
hoof prints of a moose, but finding not
a single Tonic. Fleetest of mountain
warriors, they had made their recon-
naissance, and then while some drew
Fosters troop toward the Ration Springs
others, slipping behind, had crept
noiselessly within ten yards of the
browsing sentry, lolling in fancied Sc
curity along his shadowy path, passing
and repassing between their lair and
the star-lit southern sky, until, crawl
ing upon him, sinuous and slow and
patient as the boa constructor, they had
struck at one and the same instant, and
dropped him in his tracks with no more
than one gurgling, inarticulate cry,
then sped away for the foothills.
While Raymond's men were beating,
the bush, their comrades of f troop had
saddled and led into line at the stables.
It was three fifteen when the dis
mounting company came swinging,
back up the slope, silent, vengeful, yet
thrilling bit with the sense of unseen
danger. Thornton by this time was
fully aroused to the possibilities of
Apache warfare.
'It will be daybreak soon," he said,
''and want you, Turner, to push out
on the trail of those beggars and run
them to earth if a possible thing. Ray
mond will remain with me. They must
belong to some bigger band hereabouts.
81
now'
Involuntarily as he spoke he turned
and looked to the west. There stood
old Signal Butte-dark and silent still.
No sign of beacon fire there. There
lay the dim and distant ruins of the
old post, down in the depths of the
shadowy valley. No sign of danger or
excitement. Yet if the Apaches dare
stalk the sentries of a big command as
these had done, what would they not
dare with so small detachment as
Cranes? And then those unprotected
women and children at Kelly's ranch!
Thornton had seen exciting times dur
ing the war of the rebellion, but
women and children never entered into
those calculations. 1t was after three
when Raymond's men returned from
their fruitless quest. Turner's troop
had gone out to the stables, and not
a word had come from Foster, not sign
from the Sandy valley to tell that Leon
had safely reached the post Nervously
the major paced up and down his broad
veranda now, every little while pausing
to address some query or instruction
to officers or men fastening by. Lights
were fitting about in every set of quar-
ters and on every side.
Everybody was astir, even the chill
dren. Over at the east the stars were
beginning to pale in the faint, pallid
light of the coming morn, and little by
little the jagged outline of the Mogol-
Ion range grew sharp and clear against
the reddening sky. Over at the west
the peaks began to warm and glow in
answer, while at their base the valley
of the Sandy still lay dark and unre-
vealed. Nearly four o'clock-no furs
ther word from Foster. Could he have
sent couriers from the springs, who,
riding carelessly, confidently home
ward, had met poor Ruckel's fate?
Certainly by three o'clock he should
have been heard from, and here it was
almost daylight. In ten minutes, just
as soon as coffee could be served, Tur-
ner, with his troop, would push away
on his scout, and then, all ON sudden,
the old anxiety flashed again upon the |
major. Nearly four o'clock and Icons |
signal had not been fired. Great heav-
ems! were the Apaches on the westward
road, then, after all? Was that brave
little life another sacrifice? Taking
Raymond and his adjutant with him,
major once more tramped out to
westward. There over the tum-
Unng sea of rock and gorge and beetlipg
cliff the cleaning tip of old San Pedro
peered at them, his rugged hanks robed
in royal purple, but even Signal Butte
in the lower valley lay shrouded in
gloom. In low tone the sentry on No.
challenged at their approach. He
recognized the voices of his officers, but |
orders compelled him to demand further
token. Friends with the countersign,"
answered the adjutant, half inpatient
ly, as though to say: "We weren't COM
ing on or across your post, yet refrain
ing from other words because he knew
the sentry's right.
Halt, friendsl Advance one with
the countersign," ordered the soldier,
In the same low, firm tone, and, obedi.
emily, Thornton and Raymond waited
while the junior officer went quickly !
forward and whispered the mystic word |
NAA