The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-12-04

the plateau on which stood the new
post into mile wide depression, then
winding up the gradual ascent among
the foothills of the range. Somewhere
along that ascent the firing had been
seen and heard. Hennicke's story had
already been corroborated. Two quar-
termaster's men, enjoying a quiet smoke
outside the adobe walls of the new
corral, had seen and heard just what
he did, and Maj. Thornton was already
in possession of their story. So, too,
had the sentry on No. heard what
sounded like distant shots, but had
seen nctr. .lg. Now, as Foster and his
fifty horsemen disappeared in the
night, the major stood at the edge of
the bluff looking out to the north, with
an eager group around him. Capts.
Raymond and Turner, whose companies
had silently assembled under arms,
were waiting for orders within the
quadrangle of the garrison, as well as
the adjutant and quartermaster and
lieutenant or two. There was little
talking going on among thern~all were
listening intently for sounds from the
north or of further firing. One or two
of the Santa Anita prospectors had
mounted and gone out after Foster, but
the mass of the refugees still clustered
along the bluff, chatting in low, eager
tones. If any one voice was especially
prominent it was Muncey's, and, like
most men given to chatter, he found
only an impatient audience. II tell
you," said he for the third time, "thsre
can't be less than hundred of them
Tontos out there now. They just want
single troop, or even two, to come
and tackle 'em in the dark" And now
he had raised his voice still higher and
was talking for the benefit of the
major, who had been persistent in
avoiding him and had twice pointedly
begged him not to intrude upon the
council of the officers. They've just
lined the rocks and the roadside out
there, and are simply laying for
chance to ambush the whole crowd.
What I'd done would be to send two
hundred men out, deployed as slsir-
mishers and swept the hull bottom,
north and west. too"
These remarks were rewarded by his
companions with o contemptuous sniff
or nervous, half jeering litter. "You
ought to have been a general, Muncey
that's what's the matter with you
There amt Apaches enough in all Ari-
zona to dare fight in the open, day or
night, with fifty white men, soldiers or
'cits.' No Apache plans fight that's
going to get him liable to be shot. The
kind of fighting he likes is from behind
rocks and trees, and there amt rocks
and trees enough out there to cover a
dozen of 'em. I'm betting the firing
was done by some party as badly scared
as you were yis'day morning. I'm bet
ting they just thought some skullzing
lynx was an Apache and let drive
!volley into the dark. The sentry says
the shots were all punched. You know
and l know the Apaches don't own a
breech loader (this was early in the
seventies), so most of it must have been
done by white men or greasers, like
that gang you trained with last year,
instead of herding with your own
kind"
Evidently this allusion was stinger
There was a burst of laughter, more or
less Jeerlng and unsympathetlc, under
shower of which Muncey turned angrily
away He went over toward the group
of officers, but at sight of him the ma
jor lifted a warning hand and lowered
his voics. 'Here's that fellow Muncey
again." said he, land | distrust him
somehow" Everybody seemed to turn
an unsociable back on the newcomer,
and nreSant1v after a mOment,s hasita-
tion, he pulled his old felt hat lower
over his eyes, thrust his hands in his
pockets and slouched away down the
slope in the direction of the corral,
within whose adobe walls the horses
and mules of the refugees were shell
tered.
And now came on night of no little
excitement, even for Arizona, in the
heart of the Apache country. For three.