The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-05-26
GhPTHIN CLOSE
BY CAPTAIN CHARLES KING.
copyright, 1894, by j. 3. Lippircott Col
XNII-CONTINUED.

But the sergeant dared not take the
responsibility of disregarding his in
structicns, and was wiser than Lam
bert in the wiles of Indian warfare.
I'D go myself gladly, lieutenant" he
said, ''but orders are orders, and party
of four or five would be surrounded
and cut off and massacred before you
fairly realized that an Indian was near
YOU" Then Lambert had appealed to
the Texans, and the captain had re-
piled as above; and then, just when he
was giving up in despair, sergeant
and two men, dust-covered and with
horses in a lather of foam, rode furi-
ously in from the Waco trail.
"Is it true?" cried the sergeant, as he
saw the unusual gathering at camp.
eve met n Teller halfway over to Bra e
zos riding like hell, warning folks the
Indians were TO the north, and he said
they had jumped the stage this side of
Cliente. It's true? And you haven't
Gone anything? Mount every sound
man you've got, and give us fresh
horses"
'My orders were to take care" be-
gan his comrade.
Damn your orders! l bring later.
The old man didn't believe it, and had a
sure thing ahead Of him, or he'd have
turned back with the hull outfit. Why,
nan, that stage-or what's left of it
amt thirty miles away, an you fellers
sitting here like so many damn women"
And the trooper flung himself from the
saddle at the word, and then caught
sight Of Lambert's forage-cap and eager
face.
"Get me a horse, too, sergeant; III
go with you. I'm Lieut.. Lambert, Il
classmate of your second lieutenant"
You'll go in command, sir, and we're
with you-six of us, anyhow. I've heard
Corporal Walton speak of you, sir,
often. How many of you fellers II go?'
he demanded eagerly Of the knot Of
Texans, while the few troopers hustled
about saddling spare horses and levy
ing on the list of invalid mounts, too
sore or too feeble for a long chase, but
good enough for a thirty-mile dash
when it was life or death at the end
Of it, In an instant the whole atmo5-
phere seemed hanged-charged with
ozone, electric force, magnetism
something-for the snap and spirit OF
the newcomer flashed from man to
man. Lambert, stranger and without
authority IN the premises, could effect
nothing; Sergt. Dolan, war veteran,
q man they all knew, and clothed with
power as coming direct from that mill
4 bao toll Blo1 o1
men armed, equipped, in saddle and
ready for business, in ten minutes. SIX
were soldiers. six civilians who half
laughngly ranged their raw-boned
Texas ponies in line with the mounting
troopers and Dolan sung out TO Lam
bert, who had raided his classmates
tent for extra boots and riding breech-
es: "We're ready, sir"
In the hot May sunshine, at high
noon. they went Looping northward over
the lovely prairie, spangled with Wild
flowers, the Colorado twisting and turn
ing like silver serpent in its green bed
to their left. Five miles out. wretched,
half-demented creature hailed them
from a clump Of willows by a little
stream. You're too late, you fellers.
They amt anything left alive from
the Paloma TO the Caliente, except Indi-
ans. The country's alive with them.
Good-by to your scalps if you venture
ever that ridge" And he pointed 10
TIE long, low line of bluffs that spanned
the horizon to the northwest. One man
stopped to question, but speedily came
galloping on in pursuit. Hes scared
OFT Of his wits. He can't prove what he
says" was the brief report to Lambert
and the sergeant, now riding side 10y
side at the head of the little column.
Another hour. and. closer TO the river
they were following the meandcringS
of the stage road. and the ridge doomed
higher ahead. Two more settlers had
been passed; and they were exaggcra-
tive beyond any semblance of proba-
bility. The Indians numbered thou
sands, the dead hundreds. The stage
had been warned not 20 push on beyond
Paloma bluffs last night, but persisted
in an attempt TO reach the Caliente. Col
Sweet and party had been butchered 10
a man-victims of his own rash effort
to aid the poor fellows ct the station