Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1897-10-16
lhere WINS no man In the army IN whom

tcTco6 Nuo hC NV AAetSss~ Ssess'
and might not that brother have some
Influence over that obdurate heart?
It was not the porter Of the hotel who
went for these packages. 1t was Lam
bert himself, hoping, Of course. to see
tho young lady whom he had SO sue
cessfully tormented the evening previ-
Gus; but his scheme had been check
mated in most absurdly unromantic
fashion. The New Orleans evening
paper among its military items con-
tanned brief paragraph to the effect
that Lieut.. Lambert was ordered over
10 Austin as q witness before court
martial there In session, but would re-
turn to the barracks in a week or ten
days, and this paper he had been care
less enough to leave on the verandn'
Ratesie had gone miserably to her
room, Esther had lit upon the para
graph, and In ten minutes Lamberts
melodramatic scheme was exploded.
Never would he forget the saucy merri'
ment in her pretty face when he ap'
peared upon the scene that morning,
hoping and expecting to find her peni'
tent, piteous, and muiely begging to be
forgiven before he went away. He had
come prepared to be grave, sorrowful'
dignified, and then to be disarmcd by
her distress, to lead her away under the
magnolias to the shaded recesses OF the
old southern garden, there to assure
her that she was pardoned, and then
TO tell her how she was loved. A charm
ing chateau en- Espagne WINS that which
the boy had builded; n sweet, sad, bliss
full. ecstatic parting was II all to be as
q result OF his skillful use OF his Sud
den orders to Texas" but, like many
another well-laid plan. II went ludi.
crously aglee. She was there on the
vcranda, romping with her kitten,
when he came and never made the
slightest reference TO his departure.
lie alluded gloomily to the fact that the
boat would be along in less than IN
hour, and she cheerfully responded!
ayes; All thought All huhd its whistle
Just moment ngo," and raced pussy
to the far end OF the gallery. lie tried
other announcements with no better
success, and was bewildered and de-
feated and stung by her apparent
hcartlessness and indifference when at
last he had to 60, and went away mis-
crably jealous and wretchedly in love.
fairly beaten at his own game.
So gloomy and unlike himself was
Lambert that the two or three class.
mates who happened to be at Austin
were much surprised, and so absorbed
was he in his own woes and pangs that
not until he reached Lampasas did he
learn that the soldierly-looking man
who rode oil the way from the capital
with him was no less person than
the Drevet Lieut.. Col. Sweet OF whom
he had heard so much at Tugaloo, and
who, promoted to the rank Of major,
wns now on his why to report for duty
at frontier post. The stage with the
colonel rumblcd away on its journey
for supper. Lambert went on out TO
camp. only to find that Corporal Wal
top with four men had gone as escort
to that very stage, rs there were rti-
mors that the Comanches and Lipans
were on the warpoth again. 1t might
be four days before they returned. 1t
would be two before stage went back
to Austin, and it was now nine o'clock
at night.
The very next morning brought dire
full news. A big band Of hostiles had
swooped down on the stage station at
the crossing of the Caliente, so miles
10 the northwest, massacred everybody,
ond run Off the stock. The cavalry
troop in camp at Lampans was miles
away by the time the tidings reached
Lambert ut the tavern in town. Then
came worse news. A settler rode
squirting in from the Concho trail to
say that he had seen the Indians when
they attacked the stage with overpow-
ering numbers, md had just managed
TO escape with his own life. lie be.
lcved that not one soul WINS left to
tell the tale. There were many gallant
spirits among the Texans Of the from
tier-men who were accustomed to
fight at the drop of the hat, and who.
in defense OF home and friends, were
indomitable. Yet even these well knew
the hopelessness Of the situation rs de.
scribed. They were far too few in
number to undertake the pursuit and
attack Of such band as this. More
over, .heir own wives and children
would be left in danger were they to
take the field. II was even impossible
TO persuade two or three of their num-
Der to ride post-haste on the trail Of
the cavalry, who, at the first alarm
and on receipt Of tidings that the In
dians had ridden away eastward to-
wards the Brazos, had taken the road
for Waco ut dawn In hopes Of heading
them of or driving them should they
attack the defenseless settlements.
There were, therefore, absolutely no
troops to go 10 the rescue Of the stage
party, IL, us seemed beyond hope, any
Of them were still alive, and Lambert,
burning with eagerness to do some
thing and tormented with anxiety as
to the fate of brother Floyd" found
himself helpless.
a sergeant and some semi-invalided
men had been left in charge OF camp,
and from these he gathered little in
formation, but not Of an enlivening ma
ture. The nearest posts to the west
ward from which help might come
were McKayett and Concho, each over
q hundred miles away; but Concho, be-
ing ON the left bank Of the Colorado,
and doubtless warned by this time OF
the Indian raid, could be sending cav
airy down the valley in pursuit. 1t
was expectation Of this, probably. that
started the miders eastward towards
the Brazos, where there were no troops,