Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-07-19

| even greater worth IN the old frontier
days-a fine horse. Even as Casey was
ruefully slipping out of his carbine
sling and waist belt Ferguson and 9TH
ers, with lanterns, were tracing the
| hoof prints of the beautiful roam. Out
from the corral gate, around TO the
south wall, they followed them in the
soft, dusty soil; but they were soon lost
along the slope. No one believed for a
moment Muncey had ridden eastward
any distance, however. That was the
quarter from which the Apaches had
come. Westward, along the south face
of the Socorro, was his probable course;
for if Cardoza had slipped through
from the Springs toward the old post,
as now seemed possible, they could
meet at the fords of the Sandy. not a
mile from where the dim lights were
twinkling there at old Retributioa
earlier in the evening-not half mile
from the base Of Signal Butte and
barely short rife shot from old Sergt.
Kelly's ranch.
And now the question arose: Where
were the Apaches? The miners and
prospectors who had fed from the
Santa Anita said they fairly swarmed
in that valley, fifty miles to the east.
The dispatches from department head
quarters represented them as having
already, at three different points,
swooped down upon the Prescott road,
both east and west of the Sandy; but,
SO far as heard from, they had not ven
tured into the valley south of the Soc
orro range, a cluster of rough, rocky,
pine crested upheavals that bulged out
eastward from the main range, jutting
like some huge promontory into the
Tonic basin. 1t was through a rift in
this clump from the Ration Springs to
the site of old Retribution that ran the
Tonic train of past generations, and
through another, still further to the
west, deep jagged assure in the bed
rock, that the Sandy foamed and chafed
and tore-the ill-favored Apache cam
yon. Fifty miles north of the Socorro,
on the banks of the same stream and in
the very heart of the Apache country
was a military post somewhat larger
than Retribution-old Camp Sandy
and there were stationed the head
quarters and four strong troops of the
new regiment that had replaced the
Eleventh cavalry, all commanded by
Col. Pelham. Thornton, at RetriDution,
felt well assured that by this time Pei
ham would be pushing out his scout
ing parties after the Tonic raiders, and
that between Sandy and Retribution
they could make it very lively for the
Indians in a day or two, but meantime
should they work around into the
Sandy valley south of the old post, just
as Capt. Raymond said: ''Heaven help
the scattered settlers there!"
IF they reach the lower Sandy by
night or day." were the majors orders
to Lieut.. Crane, who commanded the
guard at the old site, don't wait an in
slant. Fire the beacon on Signal
Butte"
And now, one o'clock of the hot June
night had come. There had been skirm-
ishing to the north, chase to the
east, across the broad basin. Couriers
had been pushed out northwestward
after Foster with news of Muncey's
bolt and information as to the Cardoza
party. Ferguson and two friends-dar-
ing fellows, well armed and mounted
had just left the post determined to
ride westward in the hopes of over
hauling Muncey, and-well, hanging
was the horse thief's penalty in those
days. The troops of the garrison
arms and equipments close at hand
were sprawled about the veranda of
the new quarters, eager for the order
| l. h Hr1c%
patched messenger to say to the cap
tain that the men might as well turn in
for the night, when once again there
came the clear and ringing summons
for the corporal of the guard-this
time from the westward bluff. Those
who happened to be nearest that side
of the garrison had already before the
cry heard the sharp, stern challenge:
'sWho comes there?"
Even before the majors little party
could reach the north side the trim
figure of Corporal Lynch came bound
ing back up the slope. 'sWhat was the
matter, corporate" hailed the post COM
mander, and Lynch, hating short,
brought his carbine to the carry and his
gloved left hand to the salute, replying
with soldierly brevity:
''It's MacDuff, sir
'sMacDuf? You mean little Leon?'
Eyes, sir, with note for the doctor.
He stopped to water Sergt. Kelly's
broncho at the spring"
Another minute and riding briskly
up from the dark, low ground to the
west.of the mesa came the 1.-THE, young
courier himself He refined in the in
slant he heard the majors voice, and
threw himself from the saddle.
''What on earth brought you here at
this time, Leon?"
"Mrs. Downey, sir, was very sick.
The women folks from Downey's ranch
y