The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-05-21
ssked Goodson. Lets start out to the
rescua at once, before It's too late"

''Nothing can be done till morning.
john" gloomily replied the guide.
1.-THE villainous Apaches have already
got far into the pass with their prizes.
Any attempt to follow them in the dark
would be q useless throwing away OF
our lives. They've planned for us to
make instant pursuit.. II we did, not
one of us would live to tell the story.
We'd all be riddled by bullets or arrows
before we saw a single redskin. We
couldn't see to shoot at all, but their
eyes are keener than ours, and they'd
pick every last one of the pursuing par
ty OIL. Then they'd rush down and
overpower the men left in camp, and SO
capture the whole outfit"
"But, merciful heaven! Dave. they'll
slaughter my poor brother long before
morning" distractedly cried Goodson.
mo, they won't kill him. unless his
rescue seems certain. He's 80 young
that they'll try to keep him for adop-
ton into the tribe. The whole band is
probably hiding In the pass now. not
many miles away, waiting to take our
scalps. When they find that we don't
come along, they'll lie down and sleep
till daybreak. After that, they'll Loaf
around till their scouts bring in word
that we're coming. ! reckon those
scouts will never see me, though, for
count on taking the main body 30
completely by surprise that there'll
DO no time TO kill the prisoner. Cheer
| up, Hugh. Wen save your chum all
right. Why, bless me- where is the
boy7"
Where was he, sure enough7 All the
covered wagons were carefully
searched, but no Hugh could be found.
nor could the two revolvers belonging
to him and Walter!
No one could imagine why the youth
had stolen away, though some Of us
thought that, half crazed by grief, he
had gone forth with the wild idea OF
either rescuing or dying with his friend,
which last he would most certainly do
should he chance to come upon and be
discovered by the ambushed foe.
To the half-frantic wailing Of John
! Goodson was now added that of Robert
Austin, and it was all we could do to
prevent both from rushing Off in blind
search for the lost boys.
Not an eye was again closed in camp
that night. AL of us remained watch
fully awake, each man with his rifle and
revolver ready for instant use. But
nothing occurred to disturb us. So far
as appearances went, there might not
be hostile Indian within 100 miles.
We breakfasted long before day, and
when the first lance-shafts of coming
dawn streaked the eastern sky, 20 of
us, all on foot, and armed to the teeth.
hunted up the trail, utterly undistin-
guishable to all but the guide, who.
after momentary inspection, conf
IDENTIFY asserted that only three Indians
had been engaged In the raid upon
horses and boy.
Its just as thought" he said, "the
main body is ambushed somewhere in
the pass. Those three scouts have been
sent out to decoy us into trap. The
plan won't work; not if know myself!
Wen go around, over the range, and
come on the numbering crew from the
west end Of the canyon. No watch will
be kept in that direction; and, with
proper care, surprise will be easy,
but I'm very doubtful whether we'll
ever see Hugh Austin again. He'll
either get lost in the mountains or
fall into the clutches of the redskins
In that case, he's sure to show fight,
! x,,iIl 10 l,{1I<,d rs{fbordv
In accordance with Dave Ingram
decision, we crept noiselessly through
the mountain Businesses, giving the
pass wide berth, and after four hours
Of arduous toll, came round to it's west
ern mouth. Then we divided, and went
east ten OF us stealing silently through
the scrubwood on the left side OF the
canyon, and the other ten doing the
same on the right.
l happened to be one Of the first.
named party, in which were also John
i. Goodson and Robert Austin. We haC
gone, perhaps, mile from the end Of
the pass, when suddenly we heard d
slight rustling among the mesquite
, bushes in our front. Instantly every
man of us sank out of sight behind the
nearest convenient cover, all expecting
the next moment to see either some
dangerous wild beast or still more dan
: gerous Apache warrior.
What then, was our joyful surpris3
when the bushes parted and revealed
: Walter Goodson, staggering heavily
. along with Hugh Austin on his back
Next moment both boys were in thei,
} brothers arms, and we then found thnt
, Hugh was quite disabled by severe
! arrow wound in his left knee, rendering
, him utterably incapable of walking
though not otherwise injured. Hi
. faithful comrade had actually carried
him, as was afterwards proved, mor'
than three miles!
One of US, skilled In such matters
now gave the preconcerted signal
three short yelps, In imitation Of ,
. coyotes bark; and in five minutes Oul
] friends had crossed the ravine and wer,
with us. Then Walter, who was entire
ly unhurt, told his story. Said he:
Last night, when went out will
John to bring In the stock, passed on
beast after another till came to thu
e last horse In the line, intending to loos'
him first and gather the other horse
and mules on my way back.
II ran my hand along the lar,at I.
the pin, and had just stopped down Il
draw 1t. when blanket was thrown
over my head, and, before had sens.
enough to yell out, was gagged an
tied fast, hand and foot. had rul
; right into the arms of three Indians
who must have been lying fiat on tn
: ground, waiting for such chance.
Then the fellows, without making
bit of noise, cut the lariats off the tire
nearest horses and made brides O
them. Next they laid me, like ba,
Of corn, across the shoulders Of on
horse; horribly ugly. painted India
: got up behind me and we went of
quiet as SO many owls, into the pass
;, where it was black as pitch; but, some
how, the Indians found their way with