Daily camera., 1897-02-01

men had been left in charge of camp,
and from these he gathered a little in
formation, but not of an enlivening ma
ture. The nearest posts to the west
ward from which help might come
were McKavett and Concho, each over
a 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
staFted the raiders eastward towards
the Brazos where there were no troops,
and where, sweeping northward again
in wide circle, they might confidently
expect to get safely back to their wild
Businesses, leading the cavalry a stern
chase all the way. Shrewdest tacti-
clans of modern warfare as they are,
they had indeed already divided, one
party riding eastward as reported after
swooping down on the Canenue station,
and driving some of the stock ahead
of them, for the sole purpose of draw
ing the Lampasas troop off in that di-
rcction, leaving the settlers along the
Colorado to the mercies of the other
an6 larger portion of the savage force.
There was no use now in sending
couriers after the troop. 1t had five
hours start. 1t would be evening be-
fore the feetest horse could overtake
the command. Lambert urged the
sergeant to give him horse and arms,
mount three or four men, and let them
go with him, if only to reconnoiter.
Then some of the Texans who had no
families to defend might volunteer.
But the sergeant dared not take the
responsibility of disregarding his in
structicns, and was wiser than Lam
bert in the wiles cf 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 massa cred 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.
: SIS it true" cried the sergeant, asahe
saw the unusual gathering at camp.
Eve met feller halfway over to Bra
zos riding like hell, warning folks the
Indians were to the north, and he said
thev had iumped the stage this side of
Cliente. It's true? And you haven't
done 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! I bring later.
The old man didn't believe it, and hada
sure thing ahead of him, or he'd have
turned back with the hull outfit. Why,
man, that staGc-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
no with YOU. I'm Lieut.. Lambert, 4
classmate of your second lieutenant"
you'll go in command, sir, and were
with you-six of us, anyhow. I've heard
Corporal Walton speak OF you, SIT,
often. How many of you fellers III 60 e
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 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 atmos-
nbere seemed changed-charged with
ozone, electric force, magnetism
something-fo 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,
= man they all knew, and clothed with
power as coming direct from that mls-
tary demi-god "the captain, had dozen
men armed, equipped, in saddle and
readv for business, in ten minutes. Sly
were soldiers, six civilians who hall
laughingly 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 twistingand turn
ing like silver serpent in its green bed
to their, left. Five miles out, wretched,
half-demented creature hailed them
from clump of willows by a little
stream. "You're too late, you fellers.
They amt anything left alive from
v the Raloma to the Caliente, except Indi-
nns. The country's alive with them.
/ Qood-by to your scalps If you venture
over that ridge" And he pointed to
The long, low line of bluffs thatspanned
the horizon to the northwest. One man
stopped to question, but speedily came
kAlloping on in pursuit. "He'shcared