Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-03-05

wards the BraZos, had taken the road
for Waco at dawn in hopes of heading
them off or driving them should they
attack the defenseless settlements.
There were, therefore, absolutely no
troops to go to the rescue Of the stage
party, If. us seemed beyond hope, any
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 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
started 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 Caliente 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
and 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 tleetest horse could overtakc
the command. Lambert urged the
Sci geant 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 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 mass,cred before yo,
fairly realized that an Indian was neal
you" Then LalE5e1tt had appealed tc
, the Texans, and thu captain had re-
. piled as above; and ZEN, just when he
. was giving up in despair, a sergeant
and two men, dust-covcred and with
horses in lather of foam, rode furi-
ously in from the Waco trail.
lis it true?" cried the sergeant, as h:
: saw the unusual gathering at camp
, I'VE met Teller halfway over to Bra
zos riding like hell. warning folks the
: Indians were to the north, and he saiI
they had jumped 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 eomrade.
damn your orders! bring later
: The old man didn't believe It, and had &
turned bncl with the hull outfit. Why
man. that stage-or what's left of it
: mint thirty miles away, an you Teller,
Z sitting here like so many damnwomen:'
And the trooper flung himself from the
i saddle at the word, and then caught
;, sight of Lambert's foragc-cap and eager
face.
"Get me n horse, too, sergeant; II
! so with you. I'm Lieut.. Lambert,
a ciassmate of your second lieutenant"
q "You'Il go in command, sir, and Weir
I with you-siX of us, anyhow I've heart
e Corporal Walton speak of you, sir
n often. How many of you fellers IL go?
1 he demanded eagerly of the knot o
Texans, while the few troopers hustled
a about snddling spare horses and levy
ing on the list of invalid mounts, to
> sore or too feeble for a long chase, bu
J good enough for n thirty-mile dasl
when it was life or death at the en-,
y of it. In an instant the whole atmos
phere seemed changed-charged wit
y ozone, electric force, magnetism
Z something-for the snap and spirit o
J. the newcomer flashed from man Il
y man. Lambert, stranger and withou
!. authority in the premises, could etfec
I nothing; Sergt. Dolan, n war veteran
\ q man they all knew, and clothed wiz
power as coming direct from TINT mill
tary demi-god "thc captain" hadadoze
;. men armed, equipped, in saddle an
ready for business in ten minutes S.:
Z were soldiers, six civilians who hal
$ laughingly ranged their raw-bonc
. Texas ponies in line with the mouptip
y troopers and Dolan sung out to Lam
bert, WHO had raided his classmate'
q tent for extra boots and riding breecl
es. "We're ready, sir"
Q In the hot May sunshine, at hig
o noon, they went Looping northward owe
II the lovely prairie, spangled with wild
!, flowers, the Colorado twisting and turn
9 ing like q silver serpent In Its green be
to their left. Five miles out, wretchet
half-demented creature hailed thel
II from clump of willows by littl
l. stream. you're too late, you fellcr!
o They amt anything left alive fror
p the Paloma to the Caliepte, except Ind
. ans. The eountry's alive with then
v Good-by to your scalps if you yentur
s over that ridge" And he pointed I
n the long, low line of bluffs that spanne
q the horizon to the northwest. One ma
: stopped to question. but speedily cam
n galloping on in pursuit. lies scare
. ont Of his wits. He can't prove what h
y says" was the brief report to Larnbel
y. and the sergeant, now riding side b
rsI ha