The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-31
che Bof1le Reading Circle
AT DEVILS RUN.
Copyright, 1886, by the Bachelor syndicste)
9y CHARLES 8 q. LEWIS.

road. Give your horse his head and
trust him to find his way. Now you
are orr
xii vi! Yir' came the yells OF the
Indians as the two riders started off,
and then the race had begun. For the
first mile It was an even race. Then
the Indians began to gain, inch by inch,
and as they did so the officer began to
drop back. The gir, was riding with a
firm seat and her horse was picking his
own route. The Indians continued
their yelling, but as they crept nearer
and nearer the reports of their rifles
were added. AS bullet sang over her
! head Miss Phelps looked back with
white, scared face, but the officer
smiled at her and motioned for her to
pay no attention. There came a second,
a third and a fourth. yhen the lieu
I tenant felt a sudden pain in his right
shoulder-a sensation as II hot iron
had touched the flesh, and he changed
the reins to his left and muttered
to himself.
That's bullet through the shoulder,
but they can't do as we'll again.
1t was wild shooting on the part OF
the pursuers, but they were counting
on luck. Although they had gained
somewhat in the race, the g-legged
cavalry horses had the advantages In
climbing the ridges and were still in
good wind. They were certain to reach
the military road first, barring acci-
dent. Bullet after bullet went flying
after the fugltives. and when the road
was only a mile away the officer sud
denly lifted in his saddle again. A bull
let had struck in the left hip. The In
dians knew that he was hit again and
yelled in triumph. The girl looked
back. and the officer closed up the dis
tance and shouted to her through his
clinched teeth.
I'VE are close upon the road nowl BE
sure and turn to the left"
Down the slope of a ridge as steep as
a house roof thundered the riders into
the highway, and after them came the
| redskins. A turn to the left, and then
riding side by side, the officer and the
| girl used the spurs for the first time
and began to draw quickly away. The
race was lost to the pursuers. and in
their rage they fired their Winchesters
as fast as they could pull the trigger.
Ping! Ping Ping! sang the bullets.
One of them grazed the lady's hat-an-
other passed through her ridlng-skirt
"a third struck the officer in the calf of
the right leg.
Are you hit?" he asked, as he turned
to her.
| "No-are you?"
"Only grazed, I think. It can't be
over two miles to the run, and the In
dams will soon give up the chase. Hello
what's this!"
Half an hour previously one of the
sergeants party at Devils Run had
climbed a high hill to examine some
growing timber which might be used
for the bridge. Looking away to the
east he had seen the officer and the
lady as they galloped for their lives,
and he had no sooner given the alarm
than the sergent ordered every man
to saddle up. 1t took ten minutes to
get started but they rode fast and
were in time. AS they met the fugi-
tives they drew aside and let them
pass and then fell upon the four In
dams and wiped three of them Off the
face of the earth. The fourth aban-
doned his pony and escaped up a
| raVine. When the sergeant rode back
in search Of his officer and the lady he
found them in his camp at Devils Run.
The lieutenant was lying on the ground
and Miss Phelps was near by crying
and wringing her hands and calling for
help.
What's up, mum?" called the SER
geant, as he rode up and dismounted.
He is dead-don't you see he is
dead" she walled in reply.
Looks like it. Shot in the leg, hil
and shoulder! Ye gods. but what pluck
to hang on as he did No, he isn't
dead! Here wilkins, get some water
and you Green, help me to cut his
clothes off and dress these hurts. Grant
you lead the lady away a bit and talk
to her till she calms down, and the
rest of you keep your eyes open foi
Indians. A band has jumped the res.
ervation and will try to cross here, and
we may have the whole crowd down or
Us at any moment.
The lady from the east" as the sol.
diers called her, had never seen a hos.
tile Indian in her life. and such crisis
as she had passed through would have
weakened the nerves of almost any
man. She pulled herself together in 6
few minutes, however, and as sh,
reached the side OF the wounded officer
to offer assistance he opened his eye:
, and looked about him and asked:
What is it, sergeant-what has hap.
: pened?"
You got run from the Indians, sir
and you are wounded in three places
I'm patching you up lieutenant, ant
|, in five minutes I'll send a man to the
fort for the ambulance"
"And Miss Phelps?"
"Unhurt, and here to answer for her
self, sir"
Thank God for that"
A few minutes later, while the bluff
, but good-hearted sergeant and the half
crying girl were patching up" thu
wounded officer for his ride to tht
fort, trooper was sent off to the for
with a message. He had not been gon,
ten minutes when the reports of rife
were heard, and in another ten he wa,
4 back and reporting.
Sergeant, the reptiles are in am
bush along the road beside that big
dead pine! / caught sight of at leas
five Or six Of them as they fired, ant
my horse is hit and I've a bullet in m!
leg!"
I'VE are cut off, sir!" reported tn
sergeant, in turn, to the lieutenant
But the officer had tainted from tn
loss of blood and the pain Of hi
wounds.