The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-10-09

pendent apparently OF tn6 otnersi -
moving as part Of one harmonious train
Foremost the group at the head OF col
umn had received accessions- Fuller,
the sutler, finely mounted and bristling
with arms Of the latest and most ap-
| proved pattern, backed by two sun
tanned Texans from his ranch, had over
taken the command at noon, bent on
sharing its fortunes in It'd tussle antici-
pated with the outlaws. and they were
now riding with headquarters. from
which, On the other hand, two figures
were missing-Lawrence and one OF the
orderlies. As early as . O'Clock the ex-
captain had pushed ON ahead, double
| object In view, to warn Cramer's troop
| Of the coming Of the Worth command
and the tidings they bore Of the Friday
gang, also to have little party mount
at once and gallop northeast, ten miles
| to the Saba trail-a short cut from
Worth to the San Saba pass, used by
horsemen in the rainy season Captain
Cramer might or might not have re-
ceived warning of the appearance Of
the gang in the valley below his camp
at the springs, but the Fridays
whoever their leader, would certainly
have friends and confederates on the
watch near Worth, friends who would
probably take that very short cut and
| gallop at speed to warn the gang Of the
coming vengeance. Oddly enough, it
was not Brooks nor Lawrence who was
first to think of this, but Barclay. 1t
was his modest suggestion at the noon
halt, suggestion that was put in form
of a question, that had opened the ma
jor's eyes. "I remember, sir, said he,
"that the springs lie in a sort of elbow.
The trail runs nearly east and west for
many miles beyond them, and nearly
north and south ON this side. Is there
no way in which scouts could gallop
across our left and give warning to
those feIlows?''
"By Jove, " said Brooks, there's the
old San Saba cut offl What had we bet
ter do, Lawrence?' And Lawrence said
to send at once q sergeant with a set Of
fours to the left until they cut the trail
in order to prevent information going
to the gang that way and to report if
any horsemen had already passed, which
latter any old frontiersman could tell at
glance Mullane, lurching drowsily
in saddle all through the last stage, had
thrown himself on the turf and gone
sound asleep the moment the. column
halted. Only with extreme difficulty
could he be aroused and made to under
stand what was wanted. Mr.. Winn,
standing silently by. turned his back on
his temporary commander. He knew
the Irish captain was we'll nigh swamp
ed with liquor, and he had no wish to
1 Il L..
days so close to the WEI that officers,
old and new, still thought more OF what
man had done than of what he was
} doing, and Mullane had been q gallant
| trooper. "Ys 'tind to It, sergeant. 4"
was again the Irishman's 8 comprehensive
order roShis first sergeant when At last
he grasPed the significance Of Brooks
words, and five horsemen rode away at
the lope to the left front the moment
the column again mounted Again did
Brooks see fit tOcaution his leading troop
! commander. II am afraid you have
sampled that whisky once too often.
) Mullsne. No more OF it now, or you II
, go to pieces when you are most needed, -
, he muttered, then rode on to the head
/ Of column.
} And the prediction came true. At the
! very next halt Mullane had fallen into
q stupor so heavy that it was found I'M
possible to rouse him The assistant
, surgeon with the column made krief ex.
. animation, then unslung and removed
the canteen ut the captain pommel and
whispered his conclusion. Better leave
his horse and orderly here with him."
. "Then," said the major briefly,
| 7. % An
when again the column mounted Bar
clay rode back and directed bis leading
section to incline to the right, so tina
they passed the lonely little group, th'
two horses placidly cropping at th'
scant herbage, the orderly squattinl
with averted face, filled at once witt
shame and sympathy, the recumben
figure sprawled upon the prairies it
bloated red visage buried in the blu
sleeved arms. Barclays rearward SEQ
tions instinctively followed the lead
and only furtive glances were cast, an,
no audible comments made. The rank
were full OF tough characters in thos
days, yet imbued with a strange fdel
ity in certain lines that reminds one O
the dog immortalized by Bret HArte q
Red Gulch-the dog that had such dee
sympathy for helplessly drunken man
There was nothing in their code to pre-
vent their stealing from Uncle Sam
A their captain. or any other victim, bu
to hint that an officer or q friend wa
A drunk would have been the Insight {
= impropriety.
I. Winn. not Mullane, therefore, lie
= 1.-THE DEVILS Own, as Mullane's troo
- together with others no doubt-ha
"a been appropriately designated Barcla
followed at the head Of d. when. neal
? ing Crockett Springs at 8 o'clock,
!. dim speck Of courier came twisting OF
Il upon the trail to meet them. and Brool