The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-10-16


Rio San Saba. on foaming horse. who
came tugging at both reins, sputtering i
and plunging. up to the head Of column /
and blurted out his news: II thoreht
you was the escort. sir--the paymas-
ter's escort They left camp mt last |
night, and at this morning Corporal !
Murphy got back, shot, and said they |
were oorralled in the hills on the old |
trail. The captain il coming along with |
30 men and sent me ahead They must
be ten miles from here yet, SIR
1.-THE paymaster or the captainr
asked Brooks. his heart beating hard.
but his face imperturbable.
both, sir, reckon; one one way
and the other the other"
Then Brooks signaled over his shoul-
der: "We've got to gallop. Barclay.
It's neck On, nothing now" And some
horses even then were dropping at the
trot.
Six O'Clock now. Six miles from the
eastward mouth Of the pass. and spurs
we're plying here and there throughout
the column, for many found their horses
tagging sorely. Barclay ON his splendid
blooded bay was far out to the front,
the corporal courier with him, for
theirs were the only mounts that corid
stand another forcing Of the pace.
Rearward three or four horses, tx
hausted, wers being gathered up BY
burly sergeant and with their weary
riders led slowly along the trail Six
fifteen-Barclay and his corporal were
but dots along the falda now and NOV
ing swiftly. Then at higher point. in
plain view, one dot began circling to
the left at speed Every man knew
what that meant, and the signal was an
swered by another squirt. The sun was
telling ut last The dew had dried, but
along the turf there was but little dust
! to rise, ard Brooks could keep most OF
his men together. Far of to the left
all eyes could see now the sign that told
that rival rescuers were gaining. The
little squad from the San Saba camp
came spurring along the beaten trail,
betrayed by the cloud of dust that rose
above them.
Young Connolly, the guidon bearer
Of Barclays troop, unfurled his color
and set it Tapping in the rising breeze
in trooper challenge. and down the col
umn set and haggard faces lighted up
with the gleam of soldier joy. 1t waa
to be q race-a race to the rescue. Six
thirty, and over a low ridge went
Brooks and Winn, close followed by
their orderlies. Far away, midway ur
the opposite slope, stretched n slender,
twisting, traversing seam-ths winding
trail to Crockett's- The black dots in
the lead were now three in number,
darting toward two others. black dots
too, some four miles away and to the
right front, right in among the hills
Keep il up, lads The quicker to wa
ter and rest" are the majors word!
now, and spurs set home again despite
equine grunts in protest Six-forty
and the dots In front are blacker anC
bigger and popping about. three o
them ut least in lively motion. check
ing suddenly. then darting to and fro
and the cry bursts from the leader
5 lips: by God, they're at it'll Now
lads for all you're worth, come on. '
Six.forty- five, and rounding q project
! ing spur, a shoulder from the range
Q Brooks, Winn and the doctor burst il
[ view of a scene that banishes the las
{ thought of weariness Barely mile O
: so away a rocky ledge lies beyond ant
0 parallel with the trail. Its jagged cres
I is splitting smoke and fire. Its smOothe
= slopes, toward tho east, are dotted il
j, places by the bodies Of dead or dyin
d horses, and in places. too, by othe
|, smaller forms, apparently stiff and me
n tionless. Of the trail. as though drag
= ged there by affrighted and agonize
y animals, lies an overturned ambulance
its six draft mules outstretched upo
It the turf about it; so, too, are othe
10 quadrupeds, troop horses evidently
10 Well back of the ruined wagon som
trusty soul has rallied the remainin
l. troop horses. while most of their rider:
u sprawled upon the turf or behind III
provised rife pits, stick manfully
r. their duty. Fridays ambuscade.
the still hours of tho night, has co:
IS the government heavily in horses, me
1t and mules. but old Pennywise's precior
es safe is guarded still-and every rush ii
le outlaws make to get it is met by r
sSA