The Florence daily tribune., 1898-03-17
CHAPTER X.

CHAPTER Y.
That nigh. the rihers, seven com
panies. were whirled away by special
train to the rescue of the railwa,
shops and roundhouses at Cimmarou
Springs. hundred miles to the north.
One of those unaccountahle mauias that
prompt men TO appropriate other peo-
pies property had seized upon the en-
ploycs of the road. The Valley division
had been forced to abandon all trains.
and 1t was only question Of time. said
the ringieadcrs, when the Mountain di-
vision would follow suit. Passenger
aud cattle, fruit and freight trains were
biockaded. The mails, sent through nj
first with single ear, were presently
beiateh, then blocked entirely, and
Uncle Sam. who had been showing his
teeth for twenty--four hours, now
showed his hand. In the old days of
Sedgwiek it was the cavalry that was
perpetuaily being hustled off on the
warpath, leaving the infantry to hold
the fort, but of late the Indians had
kept the peace and the cavalry the post.
Then came the sudden outbreak OF
trouble on an eastern road, the swift
assurance of sympathy from brethren
in the west. and then strike that
speedily established the fact that there
We're still suvages in the valley of the
Bravo, for men who tried to stand to
their duty were kicked and battered
into pulp, and helpless women and chill
dren were burned out of house and
home.
The colonel was in no wise eager to
go on any such mission. He kept at
the metaphorical front, but the actual
rear, of his men, secure in the pre-
caution that cool-Ecaded Capt. Hayne
was forward on the pilot of the en-
gine. II the trcstle work We're sawed
away or bridges burned at inconvenient
points, Hnyne would not be apt to let
the train stumble into the pitfall. 1t
was nearly dawn before the special
| reached Santa Fe Junction, but the
ritiers marched thither soon after mid
night. leaving many weepinp wives at
| home. They had not the stoicism Of
| those women long schooled in such
calamities--the Indies of the cavalry.
BuNton succeeded to the command Of
OF one big squadron of the --th, four
troops, and Capt. Blinker's battery of
mounted artillery, and what fairly pes
tered Bnxten was why the colonel
should have sent for Mr.. Merriam with
in ten minutes after the dispatches be-
gan coming in just after retreat, and
Merriam wouldn't tell.
The first dispatch was from depart
ment headquarters, and bade the
colonel hold his entire regiment ready
for instant duty and u journey by rail.
Bux was with him when it came, and
together they had gone to the office.
Then was handed in another, which the
colonel read but did not pass over to
his second in command. On the con-
trary lie thought bit and sent for
Mr.. Merriam, and took him to one side
and had a conversation with him of
five minutes duration that was inaudi-
BILE to every body else. Bux did catch
word or two, but could make of it
nothing that did not stimulate his curl
osity. "Killed,'' 'Mescalero noun
tains," written statement'-''McLane
only 49, were some of them, and
, when he took the commanding officers
desk the next day he ransacked it to
find that dispatch, supposing it to be
something official. 1t was only semi
official, said the operator. 1t came
from department headquarters, but
Was addressed to the colonel personal
ly, not in his capacity as post COM
mander, consequently it was not filed,
and Bux couldn't find it.
The guard had TO be reduced, and
Buxton gave orders accordingly-a SER
geant, three corporals, ~ sentries for
four posts, and the inevitable and in
dispensable orderly for the command
ing officer being all now authorized,
since both battery and troop command
crs had to keep up their stable guards.
But Buxton insisted on n lieutenant as
officer of he guard, and, as luck would
have il, the man directed to relieve the
infantry sub starting off with his regi-
ment was Randolph Merriam.
He had fastened home to let Florence
know it was the rifiers, not the cav
airy, that were summoned this time
and instead of finding her somewhat
tranquillized was distressed to see
traces of continued, if not greater,
agitation. Mrs. Hayne, of course, had
been hurried home. Florence had left
the sofa and was nervously pacing the
little room. He heard her rapid foot
steps as he let himself in at the door
below, but as he bounded up the stairs
she hurried to the window and stood
leaning against the sash, her back to-
ward him as he entered.
Closing the door and fastening to
her, Merriam took her in his arms and
turned her face TO his. 1t was hot and
flushed. The eyes were still red with
=; ;cfs