The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1899-08-31

Laura Waite's victims will most well
come square fght-the man she
wfonged by dropping or the man she
wronged by taking?'
Two hours later, refreshed by cool.
ing drafts from the brock that dubbed
away from the springs, their nostril1
sponged out, their saddles reset, their
stomachs g]addened by light feed, the
horses Of the two troops seemed fit for
chase despite their 60 mile march since
dawn. A courier, galloping ahead, had
borne Brooks directions that coffee
should be ready for his men, and Cra
mer's camp guard had found time to adj;
substantials to that comforting fluid
Only half an hour did the major delay,
but even in that time the horses had a
quick rub down with wisps Of hay, and
the men themselves swung into saddle
with an air that seemed to say, "There's
fun ahead" The sun was shining aslant
from low down in the western sky as
the column once more logged away on
the dusty trail, Barclays troop now in
the lead, opening out just as it had
marched most Of the day, while VIM,
between whom and the new captain
there had passed few courteous yet
rather formal words at one or two of
the halts, gave to Mullane's old first
sergeant the charge Of the leading Sec
ton, and himself rode at the distant
rear Of column, for by dusk if at all
struggling would be likely, and stray
Cling would have to be suppressed with
firm hand. The sun was at their backs
now. Away to the front lay the rift in
the hills through which wound the
San Saba road, and off to the right
front, we'll to the southeast, somewhere
among those jagged bluffs just begin
ming to tinge with gold about their
sharp and sawlike crests, lay the scene
OF Cramer's morning tussle with the
outlaws who, as all now realized, must
have opened on him from ambush and
shot down several horses and not few
men before the troopers could reply.
No further news had come from him,
however.
The courier who brought the first
news said he had to run the gantlet,
although only few Of the gang seemed
to be hanging about the scene of the
fight, their main body, as he had pre-
viously reported, having gone in the di-
rectlon of the pass. Brooks we'll knew
that the moment he reached the foot
hills he would have to move with eau
tlon, throwing out advanced guards,
and, where possible, fankers. He knew
that he would need every man and be-
lieved that Cramer's people, now that
Lawrence had gone to join them, could
take care Of themselves, but the courier's
story, told to eager ears, had 'told" in
more ways than one. His description Of
the ambuscade, the way Cramer, the
doctor, Sergeant O'Brien and others at
the head of column were tumbled at the
first fire, all had tended to make the
head of Brooks column an unpopular
place to ride-at least less popular than
earlier in the day. Fuller and his men
decided that their horses would be the
better for an hour or two of rest at the
cantonment, and so the column moved
on without them.
Longer grew the shadows and loftier
the range far to the front as once more
the pace quickened to the trot and
Brooks ard his men logged on. The
doctor, a gifted young practitioner
whom Collabone held in high regard,
seemed still to think that he should
have been allowed to take an orderly
and his instruments and gallop out on
Lawrence's trail to the aid Of Cramer's
wounded. "Then what is to become of
miner" asked the major calmly. I'm
sorr~- 60 Cramer, sorry his doctor is
XII we may need you any mo-
MT than he does No, Lawrence
has 81 to him. He'll do what he can
to make the wounded comfortable, leave
small guard with them and then
guide the rest Of Cramer' troop through
the range to the San Saba, join either
Pennywise's party or ours, and between
thrashing they'll never forget if only
they'll stand and take tiff only" he
added below his breath, "they dom It lay
for us in some of those deep, twisting
canyons where 20 men could overthrow
thousand.
The doctor admitted the force of his
superior's argument and said no word
All the same, however, his eyes kept
wandering off from time to time to-
ward the foothills at the southeast, now
turning to violet in shade, like half
mourning" said the doctor to Galahad,
as, only half content, he dropped back
| to ride a few moments at the latter's
side. "And it won't be long," he add
ed to himself, "before they'll be shroud-
ed in deep black. Pray God there's no
| i'll omen in that
| And now the road began to rise very
slowly, very gently as yet, but percep-
| tibly toward the still distant range.
The long, spindle shanked. shadows Of
the horses had disappeared. The sun,
yellow red, was just sinking below the
horizon through the dust clouds in
their wake, when one Of the foremost
troopers, close at Barclays heels, NUT.
tered, cts somethin movin, anyhow,
and what is it if it ANITA horse?" And
Barclay and the doctor, turning in sad
die, caught his eye. II seen it minute
ago away out yonder toward them
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