The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-11
isadsssnlp mao possssSSd MN, ana, Scres
mest Of his little s4uad. hs had bser

q
0t6fsd az by Iufkinr bushwhscksrs Of
The outlaws crouchinR like Indians IN
the shelter Of the rocks, and had fallen
another Victim AZ tAeir dsSssrssdo
efforts. "One more fight in Texas, P" In.
deed, Poor, brave, warm hearted Ned!
That one more fiRht. reported in Wash.
ippton by nm iudulaent department
commander, might bring about immedi.
ate measures for his restoration to the
army. hut was it worth the risk? Was
N worth what might befall those moth.
erless children, praying for father hour
after hour that liyelong day? should
IL have been permittsd. had there been
auy one to prevent. in view of the fact
that no longer was there soldier duty to
lead him on? Tho government had re-
leased him from ali that had hidden
him 40. Il had no further use for the
services Of such as he; It had turned
him loose upon the world. with heavy
stoppspes against the stipulated bonus
"Oh. what right had he" cried
Brooks "to forget those babies back at
Worth. we'll knowing, as he must, that
no mans life is worth q hair in front
pf the rifles Of that outlaw gang much
less an enemy such as Lawrence has
shown himself to beg' The majors
heart and head were heavy az once more
tho order forward was given, With
every inclination to turn from his
course with his entire command, to
hasten in search Of Lawrence's little
marty and Oramer's halted men. he we'll
knew that should the paymaster and
his precious thousands fall into the out
law hands of the Friday gang no would
be held responsible, even though San
Ssbe's cantopment sent with him
force Of 40 men.
Once within the Jaws Of the PASS the
little detachment had closed on the
head Of column, the advance guard,
Bsrciay's leading section, riding on and
dispensing itself under bis instructions,
while Brooks held the other sections
until Winn q men were all closed up,
bringing with them the little SQUADS
that had scouted toward the.ahort cut
of the San Saba and had found no liy.
inn soul in sight vet had followed fresh
hoof tracks coming their way for miles.
Whoever they were, the scouts Of the
gang were well ahead; whoever he
was, Friday by this time knew the
troops were coming. Then, with the
f1apkers securing the slopes we'll out to
right and left wherever possible,
Brooks main body, too, had entered
the winding defile and was lost in the
bowels Of the earth.
At II O'Clock watcher, gazing back
into the broad, shallow depression in
which Law Crockett's and then north
ward 70 the low living hills along the
trail to Worth. could have seen no
eleam of light far or near that would
sneak of hnman habitation or life or
movement-no sign. in fact. of life of
sny kind-yet no sooner was the last
shadow form of horse and trooper
swallowed mn in the black gloom of the
defle mn sooner had the last faint click
Of iron shed hoofs died away in the
hidden distance, than there slowly rose
from bebind the shelter of n clump Of
rocks far ont to the right of the trail q
cronchino fipure that went almost on
all .fours To the edge of the riyulet.
skunk away down the bank, lodging
swiftly, softly. from bowlder to bowl.
der, until II disapneared around q little
shoulder of bluff 200 wards away. was
lost to view moment, then reissued
into the moonlight. this time in saddle.
swinging cowboy fashion a RATA about
it's head AZ il rode. Summing mn the
slonas and out oP the stream he'd awav
If went careerinp mn the billowy rise to
the south, and was preseptly lost to
view a second time behind some castel.
lated rocks along the crest. Three min.
utes more. and these hogan to glow
along their eastward face with the
light of some unseen fire that flared for
nerhans a minute somewhere about the
hidden base of the group. and then far
away to the southeast far ont among
the huttes and knolls in the heart If
the range, there was n sudden flash of
brilliant light inst as though some one
had toucbed off in front of n reflector
n nound or 50 of rifle powder. The hills
far one SECOND were liebted nm then "a
suddcnlv relansed into gloom. The
blaze at the ledge so close at hand was
nromntlv doused. and the nipht rolled
On. calm. placid and unbroken.
When the first streak If dawn crept
into the orient skv. BARCLAYS shadow
sconts we're issninp from the San Saba
nm tbe farther side and hating for the
coming os the main bodv. Neither
those who led the advance nor those
ont on either flank where flaukers were
ot ALI nossihle. had seen sign of ont.
law coybov eyen If human beinp. ont.
side their own array. Not only had the
FRIDAY gang vanished from the neigh.
borhood Of the mass. Init what was
most mvsterious. NOT a sign had appear.
cd If navmaster or escort who were
dine at Crockett,s early this yerv morn.
ing brooks nickin, ont the ligbtest
rider in his weary column. sent him on
the l;veliest horse to warn penpvwise
and his escort. nrovided he could find
him at the San Saba camn. of what had
aiken Mace notify him that thew would
bere await bis coming and meantime
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