Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-05-18

crcrD Gitting farm.
with dread. AS though they sprang !
from the bowels of the earth, two In |
dians on swift ponies darted into view,
and, bending low over their chargers |
necks, lashing them to mad gallop, they
fairly shot across the resembling, turf
clad prairie, swift and straight toward
the scudding form.
"Look out, Kidd Look out ~ rang
Hunters voice in yell that woke the
valley. Bang went the Paddy's ready
carbine in reply. Dogs, coyotes, car
bines, rifles, Indian yells and Saxon
blasphemy burst upon the silence of the
night. An Indian pony plunged and
tossed his rider sprawling within doz
en- yards of where the Kid had turned
at bay, and Hunter, rushing to the res
cue had Just time to lineel when two or
three revolvers seemed TO crack at once,
and the air was rent with fire flashes
But the soltier's aim was true, and one
tall warrior toppled heavily forward and
bit the dust as Hunter sped on to his
comrades aid. He found him clasping
! his hands about his knee and rolling in
| agony on the turf.
For the love of God, don't stop!"
cried he. They've smashed my leg,
and I'm done for There's dozen to
one Of US" Dozen or not, they were in
for it now. Hunter knelt and, though
his heart beat hard, sent shot after shot
at every fitting form he saw until,
amazed at the vigorous defense, the In
dians seemed to haul away. Then up
he lifted the protesting Kid and lugged
him full another 100 yards before again
he had to drop him and fight. Then
once more, half lifting, half dragging,
he rushed him on, cheered by the evil
dence that the Indians dared not come
too close and that camp was aroused and
blazing away. Luckily the guides had
quickly realized what was up. Luckily
they reasoned that there could be but
few Indians in the immediate neighbor-
hood for out they came-three or four
to the succor of the burdened man
and reached him only as, exhausted by
his efforts and by loss of blood from
wound hardly noticed when received,
be sank, tainting to the ground, the
Kid still pluckily swearing il his arms.
And so, an hour later, when the In
dams swooped in force upon the camp,
they found it thoroughly prepared, sur
rounded by hastily constructed rife pits
or breastworks around which, 800
yards away, they dashed and yelled and
kept up their wild fusllade, but both
times they stroye to charge three or four
saddles were emptied by the cool aim
of the defense, and then, to cap the
climax of their discontinue, out from
the foothills burst their old acquaint-
ance, the sorrel troop, Laughing Light
ming as once the Cheyennes had nam
ed Ray, cheering in the lead. And the
warriors broke for cover and kept III
cover at respectful distance until Main
waring himself, whole day later, with
his three comrade troops, came trotting
up tho valley, and then they disappear
ed entirely
But meantime there had been meet
ing and recognition little looked for.
-Four happier Englishmen were never
seen than Lunemouth and the trio with
him, for no other reason than that for
time their lives had been in mortal
peril and they had enjoyed the unlocked
LOT luxury VI SQUARE HRnt' luab eAui-
tation over, they had had time to thank
, the American "Tommies'' to whose
daring they owed it that they were not
massacred i'll their beds. Both troopers
, were wounded, the little fellow profane-
ly voluble, the tall one strangely ST.
lent. Over this latter bent the younger
of the first two Englishmen.
"You are not much hurt hope, my
, good fellow? You re- Good Godl You
Gray? vow heard you were dead -
faint smile fitted about the beard
, cd face, and tho PROSTATE soldier WINGED
/ as he answered, And you, Rokeby,
heard you were married"
Even when Mainwaring came it was
useless TO resume trooper relations, for
, he found Hunter installed in the best
cot the tourists owned, the Kid, too, in
: clover despite the pain of his wound.
The doctor said Hunters hurt would
9 not soon heal, and Lord Lunemouth
vowed that both were his guests until
they could be safely moved and rather