The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-13

l more OF enc gang DIV ~ GUS W f0Ac0'
ing that height pf outlaw ambition.
"dying with their boots on Others
we're wounded and oaptared, and stiIl
another, neither wounded nor combat
ant. but q trembling skulker, was drag
/ ged out from O. cleft in among the
\ powders and kicked into the presence
! Of the commanding officer by burly
Irishman who would have lost the bliss
| Of dozen pay day sprees rather than
that one achievement for the skulking
captive was Marsden, and Marsden was
English.
A more abject pitiable, helpless
wretch even Texan troopers had never
seen. lmp'oring his captors to protect
him against tho illimitable posi- biiities
of lynch law-for there were veteran
soldiers present to whose thinking
drumhead court martial and summary
execution were all too good for Marsden
the ex.sergeant told the story Of his
stealings and the names Of his accom-
plices, but declared that all his i'll gotten
gains were gone. Every cent he had at
the time Of his fight was taken from
him, be protested, by the gang Of des-
peradoes among whom he had found
refuge.
Hes lyin, SORT" declared Sergeant
Shaughnessy at this juncture. He's
hidin the hoith Of it somewheres, an
there's nothin like the moose Of lariat
to frishen his mimory." But old Null
| lane ordered silence.
go you back to Worth fast as you
can," said he to Vim. write the re-.
port for me to sign before You start.
Tell the colonel where what is left Of
the stolen property can be found, and
we'll bring Marsden along with us. The
quicker you get there the more you can
save"
Worth was 100 miles away on q bee
line, and VIM had to twist and turn,
but he rode with buoyaut heart. By
prompt measures much Of his misfor-
tune might be wiped ont. Then, with
the preferred loan with which to settle
his accounts and pay of certain pressing
creditors, be could start afresh, his head
at last above the waters that had weigh
cd him down.. He would lead simple,
inexpensive life, aud Laura would have
to help him. He could set aside one
fourth, or even perhaps one -third, Of his
pay to sand each month to the bank at
San Antonio. II would be hard, but at
least he would be honest and manful,
and Laura would have to try to dress
/. and live inexpsnsively. She used to say
she would rather share exile and poverty
with him than palace with any other
man, but that seemed a bit like hyper
bole In the light Of her subsequent Ca
reer.
Long before this, he said, the bank
would have sent the money to Worth.
1t was doubtless now awaiting him in
Fuller's safe, or possibly Trott's. How
blessed thing it was that the cashier
should have been an old and warm
friend of his father-that he should
have written proffering aid for old
times sake to the son Of the soldier he
had known and been aided by and had
learned to Love in bygone days. 1t was
odd that Mr.. Cashier Bolton had not
made himself known to him, Harry
VIM, when be and his lovely bride
were in San Antonio, but all the more
was the offer appreciated. 1t was odd
that he should couple with the offer a
condition that Vim should give his
word not to tell the name of his IA
TIERS friend and his own benefactor,
and further to agree neither to drink
nor bet cent on any game Of chance
until the money was repaid. He was
not given to drinking, but he had heard
Of fondness on his fathers part for
cards and had felt tho fascination him
self. All right He would promise
gladly.
They got fresh horses at midway
camp where small detachment guard
ed the Cougar springs, rested during
the hot hours of the first day after
long night ride, then set forth, chasing
their long shadows in the late after.
noon, and, riding on through the night,
hove in sight of the twinkling lights in
the company kitchens at Worth just as
the dawn was spreading over the east
ward prairie At the guardhouse,
aroused by the sentry's warning, o
sergeant tumbled off his bench and ran
sleepily out to meet them. It was q
man whom Winn had frequently seen
lowering about bis quarters in attend
anoe upon their Laid of all work.
"All we'll at home, Quigley?" he
queried hopefully.
"All we'll, sir. Leastwise Mrs. VIM
and the baby is, SO Miss Purdy said yes
terday evenin. Mrs. Blythe, with her
children and Colonel Lawrence's, have
gone to San Antonio. They're all goin
home together. Any luck, sir?"
II should say so. Hit EN- hard twice
and caught Marsden alive"
Great Beg pardon, lieutenant,
but that's the best news yetr' The SOL
dier's eyes danced and pleaded for more,
bnt Vim was eager to reach his home,
to tiptoe up to Laura's room, to kneel
by the bedside and fold her, waking, in
his strong, yearning arms to bend and
kiss his baby sleeping face. He spu,red
on across the parade. The long, low
line of officers quarters lay black and
unrelieved against the reddening sky.
Only in one or two were faint night
lights burning, one down near the
southern end, the room Of the officer Of
the day, another in his own. The Stats
of the blinds, half turned, revealed the
glimmer Of lamp within. Probably
baby was awake and demanding enter
tainment, and there could be no sur
prising Laura as he hadnplanned. Still,
he guided his horse SO as to avoid peb.
bles or anything that would click
against the shod hoofs. The home COM
ing would be the sweeter for it's being
unheralded.
"Never mind the saddlebags," he
to his orderly. "Take the
horses to stables and bring the traps
over by and by" Then he tiptoed
around to the back Of the house. The
front door, he knew, would be locked
So would that opening OH the little gal
lery in rear. But there was the window
Of his den. He could easily raise it
from outside and let himself in without
any ones being the wiser. A glance at
his watch showed him that in ten min