The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-02-23

yet of the report of Apaches in the
, foothills of the Mescalero, his one the
, ory was that she had gone to Jose's.
intending from there to push on to the
cantonment. The thought of her dar-
irg so long and SO hard ride al a time
, when she should be guarded with the
utmost care was in itself source OF
dire distress TO him, and he could hard
II have speeded faster and with grim
mer determination to defy all pain or
WEAKNESS had he dreamed of the dead
~ perils that lurked about her path.
OF the fact that Valdez and his few fol-
levers had eventually fed northward
and across the road to the Catamount
he had heard nothing. Through Hop
Llngs chatter he had gathered that
Grafton and his men were gone in
search of Florence and that Mrs Hayne
and DR.. Gould were at Joses. He dare
not stop TO make inquiries at the gar
rlson. He was under medical care
therefore under doctors orders. and
on complaint of the acting sur
geon it would be perfectly com
petent for Buxton to place him
in close arrest. His one idea, there
fore, was to put as much ground
as possible between the post and him
self. lie know he could get another
morse at Jose's, so Brown Dick was
never spared an instant. AT three
O'Clock, galloping free, the gallant
horse was stretching away northwest
ward over the low. rolling earth-waves
that seemed to spread to the very Ian
OF the Mescalero, spanning the horizon
toward the setting sun. Far behind
him, the scattered ranches and the
sparse green foliage of the Santa Clara
far away on either hand, the lumpv
sandy barren, dotted everywhere with
little dull-hued tufts of coarse berbaoe
or stunted sage. Ahead of him the tor
tuous, twisting, dusty trail, dented
with scores of footprints, the tracks of
Graiton's troop on its way to the res
cue. By this time Randy was BURNING
with thirst, but the water in his can.
Teen was warm and nauseating. He
aised the felt-covered flask TO his Inns
from time to time and rinsed his month
and moistened his parching throat. but
mat did not allay the craving. lie had
still 80 miles to go before he could reach ]
Jcses and exchange Brown Dick for
broneho, and have DR.. Gould renew tbe
dressing of his wounded arm. lie
knew that Florence had failed TO appear
there, but he knew her pluck and spir-
H. and believed he knew the reason
mat there might be soiourners there
either from the Catamount or from tho E
post who would seek to turn her hack
or hold her there; and he knew that in
her overweight. haf-maddened state
she was starving for her mothers net
ting and her fathers arms. lie knew
her so well that any attempt o dissuade
her now would result, he felt assured
only IN frantic ontburst and more de-
'ermrned effort to push ahead.
Then he had another and even better
reason for thinking he could quickly
ma Mlgnon's trail, although il might
&c miles TO the north of .Jose's. f,r
hcir return from their latest visit to J..
ne Iatamount they were having a
Horious run with the hounds one love
, november morning, and the lack
abbits led them far out to the north
Il the road among the buttes ord
'widers that clustered about tba
ou'se Oh nitle strealu, barely a var, !
vac anywhere, that rippled out from
mong the fouthills only to he Inst in
ne sands OF the desert to the east. ONE
~ GUS olu rabbit, close followed by !
III MOUNDS, had lacked suddenly and \
aIteu up TINS narrow valley, and FLOW \
M Mlgnon, all excitement, dartcd ort.
NM while Randy, guiding Brown
'ick peh'nd, watched with fond nro,,d
yes ms young wite's graceful fear
- 'NuliiS. Far up toward the bend
iile brook poor jack had been tossed
AIR by the pointed Inuzzl. of his (
losest Pursuer aud then bounced (
pom by the painting hounds. and Ran. 4
louhd that they were in IA little am I
"i'nea'er among the huttes--found 4
ie niue spring in which the streamIa, =
iu It's birth, and there they dismount. -
ana unsaddled and let the horses =
'ii' ana here they took their luncheon b
10 mad happy, loving hour. all alone &
TN the horses and hounds in thi,i;. III
"oriu OF their own; and Floy had g.
'ineu the spot-a fond, foolish little
price, perhaps and vowed that -
rs 10 De her refuge by-and-by. "Tbis y
"here am coming to build NV Inna-
eiois'er one OF these days, when vou
o" weary of me, SIR" she had la,,,,h
sly said. And now. ms he nlied So.
DICKS heaving sides. Randy ,,,o,,
'eu' wondered whether it might NOT
ma. she had made that wide detour
ound Jose's purposely to find and no.
Vt thatromantic little nook ann tbana
~ ou' her grief to the solitude of the
ent foothills. "a the
AZ hNe O'Clock Brown Dicl, ,vas h1o,,.
IN sweat and dust and streal,ed ,,.;,h
~. onl sun pressed gamely on. and D..
nay with white, set face, in wbicb
Y iiiies OF pain and WEAKNESS wera
lVlng' gazed fixcdly ahead with hnr.
: ieVered eyes, conscious t,,a.
Ign .tse was failing him and pravinc
p, 'ne flrst sight of those dun a5ohs
us OF Jose's sheltering ranch '0e
ust at sevenso'cloclS of the o,r,u
SeVeningthe denizens of Jose,s be s,' w
. .t,uu OF horses hoofs at the rate ', ,
'ne nan of feeble voice. Je go y w9rk
{ al that moment was in balf-ta. ,se less
Wi, WIN Mrs. Hayne, who from dawn a hess
uark had been on watch-bnn;nn -