The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-17

had gripped to the work, and how pres
| emily Gore caught the huge weight on
his hip, and flung the other heels over
head in one great sweep. and had landed
him fairly and finally.
But that was months ago. Tad
! looked up at the distant bluff while the
Duglers were blowing retreat, but he
stood in "the attitude of soldier when
| the flag came down to the booming of
| the evening gun. That night he made
| his bed on the floor of the upper porch,
| and lay there wondering at the stars
till long after taps. Time and again
he caught himself almost across the
| border-land of dreams, and it seemed to
him the tagging midnight must have
passed when the sound for which he
! waited reach his ears. And then the
that panther's cry, startled that cour-
ageous little fellow till his heart was
still. The half-human quality of the
tone added to the terror of it.
Then his breath came back, and with
1t his daring. And the next time the
cry was raised he knew the shingly
I made for the panther
, guard, but the next night after he was
free; and time and again he wondered
| where Tad was in hiding; for he had
| not seen the boy since dinner-call.
Lang and Warner were up in the
gulch with the eight-mule team, and
they came in at shutdown with load of
wood. When they had embarrassed the
mules Lang found Sergeant Gore
stretched out on his bunk trying to read
by the afterglow.
"Oh, Gore, here's a note from the
Captains kid" said the teamster Lang,
, carelessly.
Gore peered at the penciled lines
Dear Sergeant: I am up on the bluff.
If you don't come and get me, may be
the panther will. Tad.
A cayeus pony was picketed back of
| the Quatermaster's store, and Sergeant
! Gore took turn Of the rope around
the animals jaw, leaped to the back,
and galloped to the hills. He carried
his carbine, and belt of cartridges
! was buckled about him. And every
muscle of his splendid frame quivered;
| for he loved the Captains son.
Tad had calculated the note might
not be delivered until after dark, and he
/, crept along the slaty shelves until he
found little recess where the loose
earth had been worn away by the wind
and rain, and he climed down there
| and backed in. About six feet below
was a ledge which reached far around
to the right. BY lying fiat his face just
| came to the edge of the narrow shelf,
] while his feet were pressed to the farth-
est spaces in his little refuge. He
! pulled his rifle within easy reaching
distance. and then looked out and dared
| the panther to come.
Straight before him. down the valley,
was the fort. He watched the twink
! ling lights go out in the mess-hall, and
knew the belated teamsters had arriv-
| ed in camp. And his faith was so firm
| in Sergeant Gore that he never doubted
the soldier was coming.
| Presently he heard the dull beat of
hoofs on the road. But it was from un-
| shod feet, and not cavalry horse. That
chilled his courage a little And just
| as he tried to convince himself that he
was wrong, and searched for hope that
an army horse and not pony was gal
| Looping toward him, a shrek not fifty
feet away rent the wonderful silence of
| the hills.
His little body was positively lifted
and shaken with the shock of it. And
then, because he was the Captains son.
Tad hammered his bare knuckles
against the stone, and forced his cour-
age to come back.