The Advocate and news., 1899-01-25

AOA eAAn 8uAAAnOAS ANN IA say W W.
Colonel Frazier this very night" ex-
claimed tho colonel's wife, bristling
with proper Indignation "And he'll
come back if we have to send couriers
TO order him.
But no courier was needed to sum-
mon Lieutenant Winn. Two days later,
fast as jaded horse could carry him, fol.
lowed by a single orderly, he was com
ing, full Of hope and pluck and en-
thusiasm, the bearer Of Gidings that
meant so much to him, that might be
Of such weight in the removal Of some
portion at least Of the serious stoppages
against his pay. Away out in the
Apache mountains, where the remnants
Of the Friday gang seemed to have scat
tered into little squads Of two or three,
one party had been trailed and chased
to its hole, wild nook in the rocks
and there in a brief, bloody fight two
more Of the gang bit the dust in reach
ing that height Of outlaw ambition,
"dying with their boots on" Others
were wounded and captured, and still
another, neither wounded nor combat
ant, but trembling skulker, was drag
ged out from a cleft in among the
bowlders 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 abiect, pitiable, helpless
wretch even Texan troopers had never
seen. Imploring his oaptors to protect
him against the iIlimitable possibilities
of lynch lsw-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, he protested, by the gang Of des-
peradOes among whom he had found
refuge. a.
"He's lyin, sorr, p" declared Sergeant
Shaughnessy at this juncture. Hes
hidin the hoith Of it somewheres, an
there's nothin like the moose Of lariat
to frishen his mimory." But old Mul-
lane ordered silence.
$50 you back to Worth fast as You
can" said he to Winn. "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 $50 miles away on a bee
line, and Winn had to twist and turn,
but he rode with buoyant heart. By
prompt measures much of his misfor-
tune might be wiped out Then, with
the proffered loan with which to settle
his accounts and pay OFF certain pressing
creditors, he could start afresh, his head
at last above the waters that had weigh
ed him down. He would lead q simple,
inexpensive life, and Laura would have
to help him. He could set aside one
fourth, or even perhaps one-third, of his
pay to send each month to the bank at
San Antonio It would be hard, but at
least he would be honest and manful
and Laura would have to try to dress
and live inexpensively. 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 CO.
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