Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1899-02-02
CHAPTER III.


old Tucson trail, came. dusty. travel
stained and weary, half troop of cav
airy, escorting apparently some person
age of distinction, for he was an object
OF the utmost care and attention on the
part of the lieutenant commanding and
every man in the detachment. AS the
cavalcade approached the dun colored
walls of the corral and without word
or sign to the knot of curious spectators
gathered at the barroom door filed away
to the spot where wandering commands
of horse were accustomed to bivouac for
the night GENTS would have been super
huous in that dry. dewless atmosphere)
the women. whispering together behind
their screened window place, stared the
harder at sight of the leaders. One was
Lieutenant Blake-no mistaking him
the longest legged man in Arizona An.
other was big Sergeant Feeney, a veter-
an who had seen better days and duties,
but served his flag in the deserts of the
Giia as sturdily as ever he fought along
the Shenandoah three years before
Between these two. dapper, slender.
natty, with his hat set jauntily on one
side and his mustache and imperial
twirled to the proportions of toothpicks.
rode third cavalier whom every one
recognized instantly as the fugitive of
Camp Cooke. the urgently sought Cap
tain Nevins. and. though Nevins arms
and legs were untrammeled by shackles
OF any kind it was plain to see that he
was helpless prisoner He had parted
with his belt and revolver His spurs
were ravished from his heels, and his
bride rein, cut in two. was shared be,
tween Blake and his faithful sergeant
Behind these three rode another set
Sandwiched between two troopers was
man whom Sancho's people we'll re
membered as Nevins clerk and assist
ant, despite the fact that u bushy beard
now covered the face that was smooth
shaved in the halcyon days of the sup
ply camp Then came some 80 horse,
men in long, Struggling column Of twos.
while straight from the flank to the
gate of the corral, silent and even som
Der. rode the engineer. Lieutenant Lor
ing To him Sancho whipped off his
silver laced som brero and bowed, while
long yet furtive stare, glanced quickly
at each other and sidled away to the
nearest aperture in the wall of the
ranch, which happened to be the dining
room door
Loring mechanically touched his hat
brim III recognition of the ranchkeep
er's obelsance, but there was no liking
in his eye At the gate he slowly. some
what stittly. dismounted, for it was evl
dent he had ridden long and far Tbs
roam with hanging head tripped eager
ly yet YEARLY to his accustomed stall.
and swarthy Mexican Embossed at once
the cincha and removed the horsehair
bride Thus Sancho and the engineer
were left by themselves. though inquis
tive ranch folk sauntered to,the gate
way and peered after them into the
corral Over at the little clump of vii
lows Blakes men were throwing their
carbines across their shoulders and dis
mounting as they reached the old famil
lar spot and Lorng cast one look thither
before he spoke.
Who were the two men who follow
ed me?' he calmly asked. and his eyes
though red trimmed and inf1amed BY the
dust Of the desert looked straight into
the dark face of the aggrieved Sancho
Surely know not, senior teniente.
He had dropped the "capitan" as too
transparent hattery.
Don't lie, Sancho. There ten more
dollars, and Loring tossed an eagle
into the ready palm. That's $50, and
l shall want that horse again in the
morning"
Tomorrow, senorl Why. he will
not he fit to 60.
But to this observation Mr.. LorinS
made no reply. Straight from Sancho's
side he walked down the corral, halt
ed behind two rangy, hard looking
stesds that showed still the effects Of
recent severe usage, and these he studied
coolly and thoroughly a few minutes,
while, peering from two narrow Sits in
the ranch wall between the windows,
two sun tanned frontiersmen as closely
studied him. With these latter peeping
from the shaded window was "the wife
of my brother, !" exchanging with them
comments in low, guarded tones In the
adjoining room, bedroom, girl of
perhaps 16, slender. graceful and dark
eyed, peeped in the opposite direction
over toward the willows where Blake's
men were now unsaddling, whence
presently, with giant strides, came
Blake himself, stalking over the sand.
Sancho, despite his anxious scrutiny
of Loring's silent movements, saw the
coming officer and prepared his counte.
nance for smiles But, with face set
and forbidding, Blake went sternly by,
taking no notice of the proprietor, and
made directly for the little group now
muttering at the dining room door The
ioungers, some of whom had deserted
the supper table for sight of the cap
tives and the cavalcade, sided right
and left, as though toavoid his eyes, for
into each face, most of them hangdog
visages. he gazed sharply, as though in
search OF some one, yet never faltered
in his stride Back from her barred
window shrank the young girl as the
tall soldier came within dozen PAGES
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