Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-03-16

! lie strobe across the room and Crtcndc7
his hOHd
where they would be safe; but once
fairly outside Of the shelter nothing in
the world was easier than tn make then
prisoners while, If they refused to ac-
company him, he could manage in some
way to overcome them
We-way-ma met less difficulty than
he expected in gaining consent to his
second plan, it being accepted with Il
readiness that surprised him. Two of
the ApachCs asked that as soon rs it be-
came dark enough they should be al
lowed to steal mp to the building and
set fire to it, but they were overruled
ard compelled to agree to the line of
action already named
1t must not be supposed that such
cunning miscreants as a raiding party
of Apaches could forget an important
factor III the situation. Two white men,
the friends of the women, were in the
neighhurhc0d and had already given a
proof of their mettlc by tumhling ore
Of the bucks FROM his broncho. Although
the ranchmen bad seemingly fled, it
was simply a strategic movement oil
their part They were still in the neigh
bOrhOod and were sure to take hand
III the final roand up. To fire the build.
ing would set them to work on the in
slant. If they could not save the endan.
gered females. who would be compelled
to flee from the burning dwelling. they
would shoot down more than one of
their asSaiants 1t was this sell evident
fact that caused an emphatic veto of
the scheme Of the two eXuberant bucks.
As for the cattlemen absent in the
hills, they were so far off that it was
safe to leave them out of the calCula-
ton, provided there was not too much
delay in pushing through the plan Of
campaign proposed by We-wayma and
accepted by all the others.
Thus Il situation was evolved the like
Of which it may be believed was never
seen i'll the southwest A dozen Apachcs
swooped down upon ranch defended
by two women, all being fully armed,
and yet, emitting the encounter between
the horsemen as described, not single
shot had been fired
Weway ma, after finishing the ciga-
W
round to the door of the ranch, and,
making himself known, was admitted
by the women, both of whom were un-
feignedly glad to see him. According
TO his declaration, he mad promised his
comrades, who We're stationed near in
the darkness, that he would induce
them to accompany him through the
door, under the assurance that favored
by the gloom, he could quickly conduct
them to place Of safety. He was en-
phatic in declaring to the other Apaches
that he could do this because of the
favoring conditions, though in order to
lull the suspicious of the couple it was
necessary to be deliberate in what no
proposed and did
Such WAS the story told in his broken
way by Weway- who, it may be
said, held the fate Of the women in his
hands. Mrs. Huntlcy and her daughter
believed every syllable. Weston Run.
dell did not credit single word
The Apache's proposal was that the
little party should follow him through
the window that had served to admit
Rundell The waiting Apaches would
not look for anything of that nature,
and the rear of the house was so close
to the pines and powders that few
hurried steps must take the fugitives 70
shelter, where they would be beyond
danger.
Rundell listened intently to every
uoint of this remarkable statement and
before it was finished he had formed
hiR conclusion, which was in keeping
with his thorough distrust of the young
barbarian.
Aware that he possessed the conf.
dence Of the women, he strengthened it
| hy his proposal to deceive the waiting
Apaches by stealing out from the rear
of the house instead of the front, where
they would walk into the arms of their
implacable enemies.
Several questions instantly presented
themselves to the young man. Was it
reasonable tt suppose that the hostiles
would hold only the front of the build.
ing under surveillance? When there
were so many, would they not wholly
surround the house and guard against
the very scheme We.way ma had in
mind:
More important still, why should the
women leave the house at all?
With Rundell (and supposedly the
rancher) at hand to create ii diversion,
the Apaches would, in a certain sense,
be placed between two fires. The de-
Tenders could be counted on TO make
brave fight, while their allies on the
outside were certain to add to the com
plication of tho situation.
Still further, tho cattlemen who
We're at no great distance must have
been summoned to the spot by some
means and would arrive ere long. All
That was n,,,e. arJ, tHereture, was Ion
mother and daughter to wait where
they were, especially in view of the
fact that they had received re-enforce.
ment in the person Of Rundell himself
An, why bad not the latter thought
of it before: The peculiar manner IN
which the ranchor had fired his Win
chester and IN which Rundell by re
quest initiated him was IA signal to the
three catt.emen. There could be N
doubt that il Was summons for them
to hasten to the house where their serN
ices were sorely needed.
II there had been any question in
Rundell'S mind of tho intended treach-