El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-12
No Sa1aried Officials.


against the wall at lneZ'S side was
light shotgun. -.e.t s.'- sris .
Midnight came and Inez made An
tonic lie down for a rest. The boy
slept for an hour. Then he got up and
made his sister take her turn. The girl
had slept for some time when Antonios
ear caught sound. 1t came from the
westward. He stole to the wall sur
rounding the little garden and strain
ed his eyes to look out into the starlil
night. He could see nothing, but, lis
tening intently, he could hear the faint
sound of hoof-falls. "rt Ta.s O. .
Then he went back to the house and
aroused Inez. The girl was alert in
a moment. -
"If they are Apaches,' she said,
they will go to the corral first to look
for the horses. then they will attack
the house." " re rr-f --
For an hour those two children, eacn
bouyed up by a sense of the others
courage, watched and waited. They
had taken up their station at the low
wall back of the house at point from
which they could see outlined in the
night the corral palings and the little
shack they inclosed. I15sthi n7j hl
1T will soon be dawn" Whispered
Inez. 'i''H t-- i--N 90
Yes" answered Antonio. clutching
his rifle tightly. that is the time they
attack ~ H- ." h.''
AS he spoke lis sister caught mis-
arm and pointed. Stealing around the
farther end of the corral they saw dark
forms. For. moment the childreu's
hearts almost failed them. They knew
that those Apaches, doubtless hard
pressed by the troops. would be mad
dened by the failure to find fresh
horses to help them on their way. A
streak of gray was showing in the
east.
Q Ten minutes passed. The gloom %
night lightened. --.. .-... .s g..
Six forms came out of the entrance
to the corral and separating into pairs
advanced boldly towards the house.
They were Apaches, who apparently
felt secure in their advance by the be-
lief that their presence was unknown.
Inez and Antonio crouched behind the
wall. The boy felt that the only safs-
ty lay in checking the attack, and pos
sibly holding the Indians at bay I'M
til help might come. d. - r
He raised his rifle and fired at one
of the nearest Indians. In his excite
ment he missed his aim, but the shot
had one desired effect, 1t stopped the
Apache advance and sent the six braves.
scurrying back to the shelter of the
corral. rd .,..go .ar ,ysr sofrs97 ,i-
Bright daylight was fast approach
ing. Two of the Indians came from
behind the little stable and making
circle reached the river bank. O.
They will follow the bank down,
Inch, and get at us from behind, said
Antonio. You must go there where the
wall touches the bank and try to hold
them off. and / will guard this place
from the other four. - I o. Hp-iiN Z
The girl stopped, kissed her brother,
and. taking her shotgun kept undeI
cover of the wall to the point where
the river flowed by. She looked along
the bank but could see nothing. From
where she stood the house hid Antonio
and the corral, which lay beyond, from
her sight lo-r. l-,- ..
LookIng ahead again along the line
of the shining flood she saw clump OF
bushes on the bank move. ~
In a moment the foliage was parted
and the face of an Apache peered out.
Inez crouched down. Seeing the way
was apparently clear, the Indian quicK-
ly followed by another, emerged from
his concea ,ment. The leader reached
a point within twenty yards OF the gar
den and then crawled boldly over tie
bank.
= AS his lead appeared Inez nerved
herself and fired. In an instant she
knew that she had missed her aim,
for the savage s face which had dis
appeared for an instant showed once
more over the bank. mi %. Benz ~
With yell the brave dashed for
ward with knife in his hand. The girl
began praying. -','l -' '-sa
The Apache leaped to the top of the
wall with uplifted knife. His COM
panion was at his heels. The girls
consciousness was well nigh numb
yet in that awful moment she seemed
to know that somewhere she had seen
that second savage face before.
All sense and strength were leaving
her. There was the appraised hand OF
the Indian clutching that terrible
knife. Then quick as flash the sec
ond Indian hurled himself upon his
companion. There was a blow and a
knife was driven into the heart OF
Inez's assailant, and in another instant
ais body was hurled into the rapi1
flowing river.
The girl knew that a face was look
Ii ing into hers and dimly she saw that
| it was the face of the Apache whom