The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1901-05-24
[coNTINUED FROM LAST wEkk.l
CHAPTER XXTY.

Never unless sure Of its ground and /
the weakness of the adversary does the
modern Indian band attack at night. /
Folsom and his people well knew that.
Yet not five minutes after the Indian
girl, faint with exhaustion and dread, |
was carried within doors, the big /
mastiff challenged again. The dogs |
furiously out to the northeast |
and would not be recalled. For nearly !
half an hour they kept up their angry
,lamor. Time and again during the
night, suspicious and excited, they
dashed out again and again, and once
one Of them, venturing further than
his fellows, broke suddenly into loud |
cries Of mingled pain and rage, and
when at last he came whining piteous-
" back to the ranch it was found that
he was bleeding from cash along the
flank, where an Indian arrow had
scared him. Only by fits and starts did
any man sleep. Hour after hour Fol-
SONS little garrison was on the alert.
The women had all been moved to the
deep, dry cellar, Mrs. Hal moaning over
her baby, utterly unnerved, Jessie
silent, but white and tremulous; the
herdsman's wife, an Amazon, demand
ed the right to have gun and fight BY
her husbands side; Lizette, the Indian
girl. faint and starved, asked nothing
but to be allowed to crouch at the door
of the room where Halbert lay, fevered
and unconscious, and Pappoose, scorn-
ing danger, fitted from her brothers
bedside to her fathers logIbarricade at
the east porch. In dread anxiety the
hours dragged by, and at last Lannion
reached forth his hand and pulled the
shirtsleeve Of his comrade Jake, half
doing at his side. In an instant the
latter was kneeling atihis post. What
Is it?" he queried, and Lannion, point
ing to the first faint, pallid CLEAN in
the eastern sky, whispered: Time to
be up, man. It's coming"
For half an hour, except for the rush
ing Of the Laramie, asilence almost un-
earthly had brooded over the prairie,
and even the dogs seemed lulled to
sleep. But now, as the cold light crept
slowly over the distant range, and
soft flush began to overspread the pal
lor of the dawn, far out over the valley
the yelp of coyote began again and
all men strained their ears and listened,
while strong hands grabbed the growl-
ing dogs and pinned them to earth, for,
beginning at the east, the cry was
taken up on every side. Fo4som's
ranch seemed beleaguered by the
gaunt, half-famished wolves of the up
land prairies. Look to your sights,
now, menl Down into the cellar, Pap
poose!" exclaimed Folsom, kindling
with fierce excitement. i've been the
friend of all that tribe for 80 years,
but when they break faith with me
and mine that ends It'll Look to your
sights and make every shot count" he
cautioned, as he made the rounds OF
the little shelters thrown up during
the past two days. I'VE can stand off
hundred of 'em IL you only keep your
grit"
Again the clamor as of coyotes
ceased. 1t was only the Indian signal
"Ready!" and every ranchman knew
that with the rising sun, If not before,
the swoop would come. Again as the
light broadened the dogs were loosed
and presently were challenging all four
points of the compass. The unseen foe
was on every hand.
Perched as 1t was on little rise, the
ranch stood forth conspicuous over the
valley. At the foot of the slope to the
south lay the corral and some Of the
buildings, about 100 yards away, where
the shallow Laramie curled and Tapped
beneath their walls, and now the dogs
seemed to concentrate their attention
on that side. Folsom, rifle in hand,
was kneeling on the porch, listening
intently. Two of the hands were with
him. Jake and Lannion, experienced
and reliable, had been given independ-
emit posts on the other front, and just
as objects could be dimly recognized
along the flats, there burst upon the
ears OF the little garrison sudden
chorus of exultant yells. A tongue OF
fame leaped upward from beyond the
huts lately occupied by the ranchmen
The half-used haystacbs caught ano
held one moment the fiery messenger
and then in broad glare that reddenec
the food OF the Laramie for miles anc
| lighted up the ranch like a sunburs'
gave forth huge column OF blaze ane
smoke that could be seen far over th'
Black Hills Of Wyoming, and all thu
valley seemed to spring to instant life
On every side arose the stirring wal
CRY of the Sioux, the swift beat O
pony hoofs, the ring of rifle, and Draw
John Folsom's heart sank within hin
as he realized that here was no mer'
marauding party, but powerful ban'
organized for deliberate vengeance
The Laramie plains were alive witt
darling, yelling, painted horsemeil
circlino about the ranch, hemming
| In. emitting it off from the world.
The bullets came whistling throug
the morning air, biting fercely int
the solid logs, scattering the thinking
smashing pane after pane, Some OF tn
dogs came bowling and whining Dac
for shelter, though the mastiffs hel
their ground, fercely barking an
bounding about, despite the whistle
and calls from the besieged, VIII
sought to save them to the last, but nc
once as yet had the ranch replied wit
shot. Down in the cellar wome
chung together or ciasped their wal
ling children and listened fearfuuy
the clamor. In Halls room the feyere
sufferer awoke from his ssupor, an'
demanding his rife, struggled 70 rii
from the bed, and there John Folso'
found Pappoose, pale apd determines
bending over her weakened proth,s
and holding him down almost az q
could have overpowered chile LII
Ia. -, an his strong arms, he boz