Daily camera., 1901-08-01
Of the Drnvo, smacking his lips IN antici.
nation at the good linuor nwht httinr him

at Santa Fe Junction the moment his
duty was done. Five days and nights
had he before him Of lonely ride
through dcsolate, almost desert land
stopping only when necessary to feed
and water and rub down his horse
build his little fire and cock his slab
Of bacon and brew the battered pot OF
coffee, and snatch such sleep under the
stars us was possible, Drawing Indians,
rattlesnalkes or mountain lions without
n tremor, for the sake of an Irishman's s
pride in his troop, his love of dangerous
duty and his full assurance of good
time at the journeys end.
Another day and rude grave was
dug in the canyon, and the doctor read
the simple service Of the church over
the shroudcd form OF the Young pros
pector; and then, against that doctors
consent, Lieut.. Merriam. with an escort
OF two troopers, started in person to
ride by the shortest trail to Sedgwicli,
II was now the 9th Of June. II would
take him nearly week to reach and
cross the Santa Clara. 1t might take
him eight days to Sedgwick. and every
hour seemed day. Meantime Dr.
Wells set about having litters made for
the two wounded troopers, and by the
tenth of the month had them safely in
hospital at the cantonment. He found
Trcmane looking anxious, even an
gered, Mrs. Tremaine troubled on more
than one account, apparently, and Flor
cnce pale and languid.
"Did Mr.. Merriam send no letter."
asked Mrs. Tremaine. after he had told
something Of their experiences.
There was no time to write. He
begged me to give you his love and graf
itude, to give it to all, and to say he
would write in full the moment he got
to Sedgwick. Oh, yes, he is better
much better, but the nervous strain
may bring on n return Of the fever"
said the doctor. Something OF solemn
consequence. Wells knew not what,
had carried Merriam back to the rail-
way. He might have TO go east al once
But Randy never reached the railway.
Hnyne received and read in startled
amaze the contents of the packet
brought by the courier. and sent at
once from the junction two tclegraphic
messagcs-one TO Mr.. Ned Parry, of the
firm of Graeme, Rayburn & Parry, OF
Chicago; the other TO Mr.. Abraham
Mellen. New York city; received from
the latter neither acknowledgment nor
reply. and from the former the brief
words: The marriage took place IS
hours ago"
Without any delay, taking only
single orderly, Capt Hayne rode away
norshwestward, past the Santa Clara,
past the old Mission, and so mountain
ward until the blue barrier of the Mes
calero turned TO gray and green, and,
almost within its shadows, just as the
second setting sun dropped behind its
massive crest. he met the trio from the
Catamount-Merriam, a haggard. but
determined rider, far in the lead. There
was no time for salutation.
what answer" demanded the lieu
tenant, abruptly and with wide, burn
ing, bloodshot eyes.
Too late" said Hayne, ''too late by
As hours"
You don't mean" gasped Merriam,
that they are married already?"
That's what Parry wires" was the
brief response. Here's the dispatch" "
For moment Merriam sat in saddle,
a dazed, stupefied look in his bloodless
face. Then his eyes closed and he
seemed about TO swoon. Hayne sprang
from his painting horse just as Mer-
RAMS wearied escorts came numbering
TO the spot. Together they lifted him
from his seat and bore him 10 4 little
patch of grass, bathed his temples from
their canteens and gave him a gouttc
of cognac. They made what frontier
troops call dry camp" that night,
just there where the two parties met,
There was fuel, little grass. but no
water beyond what they had in their
eanteens, and with the contents Of one
Of these Hayne brewed pot Of tea
while one OF the men cooked their fru.
gal supper. They needed no other cano-
ny than that of the heavens in that rare,
dry atmosphere, and with the stars for
night lights and the waning moon 10
peep in upon their slumbers later and
start the gaunt coyotes at their queru-
lous, unregarded serenadc, the troopers
slept, or seemed 10 sleep, until dawn.
T,,.,,n 20
staring with burning eyes at the radiant
vault aloft, but he wanted nothing,
needed nothing. He could not sleep for
thinking, he explained, and when the
morning came the fever was with him
again. and Corporal Tracy gal!oped
northward along the foothills, 4 long
days ride, to fetch once more the doc
tor from the cantonment, and with
Wells came the ambulance. The can
tonment lay 50 miles away to the north,
Sedgwick hundred TO the southeast
II was the neares, port in the storm.
This time Tremaine would have had
fitted up for him room in the big. airy
hospital but his be,ter-half intervened.
ut would never do after our having
had him here before she said. He
must have his old room under our roof
and everything he had before-excep,
Florence"
But when. after ten days of burning
fever and desperate illness, Randolph
Merriam seemed again to realize where
he was, and how weak he was, and how
good they had been TO him, the first
name he whispered, the first thing he
asked for, looked for. seemed to long
for was Florence-and they let her
come.
CHAPTER Y.
twas October before the surveyors
finished their work in the Mescalero