Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-01-14
81 81 a ~ =
jW9UhDEDNAnE
BY
BRIG .GEN.GAsNNG. :
IS o 20 VISA. <SS9 9Sl

stage. There had been rumOrs of Apache
raids to the east of Maricopa. Only
three days before he had warned the
caballeros-the gentlemen of the court
who were going back to Grant and
Bowie-to be on their guard every inch
of the way beyond the Wells, and now
his heart was heavy. He feared that
disdainful of his caution, they had
driven straight into ambush. Ought not
the Teniente Blake to push forward at
once with his whole force and ascertain
their fate? Blake babe him hold his
peace. If harm had come to that stage,
said he, il was not ON the eastward, but
on the westward run, not at the hands
of Apaches, but of outlaws, and Sancho
went back looking blacker than night
and saying in the seclusiOn of the corral
to beetle browed hermano MIC and his
dusky wife things that even in Spanish
sounded i'll and would not be publish
able in English. Both officers by this
time felt that there was mischief abroad.
1t was decided between them that If by
midnight the stage did not arrive Lor-
ing, with the precious packet IN one
saddlebag and the court proceedings IN
the other, should take eight men as es-
cort and gallop for the west until he
reached the platoon sent forward at
dawn. From that point the danger
would be less and with either the same
or a smaller number Of fresh riders he
could push on for Yuma, sending all
the others back to Join Blake, who
meantime, with what little force ne
had, would scout eastward for news Of
the stage.
But that plan was destined never to
be carried out. The long day came to
an end. The darkness settled down over
sandy plain and distant mountain. The
silence of midnight reigned over the
lonely bivouac and the somber ranch,
yet had not Blake given orders that ev-
cry man must remain close to the horses
throughout the evening adventurous
spirits from the troop could surely have
heard the ominous whisperings within
the corral and marked the stealthy Gid
ings to and fro At o'clock the ia
nous roam was cautiously led forth from
the gateway and close under the black
shadow of the wall, and not until we'll
beyond earshot of the willows was he
mounted and headed eastward.
At 10 Loring was sleeping soundly in
preparation for the night ride before
him, and Blake, nervously putting at
his pipe, was listening to the low, muir
murous chat where the guard were
gathered about their watch fire, when
soft, timid, Turing, sweet, again he
heard the tinkle of that guitar. 1t ceased
abruptly. There was a minute of 81
lence; then a trif1e louder it began
again, again ceased as though waiting
reply, and Blake sat up and listened.
Once more, not at the westward will
lows, not at the ranch, not on the open
plain, but somewhere close at hand,
close to his side of the bivouac, away
from the guard, away from the occa-
sionally stamping, snorting horses and
equally far from the dark, shadoTy
buildings Of the stage station, and
Blake slowly, noiselessly got to his feet
and after listening one moment to Lor-
ing's deep, regular breathing buckled
on his revolver belt and stole forth in
to the starlight. Yes, there was the
sound again-a few notes, bar or two
of the song Pancha was singing at the
willows the night before, and close to
the edge of the willows crouched the
WIFI Ills uduCl Ou GuO UuIb
of his revolver Blake strobe slowly to-
ward the shrinking form and reckoning
it rose and moved swiftly away. HALT
where you are!" growIed the Iieuten-
ant. "If you want me, stay here.
For answer there came the same soft
~ played bars and another gesture as
though imploring him to come farther
away from hearing of the ranch or even
of his bivouac, and, whipping out his
revolver, the tall trooper sprang for
ward, and heavy hand came down on
the shawl hidden form, and there, trem-
bling, impioring-aye, weeping-was
Pancha. Before he could speak one
word she began, and to his amaze began
in English-broken English, to be sure,
disjointed, incCherent, tremulous-and
he listened, at first incredulous, then
half convinced, then utterly absorbed,
too absorbed to note that dark form
went scurrying from the shelter of some
stunted brush straight toward the
ranch, whence presently a bright light
shone forth and loud voices harsh
ly shouted the name of Pancha, Pan
cha - whose wrist he still grasped
Pamela, who, weeping, had implored
him to hasten with all his men, that
the stage was not three miles away
with officers from Grant aboard, that
wicked men had planned to murder
them to prevent their joining him, and
now in terror she sought to break away
She begged him to release her They
would kill her if they knew
And even as she pleaded, far out on
the dark, eastward plain, there sudden
" uprose chorus of yells, a rattling
fusillade, and Blake darted to the
bivouac, shouting as he ran: up with
you, @ troopi Mount. menl Mountr'
And then all was stir and hustle and
Cnrinnino from fhoir