The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1902-10-02


with a wonderful kind of interest the
boy who was doing all that man
could do to save his life and her
own. Occasionally bullet bored
through the mud walls and sent the
dry mud flying in their faces, but
the range was great and the walls
stopped the majority of the bullets.
The hours seemed tn come and go,
to them; n dozen times Horton had
momentarily ceased his fire to listen
for the welcome thud of hoofs, and
as often was disappointed. 1t was
in reality but an hour before he sud-
denly discovered that his supply of
rifle ammunition had been expended,
and that the six charges in his pis-
tol were his only remaining articles
of defense. The girl saw this as he
discarded the rifle and drew the pis-
tol. and felt her heart sink us she
realized the situation. She saw him
as he gazed searchingly out over the
plain in an effort to discern bit of
friendly blue, and saw the despair
which no man can hope to conceal,
come into his face and snuff out the
bit of hope and dignity brought
there by the joy of well fought com.
| bat.
Horton carefully examined each
precious charge in the pistol, striv-
ing to force himself to think calmly;
and all the time an unknown voice
repeatedly asserted that further re-
sistance was entirely useless. Still,
! possessed by that wonderful Anglo
Saxon courage which grows more
and more rebelliously firm as the
fight goes more and more to the
enemy, he quietly informed the girl
that he had only begun to fight, and
| by his demeanor attempted to live
the lie.
Instinct, however, told the girl
that his cheerfulness was entirely
assumed, but by neither word nor
look did she betray this knowledge.
Silent. not voicing vain regrets,
nor weak vindictives, they stood, liv-
ing for the moments that reeled off
with fearful regularity, each fraught
with the question of life or death.
Occasionally Horton, from force OF
habit, glanced at his timepiece, and
each time he slightly shook his head.
The wary Apaches, noting that the
white mans terrible rifle was stilled,
had stolen down to the last fringe
of rocks that offered them protec-
ton, and were making visible prepa
rations for rush. Still. they knew
that the blue-shirted cavalrymen had
an uncomfortable habit of shooting
terribly fast and accurate at short
range, with the pistol, and so they
still hesitated.
Horton, closely watching their
every move and carefully weighing
every circumstance, reluctantly de-
cided that the time had come to
make the girl aware of the hope
lessness of their situation.
ITS all up with us now, I'm
afraid, Miss Jordan" he said, quiet
ly. They're getting ready for rush
out there, / see, and when they try
that, I'm afraid won't be able to
( hold them off. I'll only have time to
fire probably a couple of shots, then
/ they'll
Il know" she said. quickly, as If
the privilege Of speech was relief
after the long pulseless wait
Wen be killed. Wen. you'll find
that I'm not afraid to die"
The boy became visibly embar-
rasscd.
"'Ti>n't that" he said. dropping
his eyes to the floor They won't
kill you. You know. Miss Jordan;
'tisn't their style with white women.
/ They'n-theyn let you live; you un-
derStand don't you, Miss Jordan?'
4 For moment she did not compre-
hend, then when the revelation
/ dawned upon her all her composure
and self-possession gave way.
/ My God, they don't really DO that,
do they?' she cried.
The boy nodded
"Oh. il can't be" she said. clasp
ing her hands as the fearfulness of
B the DpE disclosures grew upon her.
I'D sooner die a hundred times"
She stopped suddenly. for her eyes,
roaming fur,ively, had fallen upon
the pistol in the boys hand, the only
lethal weapon remaining to them.
Her gaze rose steadily TO his frank
eyes, and for moment they gazed
at each other. each fully cognizant
of the others thoughts. The boy
grew sick at heart. for there was a
world of pleading in the girls eyes.
You will. won't you?" she said,
abruptly. You'll surely spare me
the fate Of falling into their hands
alive 1t was weak little plea. a
plea which told Of all hope for life
departed. and only wish remaining
for decent death.
Horton walked to loop-hole and
Il 1