Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-07-18

attempt to save them. When within a
hundred yards of the camp Jack lifted
his rifle. The dim light from the
smolderlng fire showed the reclining
forms of the Apaches, with two who
had been assigned as sentinels sitting
upright, every sense alert.
"We'd better begin firing" whispered
Jack. "a 'Pache has eyes and ears
like cat, and they'll spot us soon. If
we fire fast, maybe they will think
there's party and rum
But Dan Driscoll, who had been look
ing intcntly at the campfire, laid re-
training hand on his partners arm,
for into the brain of Dan had flashed
a plan, full of danger, but promising
complete success If well carried out.
81 can't see the women" murmured
Dan. "They must be tied to one side.
There's no use shooting. The reds will
scatter out of the light of the fire.
They'll know from the flashes there
amt but two of us, and they'll just
pick us off Now listen. I've got the
dynamite i'm my pocket If we can
creep up near enough to toss it in the
fire. those red devils will go to their
own place in detachmcnts, The women
are too far off to be hurt by the eX-
plosion, and 1t probably won't harm
us. It's big risk, but our only
chance"
Inch by inch Dan and his partner
crawlcd toward the camp. A few yards
more and it would be time to throw the
dynamite, Then some almost imper,
ceptiblc noise aroused the suspicious of
one of the sentinels. He sprang TO his
feet and peered into the night. The
white men lay motionless, holding their
breath. But they could not deceive the
trained eycsght of the Apache who
fired ut tho spot where he had dimly
disccrnod tho crawling bodies.
Then brave after brave leaped to his
feet, snatching his rife Dan ran for
ward and hurled the dynamite. The
distance was too great. 1t struck the
sand, failed TO explode and rolled a few
feet, where it lay dimly visible in the
glow from the campfire. Dan groaned.
Now the Indians would scatter, he and
Jack would be killed, and the women
but he didn't want to think Of that.
But Jack Coyle, his rifle at his shout
der, was taking careful aim-not mt any
of the Apaches, but at little package
which lay unnotlced in front Of the
fire, and as Dan turned with a curse
to ask the reason for his partners
slowness in shooting Jack pulled the
trigger.
An explosion which seemed to shake
the desert, glare of white flame, then
silence. The campfire was gone, but
far out on the plains could be seen
scattered brands. Jack had fallen on
his face as he fired. Dan had been
knocked down by the explosion. As
they picked themselves up they could
hear the neighing of the frightened
horses and the cries of the women.
Both had been too distant to be
harmed. But no noise came from the
spot where second before had stood
the group of Apache warriors.
"There wasn't man more than thir-
ty feet from the fire." said Jack, with
q little awe in his voice. "and there
was dynamite enough in that package
to blow up a town."
"There's 10 use sentlmentlng over
q lot Of dead 'paches," answered Dan
in businesslike tones. "That shot of
yours saved the outfit. The thing to
do now is to hustle out the horses and
get the women back to town. Therell
be a lot of people mighty glad to see
'em."
Far off to the west shone a glow
which seemed TO be reflected from
some rapidly moving object. Jack
Coyle pointed at it,
"Thcre goes the Overland. Well, if
we didn't use the dynamite quite the
way we meant to it came in pretty
handy"