The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-01
CHAPTER TX.

hurried frOm Wnat tncre was OF tne
shack aggregation at that point TO what
was left OF Sancho s-Major Starke and
the doctor with H. They found much OF
the corral in ruins and one end of the
ranch badly scorched. The wife OF my
brother" with Pancha, and that cere-
monious copy OF the Castlian himself
had disappeared. but sancho was still
there, a much wronged man, and Pedro
and Jose and Concno and decrepit mule
or two, all under the surly surveillance
Of Sergeant Feeney and half dozen
troopers, whose comrades were afeld
chasing banditti through the deserts and
mountains, while those who were detailed
TO remain spent long, anxious hours
watching over and striving TO soothe
young officer. delirious from injuries 10
the head and resultant fever. Loring
was a sick man indeed when the surgeon
reached him, but poor Blake. wearing
himself down 10 skin and bone In fruit
less chase, would gladly have been In his
place.
The stage which he and his men
had rushed To rescue was actually out
there 10 the east. as Pancha had declared
''held up among some little sand dunes,
but II bore neither passengers nor treas
ure and why on earth the robbers should
have detained him for nearly 20 miles
east OF Gila Bend, held him in the hot
sun from 0 In the morning until late In
the afternoon. then sent him on again,
only 10 be once more rounded TO" with
furious chorus Of yells and volleyings
OF pistols when within only two miles OF
Sancho's. that bewildered Jehu could not
imagine. The marvel OF II was that
though the old sage was "riddled like
sieve" as he said. ''and bullets flew
around me like swarm OF buzzin bees,
raised blister In the skin Indeed even
those abrasions were indistinguishable
though Jake solemnly believed In their
existence Then another queer thing!
Long before the lieutenant and his fell
lers" reached the imperied vehicle all
but two or three OF the dozen 3ssailants
went scurrying off in the darkness, and
when the cavalry came charging furious
ly through the gloom there was no one
TO oppose them. Jehu Jake couldn't
even tell which way the bandits had
gone--every way, he reckoned-and after
careering blindly about for half an hour
or so Blake's most energetic men came
drifting back and said II was useless to
attempt pursuit until dawn even though
that would give the renegades six hours
start Slowly and disgustedly Blake or
dered his men TO form ranks and march
back to camp, when suddenly an idea
struck him-Loring. Loring. with his
precious saddlebags. had been left alone
and calling for set OF fours TO follow
him Blake clapped his spurless heels 10
his indignant horses TANKS and gal
loped for home only to find Sancho and
Pete lamenting over the PROSTATE. sense
less and bleeding form of the engineer.
whose arm was still thrown protectingly
over the ravished saddebags.
The pocket containing that precious
envelope was slashed open. The enveI-
~ f.h Ia record n
the court in the other bag was undis-
turbed.
And then as ne bathed his comrades
head and stanched the blood and strove
70 call him back to consciousness Blake
saw II all or thought he did and CRASHED
his teeth In impotent wrath. He was
tricked. betrayed-yes. possibly ruined
all by gang OF miserable "Greasers."
through the medium OF a pretty Mexican
girl and his own wretched imbecility.
There was no name Blake didn't call
himself. There was nothing disreputable
he did not think Of Sancho But what
could he prove? Sancho was a heavy
loser Sancho's best mules and all his
fine horses including the famous roam.
had been spirited away. The gang had
made wreck of the bar and puddle OF
his famous liquor.
Manuel his brother. with his beloved
wife and child. had fed n terror, SAID
nursing the heroic officer who had striv-
en- to defend them against such a rush
OF wretches Blake droveh i'm away
with imprecations, vowing that he. San
cho, was I'm coluslon with the gang.
against which unmerited slur Sancho pro-
tested in sonorous Spanish. and 10 prove
his innocence pointed 70 his bespattered
barroom, and as that failed to move the
obdurate heart OF the raging cavalryman
went sorrowfuly back TO the dark ranch.
whence there suddenly arose a sheet OF
flame and the cry that the villains had
eet fire to the corral before they left.
For half an hour the straw and hay made
nerte blaze. and the troopers turned
20 and saved the ranch, as Sancho knew
they would. and the actual damage was
but slight.
Some day Sancho would present a claim
against the government for 20 times the
amount and get such portion OF IL as was
not required by the local agent and lobby
ing aids who rushed II through congress.
Against Sancho there was no proof what
ever. and when Blake rode away a dawn
20 take the trall OF the robber band he
had 20 invoke Sanchos assistance I'm look
ing after his stricken friend. There were
hours that day when Blake could almost
have blown his brains out. lie who prided
himself on the field record he was making
had been outwitted. tricked, utterly and
ridicaousy fooled BY heaven. II horses
could hold out those rascals should not
go unwhlpped Of justice! Bitter as was
his cup the previous year, this was bit
terer still
Not for ten days. after long and
fruitless chase through the Dragon
mountains and almost into Mexico. dti
Blake return 20 the Bend. and by that
time Loring was Just gone. borne IN the
ambulance 20 Yuma lie had reRained
consciousness under the doctors care,
said old Feeney. but was soreiy weak and
shaken. and The doctor had gone on with
him.
SO ended. for the time being AT least.
the survey OF the ella valley. for the
surgeon at Fort Yuma conciied In the
opinion OF his brother from Cooke that
Lieutenant Loring couli perform no
cufy for weeks: that hc should have care.
rest and a sea voyage. The record % the
court had been sent on by mail stage 10
Ban Francisco. and after n fortnight of
total quiet at Yuma Loring was con-
~eyed down the Colorado 20 the gulf aud
ehlpped aboard the coasting steamer for
che two weeks run around old California
and up The Pacific "a Yerba Buena THE