Arizona republican., 1902-07-06
Willie Jones, Trooper By T
WALTER T. GREGORY.

s%ScSEScSSSSSsNsS 1 trombone solo and the officer listened | in evident admiration for a moment. ! Turning to the sergeant he said with | laugh that the pigs slept well for men who were to be shot. The sergeant re- turned an affirmative reply and the | two men left.
 The minutes slipped by when finally l the sharp challenge of the sentry was again heard.
 The reply, "El Serjento de guardia," they heard distinctly and the sound of 1 the sentry's rifle as he dropped the butt of the weapon on the stone floor ! ing, told the prisoners that all was well l so far.
 ! In another moment they heard the 1 sound of a scuffie and then the sound of something heavy falling on the floor | together with the clang of something metallic striking the stones. All was silent for a moment. Both men had risen to their feet when the sound of the scuff1e reached them and listened with bated breath.
 A shadow appeared in front of their cell; there was iumbling at the lock 1 for an instant and the door was flung open.
 SHSd va pOr dqul pTOIto, NHiS- pered the shadow, and without wait ing for another invitation Willie start ed out of the cell followed by Blinkie.
 Placing his fingers to his lips the pilot motioned for the prisoners to fol- law Mindful of the instructions con- lveyed in the note of the Cuban girl, neither spoke but kept close behind their conductor.
 | They soon came upon a body lying on l the floor weltering in blood. The guide stopped and turning to Blinkie pointed | to the rifle of the dead sentry, which 1 was lying on the floor. and himself stopping he unfastened the cartridge belt from the body and handed it to Blinkie, who had already picked up the dead mans weapon. Spurning the body with his foot the guide, whom our friends now recognized as the sergeant oi the guard who had spoken to Will f, lie in regard to the note of the fair Marcella, turned and with rapid, noise less steps went outside of the building to the inclosure where the prisoners had taken their daily recreation. Walk ing on tip-toe they followed their con- ductor, who went to the corner where the watering trough stood. Feeling around for a moment he took hold of a rope. Turning to the others he made a motion for them to follow him. In another instant he was clambering hand over hand up the wall. When he reached the top he listened intently for | a moment, then motiOned for one of the others to follow. Willie persuaded | Blinkie to make the attempt, but the
 latter demurred, saying that he was no
 cat to shin up the sides of a wall. and
 tried to make Willie go first. The wall
 was about twelve feet high and it was
 no feat for an active man to reach the
 top, but Blinkie was not built on ath-
 letic lines and had doubts of his abil- ity to ascend Willie chided him and said that he was a baby if he could
 not accomplish that little trick. Blin- I kies pride was touched and turnine :. his gun over to Willie, grasped the rope and with labored breathing and occasional grunting, managed to reach . the top, when his arm was grasped bv , the sergeant. Standing on the trough l Willie handed the gun to the guide and in another moment was by their side
 on the top of the wall.
 The night was pitch dark and theI
 could discern or hear nothing but the
 sound of party of merrymaking sol
 diers in building some distance away
 Picking up the rope the guide threw il
 on the outside of the wall and imme-
 diately slid down. Willie was abou!
 to follow his example when a sharr ejaculation from the guide stopped
 him. Listening for the cause of the
 exclamation he heard the steady
 tramp of feet. Punching Blinkie he
 whispered to him to keep stricr >nence
 The footsteps drew nearer and passed
 the angle of the wall below where they
 sat.
 They heard a smothered exclamation
 followed by silence.
 Thinking that something had hap
 pened to their liberator Willie sliC
 down the rope and was followed b1
 Blinkie, who first let his rifle drop tt
 the ground with a chatter.
 When the two men reached tn,
 ground they were met by the guide
 who said something uncomplimentar!
 about Blinkie dropping the gun, ant then cautioned them to keep close tt : him, as the sooner they were ava. r. from that neighborhood the safer the! l. would be. As they walked rapidly bu r r cautiously the guide, who said hi { name was Ramon, stated that he haC come upon and was forced to kill tn .i sentry WnoSe post extended on tn e outside and around the building wher ss they had been incarcerated. He ha' e taken the dead mans weapon ant e cartridge box, which he handed to Will v lie. They now had two guns and sev 6 eral rounds of ammunition and wer Q satisfied that they could give a goo 's account of themselves if their fligh e should be discovered.
 ', They had been proceeding in a Ciirec ' tion which led directly away from tn garrison and the guide, Ramon, ap