Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-07

backed by the braves Of other bands, there
fore, the Apache Yumas were fearful and
timorous on the trail. Once they had bro
ken and run before a mere handful OF Ton
tos, leaving a wounded officer to his tate.
Once, when scaling the Black Mesa toward
this very Snow lake, they had whtmpered
and begged to be sent home, declaring no
enemy was there in hiding. when the peaks
were found alive with Tontos. The Red
Rock country and the northward spurs Of
the Mogollon seemed fraught with some
strange, superstitious terror in their eyes,
and II the nerve of a dozen would de-
sert them when ordered east of the Verde,
what could be expected of Blakely.s two?
No wonder. then, the elders at Sandy were
sorely troubled!
But the bugologist had nothing else to
choose from. All the reliable. seasoned
scouts were already gone with the various
field columns. Only Apache Yumas re.
NAMED and only the least promising OF
the Apache Yumas at that Bridger re-
membered how reluctantly these two had
obeyed the summons to go. III they don
sneak away and come back swearing they
have lost the lieutenant, I'm gopher,
said he. and gave orders accordingly to
have them hauled before him should they
reappear. Confidently he looked to see OF
hear Of them as again lurking about the
commissary storehouse after the manner OF
their people. beggars to the backbone. But
the week went by without sign of them:
There's only one thing to explain that,
said he. They've either deserted to the
enemy or been cut of and killed" What.
then, had become Of Blakely? What fate
had befallen Wren?
By this time late Saturday night, acting
for the department commander, now lost
somewhere in the mountains, Byrne had
reinforced the guards at the agency and
the garrison at Sandy with infantry drawn
from Fort Whipple ut Prescott, for thither
the Apaches would neveFveHture The un-
trammeled and sovereign citizen had his
own way of treating the obnoxious native to
the soil. sEsi4
BY this time. too, further word should
Sanders especially. But though runners
had reached the post fearing brief dis
patches from the general showing that he
and the troops from the more southeriy
the Tontos about Chevion's Fork, rot a
sign had come from this Energetic troop
commander, not another 'n1el from Sergeant
Brewster or his men, and there were wo-
sleepless dread and watching 1T MEANS -
said Byrne. that the hostfl4s are between
us and those commando It means that
couriers can't get through, that's III. I'm
betting the commands ARE safe enough.
They are too strong to be- attacked" But
Byrne was silent as to Blakely: he was
dumb as to Wren. He was growing bag
gard with anxiety and care and inability to
assure or comfort. The belated rations
needed by Brewster's party, packed on
mules hurried down from Prescott, were to
start at dawn for Sunset Pass under stout
infantry guard. and they, too. would prob
ably be swallowed up In the mountains.
The ranch people down the valley. fearful
Of raiding Apaches. had abandoned their
homes. and. driving their stock before
them, had taken refuge in the emptied cor
rails Of the cavalry. Even Hart, the vet
eran trader, seemed losing his nerve under
the strain, for when such intrepid frontiers
men as Wales Arnold declared It reckless
to venture across the Sandy, and little
scouting parties were greeted with long
all jewellers without the walls OF the fort.
For the first time in the annals OF Camp
Sandy, Hart had sandbagged his lower