Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1903-11-26

and four travois, and there must be
q dozen in saddle"
A dozen thare were, for along the
limo OF orouchfn9 men went sudden
thrill Of excitement. Shoulders be-
gan 20 heave; nervous thumbs bore
down on the heavy carbine hammers,
and there was sound Of irrepressible
Sur and murmur., Out among the
pines, 500 yards away two mounted
Indians popped suddenly into view,
two others speedily followed, their
wel-ndgh exhausted ponies feebly
shaking their shaggy, protesting
heads as their riders piled the sting
ing qutrt or jabbed with cruel lancet
only in painful jog trot could they
zig gag through the trees. Then
came two warriors, leading the pony
OF q crippled comrade. Don't fire
don't harm them! Fall back from the
trail there and let them in. THEY'LL
halt the moment they see our tracks!
Get 'em, alive, If possible!" were
Blake's rapid orders, for his eyes were
eagerly fixed on other objects beyond
these detected leaders-upon STUN,
bling mules, dashed fore and aft be-
tween long, spliced saplings and bear
ing thus the rude itter-Hay's pet
wheelers turned to hospital use. An
Indian boy, mounted, led the foremost
mule; another watched the second;
while, on each side of the occupant
of the Sioux palanquin, logged a
blanketed rider on jaded pony. Here
was q parsonage of consequence
luckier much than these others fol-
lowing, dragged along on travois
whose trailing poles came jolting over
stone or hummock along the rugged
path. 1t was on these that Blake's
glittering eyes were fastened.
''Pounce on the leaders, you that are
nearest!" he ordered, in low, telling
tones, the men at his left; then
turned to Schneider, crouching close
beside him, the fringe of his buck
skin hunting shirt quivering over his
bounding heart. ''There's the prize
want" he muttered low. "Whatever
you do, let no shot reach that litter.
Charge with me the moment the lead
ers yell. You men to the right he
added, slightly raising his voice, "be
ready to jump with me. Don't shoot
anybody that doesn't show fight. Nab
everything in sight,
''Whoo-oop!" All in a second the
mountain woke, the welkin rang, to
q yell of warning from the lips of the
leading Sioux. All in a second they
Auhirled their ponies about and darted
back. All in that second Blake and
his nearmost sprang to their feet
and flung themselves forward
straight for the startled convoy. In
vain the few warriors bravely rallied
about their foremost wounded. The
unwieldy litter could not turn about;
the frantic mules, crazed by the in
slant pandemoniu1n Of shouts and
shots-the onward rush of charging
men-the awful screams of a brace
of squaws, broke from their lead
ing reins; crashed with, their lit
ter against the trees, hurting
the 1uckless occupant to earth. Back
drove the unhit warriors before the
dash of the cheering line. Down went
first one pony, then a second, in his
bloody tracks. One after another, lit
ter, travels, wounded and prisoner,
was clutched and seized by stalwart
hands, and Blake, painting not lit
tie, found himself bending staring
over the PROSTATE form flung from
the splintered wreck of the litter, a
form writhing in pain that forced no
o0,,r1 hot f,,Ov,, hofx IL,
chnching teeth, yet that baffled effort,
almost superb, to rise and battle
still "a form magnificent in it's pro-
portions, yet helpless through
wounds and weakness. Not the form
Blake thought to see, of shrinking,
delicate, dainty woman, but that of
the furious warrior who thrice had
dared him on the open field-the red
brave well-known by sight and deed
within the moon now waning, but,
only within the day gone by, revealed
to him as, the renegade Ralph Mo-
reau-Eagle Wing of the Ogallala
Sioux.
Where then was Nanette?
''Look out for this mar, corporal"
he called, to shouting young troop
er. "See that no harm comes to him. y
Then quickly he ran on to the huddle
of travois. Something assured him
she could not be far away. The stout
drag litter held another young war;
rior, sullen and speechless like tho
foremost. The next bore desper-
ately wounded brave whose bloodless
lips were compressed in agony and
dumb as those of the dead. About
these covered, shivering, and whim-
pering, two or three terror-stricken
squaws, one of them with a round
eyed papoose staring at her back.
A pony lay struggling in the snow
close by. Half a dozen rough soldier
hands were dragging a stricken rider
from underneath. Half dozen more
were striving to control the wild
plungings of another mettlesome
beast, whose rider, sitting firmly
astride, dashed first at his quivering
flank and then at the fur gauntleted
hands-even at the laughing, beard
Cd faceS-s,1ro sion ~ another cc,,oxr,