Evening star., 1903-08-01

ing: 1t was because she was anxious about
! Mullins. so she told herself and told her
father. that she had gone fiuttariny down
~ meet MIN at the door But no sooner
had ne answered. Still deliriolfs and vet
holdlng his own" that she asked where
ana why Maj. Plume had gone
- ne general wired for him." answered
W rem And what is my tall grille doing
Splerlns from windows this time of nfehtp
20 TO bed, child?" She may b.. losing
beauty sleep. but not her beauty thought
ne Iohdiy, as she as fondly kissed him and
turned to obey Then came "A heavy foot
fall on the gallery without and a dark
form. erect and soldierly stood between
,hem and the dim lights of the guard
mouse. 1T was a corporal of the guard
NO 4. sir. reports he heard shots-two-
way Up the valley"
Good God! Wren began then throttIed
the expletive half spoken. Could they have
dared waylay the ma jor-and so close TO
.he post? A moment more and he Was
hurryIng over to his troop quarters: five
minutes and sergeant and ten men were
running with him to the stables; ten and
dozen horses, swiftly SaddIed were being
led into the open starlight: fifteen. and they
We're away at a lunging broncho lope; a
twisting column Of twos along the sandy
foad leaving the garrison to wake and
wonder. Three. four, five miles they sped
past Boulder point, past Rattlesnake hill
and still no sign of anything amiss no
symptom of night-raiding Apache for in
deed the Apache breads the dark Thrjra
the sergeant had sprung from his horse
lighted a match and studied the trail on
ana on mad gone the mules and wagon
without apparent break or interruption.
until. far beyond the bluff that hid th,.
road from sight of all at Sandy they had
begun the long, tortuous climb of the divide
TO Cherry creek. No. might have heard
shots; but, II intended for the wagon. they
hau been harmless. 1t was long after !
when Wren gave the word to put back To
the post. and as they remounted and took
the homeward trail they rode for the first
a mt .,1r .l,
they ascended little slant of hillside. the
sergeant in advance refined suddenly in
Look therei'' said he
Far over among the rocky heights be-
Sond the valley, hidden from the south
from Sandy by precipitous cliffs that served
almost as reflector toward the reserva-
ton, a bright blaze had shot suddenly
heavenward-a signal fire of the Apache
Some of them, then We're IN the heart II
that most intractabe region, not ten miles
northeast of the post. and signaling to
their fellows: but the major must have
slipped safely through
Sending his horse to stable with the de
tachment, Wren had found No. well over
toward the east end of his post, almost TO
the angle with that of No. >. Watch well
for signal fires or providers tonight" he
ordered. Have you seen any?"
NO signal fires. sir" answered the SELL
try Welch, who was on before me.
thought he heard shots"
Il know, answered Wren impatiently.
There was nothing in IT. But We did ses
Il signal fire over to the northeast SO they
are around us, and some may be creeping
close in to see what were doing, though
doubt it. You've seen nothing?'
We'll, no. sir: we can't much of any
thing it's so dark. But there's "A good
t2any of the post people up and moving
about excited L suppose. There were lights
there at the lieutenant's. Mr.. Blakely's.
while ago. and-voices." No 4 pointed to
the dark gable end barely forty yards
away.
That's simple enough" said Wrer.
People would naturally come UP to this
end to see what had become of US. why We
had gone. &c. They heard OF it, dare say.
and some were probably startled"
Yes sir. it sounded like-somebody
cIyin'.'
Wren was turning away. ''What?" he
suddenly asked.
No. repeated his statement. Wren pom
dered a moment, started to speak, to queS-
ton further. but checked himself and truds-
ed thoughtfully away through the yielding
sand. The nearest path led past the first
and the captain neared the house be
stopped short. Somewhere in the shadows
of the back porch low. murmuring voices
were family audible. One, in excited tonH.
was not that of man. and as Wren stood.
uncertain and surprised. the rear door WAS
quickly opened and against the faint ligh.
from within two dark forms were pro ojected
One the taller, he recognized beyond doubt
as that of Neil Blakely, the other he did
not recognize at all But he had heard the
tone of the voice. He knew the form 10
be- beyond doubt. that OF young and Slcn.
der woman Then together the shadows
disappeared within and the door was closed
behind them
(To be continued Monday