Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-11

then. were still lowering about the range
overlooking the broad valley of the Sandy,
some of the bands then were proving in
the mountains between the scouting troops
ana the garrSOned post. Some must have
been watching this very trail, in hopes of
lntercepting couriers or stragglers some
must have seen and seized poor Angela.
He had sprung from saddle and leyeled
his old field glass at the distant promon-
tory, SO absorbed in his search he did not
note the coming of the little column. The
hitter bearing Blakely foremost of the four
had halted close beside him. and BIakely's
voice, weak and strained, yet commanding
suddenly startled him with demand to be
told what he saw, and Arnold merely hand
ed him the glass and pointed. The last Of
tne 1alnt smoke punS was just soaring into
space, making four still in sight. Blakely
never even took the binocular. He had
seen enough by the unaided eye
with upiifted hand the sergeant had
checked the coming of the next litter
Wren's and those that followed it. One Of
the wounded men. the poor lad crazed by
the per1ls of the siege, was alert and beg
ging for more water. but Wren was hap
PLY lost to the world in swoon OF slum-
Der. To the soldier bending over him he
seemed scarcely breathing. Presently they
were Joined by two of Arnolds party who
had been searching out the left flank.
They, too, had seen, and the three were
now in low-toned conference. Blakely for
the moment was unnoted. forgotten.
That tank-where we found the RIBBON
Arnold, pointing we'll down the rugged
slope toward the southwest where other
rocky. pine-fringed heights barred the view
to the distant Sandy. Surely the colonel
or some of his fellows must be along here
Ride ahead a hundred yards or so and fro
a couple of Shots this to one of his men,
who silently refined his tired bronco into
the rude trail among the pine cones and
disappeared. The others waited Present.
ly came the half-smothered sound of q shot
and half-stifled cry from the rearmost
litter. Every such shock meant new terror
to that poor lad, but Wren never stirred.
Half a minute passed without another
sound than faint distant echo: then faint,
and not so distant, came another sound. .
prolonged shout, and presently another,
and then horSeman hove in sight among
the trees across nearly mile-wide dip Ar
mold and his friends rode on to meet him,
leaving the filters at the crest. In five
minutes one of the riders reappeared and
called: Its Horn of the orderlies lie re.
ports Colonel Byrne just ahead. Come orr
and turning, dove back down the twisted
trail
The colonel might have been just al.ead
when last Seen but when they reached .fe
tank he was far aloft again, scouting from
another height to the northward and while
the orderly went on to find and tell him.
Arnold and his grave-faced comrade disc
mounted there to await the coming CT the
lltters Graver were the faces even than
before. The news that had met them Was
most ominous. Two of those who searched
with COlOnel Byrne naQ 1Ounu pony tracks
leading Notwithstanding in the very d.
rection in which they had seen the smoke
There was no other pony shoe IN the S.lIidy
valley. 1t could be none other than IN.
gela's little friend and comrade-Punct
And this news they told to Blakely as ;hs
foremost litter came. He listened with
hardly word of comment: then asked for
his scouting notebook. He WIS sitting up
now. They helped him from his springY
couch to seat on the rocks, and gave him
a cup of the cold water. One by one tina
other filters were led into the little anphf-
theater and unlashed. Every one seemed Il
know that here must be the bivouac for .ss
night their abiding place for another day,
perhaps. unless they should And the esp.
tain's daughter. They spoke w;:en they
spoke at all. In muff1ed tones these rough.
war-worn men Of the desert ami The noun
tain. They bent over the wounded with
Borrowing eyes and wondered why 10 Srr.
ge0n had come out 10 meet them. Heart
burn. of course. had done his best, dressing
and rebandaging the wounds at dawn bue
then he had to go on with Stout ard The
company, while one of the Apache yuSras
was ordered to dodge his way In to Sandy.
with letter urging that Graham he cent
out to follow the trail and mcok the return.
ing party.
ITO h. oe,,&An,,>A An~>s~-.N