The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-09-08

he galloped 9acs 70 Fore Brady he wa
uncomfortable conscious that the girl
admired HIM.
His wife had gone east, and he was
not the man to enter into Il Irritation i'll
her absence Once more he saw Pepita
at the ranch as he rode on official bust
ness and once she was found lingering
around the fort rs if to set speech with
some one Gossip filled in all the rest.
1t was Il lonely, out of the world post,
and there had 10 be gossip about some
one or something. Tie major was
guyed by his brother officers about the
girl. and he knew that the. rank and
file were talking, but he went his way
and said nothing They would not
know that he had offered to send the
girl east, where his wife or his mother
might provide for her.
Then one autumn night, when the
gossip was at it's height, the sentinel at
the gate suddenly called for the corpo-
raj of the guard. 1t was dark and,
gusty, with falls of rain at intervals,
but he had caught sight of figure
skulking about. The corporal made a
dash through the darkness and laid his
hands on a human being-on woman!
It was Pepita! Near at hand was the
pony on which she had covered a dis
lance Of twenty-eight miles in the last
four hours.
Il want to see the Senior Davis" she
said as the corporal demanded her
business.
ooh, that's the game, eh?" chuckled
the man to himself and winked at the
sentinel through the darkness.
Sat once, if you please
'It's coming it pretty strong, little
one but it's not for me to interfere
Say, Pete, if we only had paper to
take this up, eh? Prominent officer
mashed on a cussed good looking little
greaser gal-rides out to chin-chin
with her-she rides back to return his
call-love-romance- -elopement. Every
thing here for a first class novel"
with death in it if you insult me
further said Pepita as she drew
dagger and menaced him.
"A kitten With claws, eh? Put up
that frog sticker and come along with
me-"
The girl was conducted to Major
Davis quarters and remained for half
an hour Then she rode away. She
was hardly outside tie gate when
silent alarm brought the men out of
barracks to fall in. A quarter of an
hour later they had manned the de-
| lenses and were waiting for Red Cloud
and his 600 warriors to attack. When
| the rush was made the famous chief
was beaten for the first time in his
life, and there We're only 4S5 warriors
to escort him back to his village Had
he come an hour earlier not a man or
woman in Fort Brady would have es-
! capped the tomahawk.
at was the little Mexican gal that
gave the reds away" explained soldier
to soldier. And tie tongue of gossip
was silent.
In the morning, when the soldiers
pushed out here and there to gather
up the sulky wounded and the silent
dead, two of them came across sight
| that was not pleasant to see.
They covered the figure, beautiful
even in death, in tender but soldiery
fashion and carried her to Major
Davis quarters. Then they withdrew
and left those two alone, the tall, fair
man in his stern uniform; the tall, 81
lent woman, with the peaceful smile
frozen on her lips. The man bent over
and kissed those lips-fOr the first
time.
''For me it was not worth this great
sacrifice, dear child. But for my men,
and their wives and their children, it
was we'll done!'