The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1904-12-07

Gated, hut she shrouded herself IN mya.
terry. and he did not seek 10 hreak
| down her reserve. lie expressed hia
deep gratitude and rode away. but aa
he gallopcd back to Fort Brady he was
mcomfortahly conscious that the girl
admired him.
Ills wife had gone east. aud ho was
not the man TO enter into u alrtatlon IN
her absence. Once more he saw peplta
at the ranch us he rode on official bust.
ness, aud once she was found lingering
around the fort MS II 20 get speech with
some one. Gossip Oiled IN all the rest.
II was a lonely. out of the world post.
and there had to be gossip about some
one or something, The major waas
guyed by his brother officers about the
girl, aud ho knew that tho 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, whore 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.
ral Of the guard. II was dark and
gusty, with falls OF rain at intervals.
but he had caught sight Of figure
skulking about, The corporal made n
dash through the darkness and laid hss
hands on a human being on womanl
II was Pepita! Near at hand was the
pony ON which she had covered 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. !
'oh, that's the game. ehT' chuckled |
the man TO himself and wInked at the |
sentinel through the darkness.
AT once, II you please"
It's coming II pretty strong. little
one but It's not for me to interfere
Say, Pete II we only had a paper to |
take this up, eh9 Prominent officer
mashed on cussed good looking little
greaser gal-rides out 10 chin.chln I
with her-she rides back 10 return his
call-love- romance elopement. Every.
thing here FOR first class novel"
with death In II II you insult me
further!" said pcplta as she drew a
dagger and menaced him.
"A kitten with claws, ehl Put up
that frog stlcker 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 the gate when a
silent alarm brought the men out OF
barracks TO fall In. A quarter OF an
hour later they had manned the de-
fenses 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 Ia his
life, and there were only lS5 warriors
to escort him back TO his village, Had
be come an hour earlier not n man or
woman In Fort Brady would have es. {
capped the tomahawk.
1T was the little Mexican gal that
gave the reds away" explained soldier :
10 soldier And the 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
lead. two Of them came across sight
hat was not pleasant TO see.
They covered the figure, beautiful
wen In death, In tender but soldicry
ashton and carried her to Major
Davis quarters. Then they withdrew
Ind left those two alone, the tall. fair
nan In his stern uniform; the tall, NJ
cnt woman, with the peaceful smile
rozen on her lips. The man bent over !
md kissed those llps-for the first
ime.
"For me 1t was not worth this great
acrifice, dear child. But for my men,
md their wives and their children, II
vas well done"