Rocky Ford enterprise., 1905-11-24

NV NUN many uuth toIub btutnbitHk
forward over the bodies OF those who
have fallen; the torches have not gone
out. but kindle incipient conhagra.
tons among the dead leaves.
Fire! Give II to them hot" is
what Squire John exciaims.
With q crash the others open. Even
All Sin can do his share. since Jack
has no use for retainer unable TO
handle gun. and In the early days
OF their Intimacy taught the ccles.
tial how to aim and fire. though the
chinaman cannot he broken of gun.
shyncss. and persists In shutting his
eyes each time he pulls trigger.
Such Wholesale discharge is
enough to quite finish the business.
The advance has been feeble be.
fore. but now II ceases entirely. When
the seeds OF n panic are sown they
terminate with lightning rapidIty.
From lip TO lip the cries of alarm
pass. Perhaps never before In all
their experience have these barbarIans
met with such desperate resistance
AZ this.
They melt away. these fierce guer.
riiias.
In the dim light their fleeing figures
can be seen In various quarters In
desperate flight. The shots continue
80 long as any are In sight. and while
probably lacking In execution. Ger.
tainiy add to tho temporary terror OF
the mob.
Some have sought safety In the for.
est. and Jacks attention being called
To this fact. he awakens To u new
danger that confron;S them.
Tho dead leaves and brush catch
frc easily Mt this time of tho year.
since the opcnin. OF the rainy season
has been delayed.
Already In half a dozen places.
where tho descending torches ali.hi.
ed. can be- seen rapidly-sprcadin.
blaze. The breeze seems to be In.
crcasinE with the passage OF each
minute n time. and tanning tho
flames Into vigorous life.
Jack knows better than any OF the
danger mcnncinE them.
SIM. what can be done?
There Ii IRE for every man. some
of them already burning no hcrcciy
that II would tax the ingenuity OF n
single individual TO encompass tho dc.
rtrucilon of tho blaze.
Should they attempt to csiinruish
the Ares that already begin to snap
and crnckic as they srcedily seize
upon new material. they will natur.
ally become target for those Of
tho bushwhackcrs who may still lin.
ger near.
Hence nothing can be done.
The others begin to notice the In.
ercasins light.
They comment on the fact that
presently they will offer fair targets
TO the aim of . the enemy: but
strangely enough none of them appear
10 grasp the most serious part OF
tho impending disaster.
Even Smithcrs. usually 30 quick TO
rec such things. makes no mention 81
II.
interior once more. None OF them are
10th to do no. The guard and All
Sin find an asylum In the end com.
partmcnt rs before.
Smithcrs appears to dislike this di.
vision of their forces. and one of his
first acts upon entering is to ex.
anime the partition between.
His scrutiny appears to satisfy him.
for he at once opens an assault on
the wall. which proves to be q mere
shell. and in wretchod condition ut
that: for under the vigorous mea.
sures brought into play by the ener.
getic agent. there is an opening made
through which the stcutest OF the
party can pass with ease.
Don Roblado and Spencer are
keeping watch at one door. and Jack
opens the other In order to take an |
observation.
He is really startled and not little |
worried at the amazing progress
made by the fires. They have eaten |
their way along on that side of the |
track until the lines of separation
have ceased TO exist. and all are |
united The flames. fed by dead |
leaves and branches from trees Topped |
on during the passage OF some West |
India hurricane. now leap hungrily |
into the air. US though swapping at
the branches overhead.
Travers canLot remember ever see
ing fire start with SO much vim.
And while he leans there at the |
door. his mind endeavoring to plan
new methods of meeting the deadly |
dangers that keep cropping up so
continually. he feels touch. and ex-
pericnces burning sensation. Some |
monitor Of the heart. some marvellous
intuition of the spirit tells him it is
the hand of his Highland lassie that
telegraphs thus to his soul.
rs the danger over?" she asks. |
softly.
Roblado and his friend lean out |
of the other door and compare notes |
over the situation. Smithers has |
passed into the next compartment to |
speak with the guard. and no one is |