Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-27
BY RANDALL PARRISH,

steps laggir and careless. ellis and the
girl. as well DIS the two cattle herders. were
on horseback; the remainder Soberly trudg-
ed forward on foot with guns SlunS to
their shoulders. Wyman was somewhat in
advance, walking beside the stranger, the
latter a man of uncertain age. smoothly
sbaven. quietly dressed in garments be
speaking eastern tailor a bit griZZled
of hair along the temples and possessing
pair of cool gray eyes He had introduced
himself by the name of Hampton, but had
volunteered no further Information, nor was
it customary In that country TO question
impcr tinently. The others of the little party
struggled along as best suited themselves,
all semblance to the ordinary discipline or
the service having been abandoned.
Hampton. through the medium of easy
conversation, early discovered In the ser
geant an intelligent mind. possessing some
knowledge of literature. They had been dis
GUESSING books with rare enthusiasm, and
! the former had drawn from the conceal
ment of an inner pocket dminutlve copy
of The Merchant of Venice from which
he was reading aloud a disputed passage,
when the faint trail they followed sud
denly dipped into the yawning mouth of
black canyon. 1t was a narrow, gloomy,
contracted gorge. mere cash between those
towering hills shadowing Its depths on
either hand. a swift mountain stream, noisy
and clear crystal, dashed from rock to
rock close beside the more northern wall
while the ill-defined pathway, strewn with
powders and guarded by underbrush chung
partially obsCured the view.
All was silent as death when they entered.
Not much the flap of a wing or the
stir of a leaf reused suspicion, yet they
had barely advanced short hundred PAGES
when those apparently bare rocks in front
famed red, the narrow deflle echoed to
wild screeches and became instantly crowd
ed with weird, leaping figures 1t was like
a plunge from heaven into hell. Blaine and
Endicott sank at the first fire: Watt, his
face picturing startled surprise, reeled from
his saddle, clutching at the air, his horse
dashing madly forward and dragging him,
| head downward, among the sharp rocks,
while Wyman's stricken arm dripped blood.
I Indeed, under that sudden shock he fell.
and was barely. rescued by the prompt ac-
! ton of the man beside him. Dropping the
opened book and firing madly to left and
right with a revolver which appeared to
spring into his hand as by magic, the latter
coolly dragged the fainting soldier across
the more exposed space until the two found
partial security among mass OF loosened
! rocks ittering the base of the precipice.
The others who survived that first scorch-
| ing discharge ESQ raced toward this same
| shelter, impelled thereto by the unerring
instinct of border fighting, and Ringing
| themselves fiat behind protecting powders
! began responding to the hot fire rained
| upon them.
| Scattered and hurried as these first vol
I leys were, they proved sufficient to check
| the bowling demons in the open. 1t has
never been Indian nature to face unpro-
! tected the aim Of the white men, and those
/ dark figures, which only moment before
| thronged the narrow gorge. leaping cra0ily
| In the riot of apparent victory, suddenly
melted from sight, sinking down into leafy
| coverts beside the stream or into holes
among the rocks like so many vanishing
prairie dogs. Fierce yelpings died family