Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1907-11-09


ing upon his saddle holster as he
leaned over to rest No insignia of
rank served to distinguish him from
those equally dusty fellows plodding
gloomily behind, but broad stripe of
yellow running down the seams of his
trousers, together with his high boots,
bespoke the cavalry service while the
font of his battered campaign hat
bore the decorations of two crossed
sabers, with a gilded ''7'' prominent
between Hiss attire was completed by
a coarse blue shirt, unbottoned at the
throat, about which had been loosely
knotted darker colored silk handker-
chief, and across the back of the sad
die was fastened uniform jacket, the
single shoulder strap revealed pre-
I senting the plain yellow of "a second
lieutenant.
Attaining to the summit of slight
knoll, whence a somewhat wider vista
lay outspread, he partially turned his
face toward the men struggling along
in the rear, while his hand swept
across the dreary scene.
IF that line of trees over yonder
indicates the course of the Bear Wa
ter. Carson" he questioned quietly,
where are we expected to hit the trail
leading down to the ford?"
The sergeant, thus addressed, a lit
tie stocky fellow wearing a closely
clipped gray moustache, spurred his
exhausted horse into a brief trot, and
drew up short by the officers side, his
heavy eyes scanning the vague dis
lance, even while his right hand was
uplifted in perfunctory salute.
There's no trail 1 know about along
this bank, SIR he replied respectfully
h With Ia
branch forking out at the top is the
ford guide
They rode down in moody silence
into the next depression, and began
YEARLY climbing the long hill opposite,
apparently the last before coming di-
rectly down the banks of the stream.
AS his barely moving horse topped the
uneven summit, the lieutenant sudden
ly drew in his rein, and uttering an
exclamation of surprise, bent forward,
staring intent1y down in his immedi-
ate front. For a single instant he ap-
peared to doubt the evidence of his
own eyes; then he swung hastily from
out the saddle, all WEAKNESS forgotten.
my Cod" he cried, sharply, his
eyes suspiciously sweeping the bare
slope. There are two bodies lying
here-white people."
They lay all doubled up in the coarse
grass, exactly as they had fallen, the
| man resting face downward, the
| slender figure of the girl clasped vice
| like in his arms, with her tightly
| closed eyes upturned toward the glar-
| ing sun. Never once questioning but
! that he was confronting the closing
scene of grewsome tragedy, the thor
| oughly aroused lieutenant dropped
upon his knees beside them, his eyes
already moist with sympathy, his anx-
| iouS fingers feeling for a possible
heartbeat A moment of hushed,
| breathless suspense followed, and then
he began fiinging terse, eager COM
| mands across his shoulder to where
| his men were clustered
Here, Carson, Perry, Ronk, lay
| hold quick, and break this fellows
clasp he cried, briefly. The girl
retains a spark of life yet, but the
| mans arms fairly crush her.
With all the rigidity of actual death
| these clutching hands held their tena-
| cious grip, but the aroused soldiers
wrenched the inter1aced fingers apart
| with every tenderness possible in such
| emergency, shocked at noting the ex-
preston of intense agony stamped
upon the mans face when thus ex-
4
story was engraven there-how he
| had toiled, agonized, suffered, before
| finally yielding to the inevitable and
| plunging forward in Inconsistencies,
written as 1egibly as though by pen.
| Carson, who in his long service had
| witnessed much of death and suffer
| ing, bent tenderly above him, seeking
for some faint evidence of lingering
| life. The anxious lieutenant, bare
headed under the hot sun-glare, strobe
| hastily across from beside the uncon-
scious but breathing girl, and stood
I gazing doubtfully down upon them.
ANY life, sergeant" he demanded,
| his voice rendered husky by sympathy
He doesn't seem entirely gone, sir,
| and Carson glanced up into the Off
| GERS face, his own eyes filled with
| feeling. Z can distinguish just wee
| bit of breathing, but it's SO weak the
pulse hardly stirs-"
{. What do you make of it,"
Starving at the bottom, sir. The
| only thing 1 see now is to get them
| down to water and food"
| The young officer glanced swiftly
about him across that dreary picture
| of sun-burnt, deso1ate prairie stretch
ing in every direction, his eyes paus-
ing slightly as they surveyed the tops
1 of the distant cottonwoods-
"Sling blankets between your horses.
he commanded, decisively. Move
| o,1icklv lads and we NAV save one of