Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1909-02-05

tongue and suddenly nine half naked
bodies arose from behind rocks and
bushes extending in an irregular cres-
cent above the fort and rushed for
| ward ten, fifteen and even twenty
yards to the next cover. Lane did not
count number or distance at the time
but he figured these out in his next
period of waiting from the photograph
flashed on his subconscious mind. At
The time of the rush he was otherwise
occupied. Crack. crack, and two of
the Indians fell dead in midcareer.
Crack. and third crawled, wounded.
to the cover he had almost safely at
tanned. Crack. and an eagle feather
in the head of the fourth Indian shot
at was cut off at the stem and fell for
ward on the rock behind which it's
wearer had dropped just in time to
save his life There was an answering
volley from the rifles of the remaining
Apaches. which was directed against
the lookout of loose stones from which
the prospectors fire had come. One of
the bullets penetrated the opening and
plowed a furrow through Lanes scalp.
topping him to his knees. He scram-
bled quickly to his feet and. hastily
pressing his long hair back from his
forehead to stanch the bleeding wound,
sought the protection of the middle
lookout. He congratulated himself.
Lucky for me they didn't follow the
first rush Immediately with second
I tn fcr
Six and possibly seven of them are
left. and they will storm my works in
two more attempts. Here they come!"
The call again sounded. Six Apaches
leaped forward, and from the rock that
concealed the wounded warrior a shot
rang out in advance of the first dis
charge from Lanes Winchester The
Indians bullet scored the top of the
turret and filled the eyes of the man
behind it with powdered stone. The
prospector. already dazed by his wound.
fired wildly and missed his mark.
: Quickly recovering himself. he fired
again and again. severely wounding
two Apaches. These lay clawing the
, ground within twenty yards of the
wall. The four remaining Indians
: were safely concealed at the same dis
q lance. protected no less by the fortiti-
e cation than by the loose powders be-
: hind which they crouched for the final
spring. Lane realized the fact that his
a downward angle and to fire them he
must expose himself.
This is my tinish," he thought to
himself Better be killed instantly
than tortured. hope all four will
hit me- Goodby. Jinny"-crack wen
his rife. "Goodby. Nance" = cracl
| again.
At the two shots. surmising that tn,
| prcspector had shot himself and hi
| horse, the Apaches did not wait fo
the signal. but sprang forward ant
climbed upon the wall before Lane
had had time to mount 1t. Two O.
them he shot as they leaped dow1
within the Enclosure. AS he reversed
his Winchester to kill himself will
the last cartridge he noted that the tive
remaining Apaches had dropped thei
rifles and were leaping upon him t.
take him alive. He brought his club
bed weapon down upon the head O.
one of them. crushing his skull. A
the same instant Lane was borne t
the ground by the other Apache. who
Selling him by the throat, bega1
throttling him into insensibility. Ii
desperation Lane bethought himself O
the cliff and by mighty effort whirle(
over upon his captor toward the preci
pice. The ground sloped slightly il
u that direction. and the combatant
rolled over and over to the very edg
lie of the cliff. where the Indian, for tn
s. first time realizing that the prospect
lie or's purpose was to hurl both of then
lie to destruction, loosened his hold upol
S, the prospector's throat that he nigh
n, use his hands to brace himself agains
Is the otherwise inevitable plunge int
;" the valley below. In an instant Lane
s. hands were at the Indians throat
e. and in another turn he was uppermos
d and kneeling upon his foe at the yer.
a. verge of the precipice
g. Both combatants were now thor
D. oughly exhausted. Lane concentrates
it all his remaining strength in throttlin
the savage. But just as the tens
IS dent Inconsistencies and the hea
m fell Imply back. extending over tn
L. edge of the cliff. his own head wa
f. jerked violently backward by noos
e. cast around his lacerated neck.
rs When Lane recovered consciousness
If he found himself lying on his bacl
;h bound hand and foot by lariat an
looking up into a grinning face tina
e. he recognized.
e. "Buck McKee!" he gasped. This
o. certainly white Of you considering th
q circumstances Of our last meeting
Did you come with the ruralesY'
81 mo; come ahead Nv 'em! In fac
nj Dick Lane, you air jes' leetle bit o
in yer idees about which party l b.
,o long to- When you cussed me fer
thlevln' half breed an run me off til
~ range an tole me to go to the Injun:
No whar belonged, | TUX yer advice
20 I'm what you might call the rea
~ guard Nv the outfit you've jes' bee
80 hayin' yer shootin' match with-or
"a wuz the rear guard, fer you've wipe
~ out the whole battalion. so fer as
~ can see Served 'em right fer detailil
o. me. the only decent shooter in tn
bunch, to watch the horses. got on
~, shot in as it wuz. Well as the last u
- the outfit | own string of ten ponie!
m All need now to set up In bushes
ha is to have some prospector who hahn