West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-01-07

struCtcd an outpost against their enc
mics OF the plain but these had cap
turcd tho strour Id and fortified Il
against it's form occupants. Later
band Of span a gold seekers had
made n stand hcrc against natives
whom they had reused against them
by oppression. or. perhaps. as indl-
Gated by the cross. Il had afforded ref
ugc TO the mission fathers. those he
roic souls who had faced the horrors
OF the inferno-liko desert I'm their
sanity cfforts TO convert its ficndlsh
Inhabitants.
With his mind occupied 10y nppre.
tensions Lane looked at the rattle
snake upon the sahuaro. whose strug-
giles 10y this time had diminished TO
feeble movement OF the tail
Poor old ratucr"' hc thought. Il
wish ] could spare a cartridge TO put
YOU out of your misery"
AT length as Lane pccrcd up the
mountain side nc saw a brush on a
ledge a little 10 the left Of the trail
quivcr as ir stirred by passing
breath OF wind. lie aimed his Win
chester through a crack In tho wall
at the spot. and when a moment later
an Apache rose up from the ground
and leapcd toward the shelter Of
rock below Lane fired, and the savage
fell crumpling. Like an echo OF the
explosion a rifle on the right spoke,
and bullet struck the rock by Lanes
head. lie marked the spot whence
fln shot
other part OF tho wall. From here he
saw the edge OF an Indians thigh OK
posed by the side of the bowldcr he
had noted. Crack went Lanes Win
chester. The leg was suddenly with
drawn. ana at tho same moment n
head appeared on the other side OF tho
rock, as If the Indian had stretched
himself out involuntary. Crack again.
and Lane had got his man.
1.-TWO shots 10 an Indian Is expen-
sive," thought the prospector; "other-
wise this game OF tip-jack would be
very interesting"
There was cry in the Apache
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 ut the time,
but he figured these out I'm 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 I'm mldcareer.
Crack. and a third crawlcd, wounded,
10 the cover he had almost safely at
tained. Crack, and an eagle feather
IN the head OF the fourth Indian shot
at was cut of at the stem and fell for
ward on the rock behind which its
wearcr had dropped Just I'm tlmo TO
save his life. There was an answering
vollcy from the rifles OF the remaining
Apachcs, which was directed against
The lookout Of loose stones from which
the prOspectOr's fire had come. One Of
the bullets penetrated the opening and
rlowed n furrOw through I.aneN scalp.
topping him 10 mis- knees He scrams
blcd quickly 20 his feet and, hastily
pressing his long hair back from his
forehead 90 stanch the bleeding wound,
lookout. lie congratulated himself.
Lucky for me they didn't follow the
FIRST rush Immediately with n second
Now / know TO wait for their signal.
Six and possibly seven of them are
left, and they Will storm my works I'm
two more attempts Here they comew
The call again sounded. Six Apaches
leapcd forward. and from the rock that
concealed the wounded warrior shot
rang out iu advance OF the first dis
charge from Lanes winchester. The
Indians bullet scored the top OF the
turrct and filed tho eyes Of the man
behind So with powdered stone The
prospcctOr already dazed by his wound
fred wildly and missed his mark.
Quickly recovering himself, ne fred
again ana again. severely woundlng
two Apachcs These lay clawing the
ground within twenty yards OF the
wall The four remaining Indians
were safely concealed at the same dis.
tnncc. protected no less by the FORTH.
cation than by the loose powders be
hind which they crouchcd for the final
spring Lane realized the fact that his
next shots 10 be effective smust be at
n downward angle and to fire them he
must expose himself
This is my finish" he thought 10
himself Better be killed instantly
than tortured hope all four viii
hit me. Goodby Jinny"-crack went
his rife "Goodby. Nance" - crack
again.
80 the two shots surmlslng that the
prcspcctor had shot himself md his
horse. the Apochcs did not whit for
the signal but sprang forward md
climbed upon the wall before Lane
had had time 10 mount e. Two OF
them hc shot as they lcaped down
within the inclOsure. AS he reversed
his Winchester TO XIII himself with
the Inst cartridge he noted that the two
remaining Apaches had dropped their
rifles md were lcaplug upon him 10
take him alive. lie brought his club
bed weapon down upon tho head Of
ono Of them, crushing Ibis skull At
the same instant Lane was borne 60
The ground by the other Apache. who,
selling him by tho throat began
throtting him into inscnsibiity. In
desperation Lano bcthOught himself Of
The Cliff and Boy q mighty effort whirled
ovcr upon bis captor toward the preci.
ri.c The ground slopcd slightly I'm
that direction and the combatants
rolled over and over 60 the very edge
Of the cliff. where the Indian. for the
first time realizing that tho prospect
or's purpose was 60 hurl both Of them
20 destruction, loosened his hold upon
the prospcctor's throat that he might
use bis hands 20 brace himself against
the otherwise Inevitable plunge into
tho valley below In an instant lanes