Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1912-08-01

she will be In no danger OF getting
hurt In the melee. You boys hold your
fire until let loose or give the word.
Now, Doctor, want you and Neb to
creep up this bank until you are d.
rectly opposite the cabin-heu know
the spot-and lie there out of sight
until we begin the shooting. Then
both sail in as fast as you can. I'll
take Bristoe and you two Bar x" men
along with me, and when we turn
loose with our shooting irons you can
all reckon the fight is on. Any OF you
| got questions to ask"
| No one said anything, the silence ac-
cented by the desert wind bowling
mournfully in the branches of nearby
| cottonwood.
All right then, boys, don't get ex-
cited and go of half cooked; be easy
on your trigger fingers. Come along,
| you fellows who are travelling with
| me-
The four crossed the stream, wadinH
to their waists In the water, their
horses left punched on the south bank,
and finally crawled out into a bunch
OF mesquite. AS they crept along
through the darkness, whatever doubts
Keith might have previously felt re-
| garding the presence on the island OF
the party sought were dissipated by the
unmistakable noise made by numer-
Gus horses In the corral Slowly, test
ing each step as they advanced, so no
sound should betray them, the four
men reached the shelter of the stock
ade. The older of the Bar x" men
| lifted himself by his hands, and
| peered cautiously over.
Eight bosses in thar" he an
nounced soberly; then turned to
Keith. Say, Jack. what do you figure
this shebang to be, anyhow? You
don't reckon It's old Sanchezs outfit,
do yer?"
Likely as not. Joe, though l never
saw him around here"
Joe filed his cheek with tobacco,
staring about through the darkness.
Well, If that Oh cuss is yere now
weuns is sure in fer fight" he COM
mented positively.
| T6ey rounded the corral fence on
hands and knees, crawled into bunch
o. bushes somewhat DO the rear Of the
silent, desolate-appearing cabin, and
lay down nat behind pile OF saddles.
from which position they could plain,
~ discern the rear door There was
no movement, no evidence anywhere
that living soul was about the placs.
Keith could barely distinguish that It
was Bristoe lying next to him.
Had their camp over there in the
corner OF the corral when was here
before" he said in q whisper. Where
do you suppose they can be now?"
The wary scout lifted his head,
smiling into the darkness like poitlt-
or dog.
West O. Their cabin thar, out O. Their
wind. most likely. smell tobacco
Even as the words left his lips Q
man came sauntering slowly around
the eastern corner, his outlines barely
visible, but the red glow of pipe
bowl showing plainly. He stopped, dr.
rectly facing them, yawning sleepily.
and then turned the other corner.
heard voice:
Hustle up thar now, Manuel, an
turn out; it's your watch: wake up.
dam yer-naybe that'l bring yet ter
life"
The remedy applied to the sleeper
must have been ef1cacious, as, an In
slant later, another figure slouched
Into view, the new arrival rubbing
his eyes with one hand, the other
clutching short-barrelled gun. From
the high peak of his hat 1t was evil
dent this new guard was q Mexican.
He walked to the corner, glanced
along the east side wall toward the
| front OF the cabin, and then, apparent
~ satisfied the coast was clear, start
ed toward the stream, shuf1ing along
| within foot of where Keith lay fiat
on the ground. A moment later the men
heard him splashtng softly in the wa
ter. and Keith rolled over, his lips
at Bristoe's ear
Slip down there, Ben," he whis-
pered. and quiet that fellow I'll find
out how many are on the west side.
Do the job without any noise
He waited until the scout had dis
appeared like a snake. not even .
rustling leaf telling Of his passage,
and then silently crept forward him
self. yet with less caution until he
was able to peer about the corner Of
the cabin and dimly distinguish tho
blanketed forms Of several men lying
4 close in against the side wall. They
rested so nearly together 1t was diff
cult to separate them in that dark
ness, stars giving the only light, but
he finally determined their number at
five. Five; the Mexican would make
six, and there would surely be another
guard posted out in the front-seven.
But there We're eight horses down
there in the corral. Then the eighth
man-llawiey, without doubt-must
be n the cabin. At the thought
Keith 8 teeth clinched, and he had to
ytv,,