Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1913-06-05

his arm. Ths Sergeant graspea the
girip hand, his own eyes barely above
u sand riAs@ Ah lips whispering
hoek
NO, doar mevs: I'll tell you evsfy.
thing. The stage has been gutted and
ses on frs. Nov they are coming With
the ponies. Most Of them are direct
~ opposite studying the marks We
left on the sand Of the bank. Yes.
they look across here. but the chief 10
sure We have gone the other way. he
b waving his hand up the river now.
and talking. Nov he 10 getting on his
horse; there aro ten or twelve OF
them. One fellow II pointing across
here. but no one agrees with him.
Nov Roman Nose is giving orders
Hear that yelll They're on now. rid.
Ing up stream. lashing their ponies In.
to . run All Of them, No; quite .
bunch Are going back to the coach !
don't believe-they are going to hang
around here long. though, for they are
driving In all their ponies"
But won't those others come back
when they discover we have not gone
up the river?"
Il wish I could answer that" he re-
piled earnestly. But II all depends
on what those devils know OF the
Whereabouts of troops. They are North.
ern Indians. and must have broken
through the scouting details sent out
from Wallace and Dodge. Some Of the
N< kA aHt
- re 10 more chance for them to get
back safely along the mountains than
In the other direction. don't sup
pose an Indian In the bunch was ever
south of the Arkansas. Wait! Those
fellows are going to move now: going
for good, too--they are taking the
dead Indians with them"
They were little more than black
dots at that distance. yet the sun was
up by this time and his keen vision
could distinguish every movement.
Creep up here. and you can Zee
also" he said quietly. They are far
enough away now % that 1t 10 SAFE"
Z There was a moment Of breathless
quiet the two fugi.ives peering eau.
tiously over the sand ridge. To the
girl II was . confusion Of figures rush
Ing back and forth about the smoking
ruins Of the stage; occasionally faint
yell echoed across the river. and she
could distinguish q savage on his
pony gesticulating as he rode back
and forth. But the Sergeant compre.
hended the scene. His eyes met hers
and read her bewilderment
They are going all right. and In .
hurry. It's plain enough they are
afraid to stay there any longer. See.
they are lashing bodies on TO the
ponies. All. that IL what wanted to
be sure about--that fellow 10 heading
west on the trail: now the others are
moving"
"Then you are sure Roman Nose
will not returni ThAt-that we. are
safef"
"Yes: I wouldn't hesitate to 90 back
a. soon a. the last Of them disappear
over the ridge" pointing up the river.
"They knew they had to 60 that way |;
Roman Nose and his band hoped we'd
taken that direction. and hurried on
|
are afraid to stay about here any long
er. Look how they are lashing those
ponies: there. the last of them are
leaving"
They lay there in the sand. already
becoming warm under the rays of the
sun. trying to assure themselves that
all danger Of discovery had vanished
There was no movement on the oppo
site shore. only the blue spiral OF
smoke curling up against the bluff
marking where the stage had stood
About this. outlined upon the brown
grass. appeared darker patches rep
resenting dead ponies and the bodies
Of Moylan and Gonzales. where they
had been tumbled, scalped and other
wise mutilated. Down by the river a
wounded pony tried to follow the dis.
appearing cavalcade. but fell. giving
vent to one scream Of agony. Then all
was silent, motionless, the last strag
gler clubbing his horse pitilessly as he
vanished over the ridge.
Hamlin sat up. his eyes smiling.
I'VE arc the lucky ones. Miss Nc.
Donald" he said. his manner uncon.
sclously more formal now that the
danger had passed and . swift roaliza.
tion Of who his companion was recur.
ring to his mind. Something must
have frightened them" He shaded his
eyes. staring At the bluffs opposite
But. there II nothing In sight from
here. Well, the best thing we can do
10 to eat breakfast. May I have the
haversack. and see what II is stocked
withf"
| "Certainly not Thore IN so iittls