The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1913-04-18
CHAPTER ~.
The Attack.

slightly more than sixty miles, as
the route ran, stretched between old
Fort Dodge and the ford crossing the
Arkansas leading down to the Omar
ron; another sixty miles distant,
across desert of alkali and sand, lay
Devere. The main Santa Fe trail,
broad and deeply rutted by the in.
Vulnerable wheels of early spring
caravans, followed the general course
or the river, occasionally touching the
higher level plains, but mostly keep
ing close beneath the protection of the
northern bluffs, or else skirting the
edge Of the water. Night or day the
route was easily followed, and. in 9th
er years, the traveller was seldom for
long out of sight of toiling wagons.
Now scarcely wheel turned in all
that lonely distance.
The west-bound stage left the sta.
ton at Deer Greek at four o'clock in
the afternoon with no intimation of
! danger ahead. Its occupants had eat
en- dinner in company with those of
| the east-bound coach, eighteen miles
down the river t Canon Bluff, and the
! incoming driver had reported an open
road, and no unusual trouble No In
dian signs had been observed, not
even signal fires during the night, and
/ the conductor, who had come straight
from Santa Fe. reported that troops
/ from Fort Union had driven the only
] known bunch of raiders back from
/ the neighborhood OF the trail. and had
/ them already safely corralled in the
! mountains This report, seemingly au-
! thentic and official, served 10 relax
/ the nerves, and the west bound driver
/ sang to himself as he guided the four
! horses forward. while the conductor,
sawed-off gun planted between his
/ knees, nodded drowsily. Inside there
were but three passengers, jerking
/ back and forth, as the wheels struck
/ the deep ruts OF the TRAIL occasionally
/ exchanging a word or two, but usual
! ly staring gloomily forth at the mo-
nOtonous scene. Miss Mcdonald and
/ Moylan occupied the back seat, some
baggage wedged tightly between to
keep them more secure on the Slip
perry cushion, while facing them, and
clinging to his support with both
hands, was a pock-marked Mexican,
with rather villainous face and ornate
dress, and excessively polite manners.
He had joined the little party at
Dodge, smiling happily at sight of
Miss Mollys face when she unveiled.
although his small knowledge of Eng
llsh prevented any extended effort at
conversation. Movlan, however, after
careful scrutiny, engaged him shortly
in Spanish, and later explained to the
girl, in low tones, that the man was a
Santa Fe gambler known as Gonzales,
with a reputation to be limited at but
not openly discussed
They were some six miles to the
west of Deer Creek, the horses still
moving with spirit, the drivers foot
on the brake, when the stage took a
sudden plunge down a sloping bank
where the valley perceptibly narrowed.
| To the left, beyond a fat eXpanse of
brown sun-scOrched grass, flowed
the widely-spreading waters of the Ar
kansas, barely covering the treacher-
Gus sandy bottom, ar from the other
side came the more distant CLEAN OF
alkali plains; to the right arose the
bluffs, here both steep and rugged,
completely shutting OF the view, bar
rem of vegetation except for a few
scattered patches of grass. Suddenly
man rode out of rift in the bank
directly in front, and held up his hand.
Surprised, startled, tie driver IN
simultaneously clamped on his brake
and brought his horses to a quick
stop; the conductor, nearly flung from
his seat, yankad his gun forward
"None of that now" called out the
man in saddle quickly, both hands up
lifted to, show their EMPTINESS. This
is no hold-up. I've got news"
He spurred his pony forward slow
", the animal seemingly barely able
to move, and swung out OF the sadie
beside the front wheel, staggering
bit as though mis- limbs were cramped
as his feet felt the ground.
I'm from Fort Union" ne said,
Seventh Cavalry, sent through by
way of Cimarron Springs. There is
hell to pay west Of here; the stations
at Arkansas Crossing and Low Water
were burned last night"
1.-THE devil you say" burst out the
driver hoarsely, his startled eyes
sweeping the horizon. "lnjuns?"
Sure, plenty Of signs, but l haven't
seen any bucks myself AS soon as
discovered what had happened at the
Crossing / struck out on to the pla-
teau and came around that way to
warn those fellows at Low Water. But
when l got sight of that station from
off the bluffs yonder 1t had been wiped
out. Then l thought about this stage
going west today, and came on to meet
YOU. Must have ridden q hundred an
twenty miles since yesterday; the
mustang is all in"
Movlan stuck his head out the near
est window.
Look like they had much OF hight
at the Crossing?" he asked.
mot much; more like night raid;
two whites killed, and scalped. The
third man either was taken away. or
his body got burnt in tho building
Horses all gone"