The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1916-08-18

short cut through forest and marsh,
with both of which he was sufficiently
familiar to traverse, but they would be
impossible for the bandits. who must
take a roundabout route over the road.
They had not yet started when the boy
left. but were preparing to do so. The
Ingersolls calculated that they would
have an hour to decide whether to take
to fight and If they concluded to re-
main they would have at least an hour
for preparation.
Ingersoll was for immediate flight
His wife was not so minded. They
could not take with them their furni-
ture, or other effects which they had
been a long while accommodating. and
the woman could not bear to give them
up even II she risked the lives of all
Of them by remaining to protect their
property. She had given much thought
to making their fortress effective. but
leaning, womanlike, to deception in
stead of force. She advocated remain
ing and trying the effect Of a certain
ruse she had contrived.
| About IL o'clock at night Nunez, with
his detachment. came I'm sight of Inger-
soils premises. One of Ingersolrs
children, girl Of twelve, was hiding
at an outpost and ran back home by
short path to report their coming.
When the bandits came within a few
hundred yards of the stoneyard Nunez,
who was at their front, suddenly saw
a light ahead Of him. 1t was not q
bright light. but enough to reveal to
him the head and shoulders Of a man
In the uniform of Mexican soldier
standing with his musket leaning
against his left shoulder and with
both hands screening a burning match
from the wind. He held the flame
over pipe he held in his mouth and
lighted his pipe. Even the little puffs
or smoke were visible. Then the
match went out as suddenly as it had
been lighted, and all was dark again.
Nunez halted. and his men did the
same. When the light went out he
turned and said:
1T seems that the place is defended
by force Of regular troops"
"And fortification." put in one Of
the men. Didn't you see that the man
stood on parapet?"
At that moment there came from the
stoneyard the notes Of q bugle sound
ing "taps."
1--WE are not out for soldiers" said
Nunez. 81 am quite sure the captain
would not approve Of our bringing on
a fight that might land us at the end Of
rope and interfere generally with his
plans"
Certainly not" called a voice from
the rear.
"But, since we must pass the place."
said another. "we may get nearer
view"
Every WELL" said Nunez. LET us pro-
ceed."
Now every one on the premises, ex-
pecting an attack, was listening, and
when the tread of feet was heard at
convenient distance up the road Tommy
Ingersoll. q youth whose figure was
much smaller than the one on the ram
part, stationed himself behind it with
n match in his hand. Ingersoll, at his
wife's suggestion, had dug hole from
the back of the stone soldiers neck to
his mouth and inserted a rubber tube.
A tobacco pipe had been placed be-
tween the lips, and by suction at the
other end of the tube the figure would
appear to smoke. When the bandits
were heard approaching Tom used his
own arms In place of the soldiers to
strike a match and hold 1t over the
pipe. His father. at the other end of
the tube, did the smoking, and the SOL
der seemed to the bandits to relight
his pipe. The light, however, was SO
small that they get view not much
better than before.
One of the articles the American had
laid in for the defense Of his fortress
was a drum. 1t belonged to a little
boy In the neighborhood and was not
in itself an important weapon. But 1t
Is not the cannon. the rifle, the sword
alone in war that are useful. AS in
the shrill tone Of the bugle, so In the
beat of a drum there is inspiration.
The Ingersoll garrison did not intend
their drum as q means Of keeping up
their courage, but to inspire their enc
my with terror.
The Ingersolls could hear faint
sounds made by their enemies and did
not know but that they were crawl
ing up upon them. A hurried council
of war was held and the question dis
cussed as to what auxiliary to tho
stone soldier could be adopted. While
they were debating Tom seized the
drum and began to beat the long roll,
which is a signal in all armies for the
men to turn out to repel an attack. As
an adjunct to this Ingersoll himself |
sang out, Fall in!' in a number Of |
different tones, to lead the bandits to
suppose that the orders came from diff
ferent officers.
Nunez gave an order to tread softly
and pass the place without word, lest
the garrison be aroused. So the ban
dts went stealthily by the stone SOL
der with a stone gun, the only de-
80 h.