The Dermott news., 1916-12-07

tiOn in the circumstances. but from a Grep gully on the Texas side of the stream, through which q trail led to a strip of barren country on the north west. san Jose numbered only BOO inhabitants, all told. and of these bare iy tWoNcore men were armed or phy- sically capatle of sclf-drfcE,e. while the soldiers. IS has been seen. We're taken at disadvantage. ani might easily be cut te pieces before they could offer organized resistance.
 This attack on aH American commit nifty wore the thif. disguise of patriotic Gaotive, but its true purpose WIS re- vealcd by the action of every uarau- der, 10th lea iers ati rank and file. in Lot losing Il second tctorc beginning the coLget-ial task f pluHder. True, their recognized chief, none other than Sc! asttan Fa..cho in person, con triHed to urge oa some of his follow eEs in swift dash oa the cai"p.
 Markham. aStourled hy the toruad If wells anl musketry, grabbed Il rR- velvcr and rushed barchcaded tito ttAt VI 'its lit t''h llA tii' NIA iAtlt u II t4l Il glance. ard his soldiers heart quailed taomentarly in the Taturai belief that the watch and ward his troops maintained over the district had failed faest lataentuhly.
 He noted at=euce that the enemy had given him Il few most precious seconds of respite. Not more than lo0 taeu were racing down on t'.e eaap. WLercus five times that number Were ayailahlr and could have swept the sHall body of Americans into eterEi- " before they could even reach their .iled arms and ammunition belts. Al. rcaGy the startled troopers were ns. Suming some semhlance of order. alrl Markaam's voice reached them in high. clear notes.
 "Numher four section will prevent the horses from being stumpeGed. The remain Ter Will form on their section leaders Aim low, Stop this first rush"
 He WIS oheYed to the letter. for thc~r hardy American boys We're al- ready veterans in frontier warfare, and knew IastiHetiTely how te aet for the best. e1en n the trying conditions of surprise attaek.
 IT WIS no anticipated rifie which tlr>" Mexican eat threats carried. Markham recognized at once thaf they were armed with thoroughly up-to- Gate weapon.
 AuI how the United States troopers took dea9fS taH of the eneaHtue enemy raasao quickly found himself adyaucinE alone .tu iHccupa-Hble hor>ei3au, he SWuuE T hardy iEastaus almost at right angle as h. changed his course, He @u>t have borne T charmed life since bullets passed through his hnt and jacket, aad lodged repeatedly iu the heavy Mexican sad- dIc, without tHtictiug any serious wound on either mat. or unlt9al.
 Thrurcforth. of course, GiScti lire es- tabliShed its superiority. The eayal- rymeu advanced i'll open order, and Il machine gun detachment drought Il wjthcriuE fire to bear along the main street.
 The savage pandemonlum passed away almost as speedily as il com meuced. soon san Jose was quiet, save for the WeeIiag of women and children ard the greauS If the wound ed. while the rebel haLd heG over the hills closely pursued by the infuriated troopers. By Markham'S side rode the Stern-viSaged sergcaut-E.ajor. They drew rein for moment when they came upon d crumfled body lying in the scrub. IL was the sentry who should have given warning of the en- emyS approach.
 He had been stabbed between the shoulder blades.
 \ deSultery fight went on till dusk fell. Scattered units of tytus rebels and iuuriated Americans crossed the Rio Graude by forl and ra~>ed far into Mexican territory on the right bank of the river. Al last. when dark nesS set in. Markham recalled his men ny long-drHWH trumpet blasts.
 On the way back to the town the young officer asCcrtaiucd the facts of the raid from pri>euer, He was tfn- mrnSely relieved to find that the re- port brought hy the patrol wus cor rect in every detail. Paucho had dou- hled back from the frontier, only to turn again under cover of the night, and cross the river at point we'll above the line for which E troop was responsible. Then, we'll served by spies and traitors among the half breeds claiming American citizenship, he secreted his force in a canyon until the hour seemed ripe for the assault on san Jose.
 Markham, fully exonerated from the slightest shadow of blame when his commanding officer had Investigated the affair, not only confessed that he and his men had enjoyed the time of their lives. but was openly enSied by every officer Tn the regiment
 Annth,r ypupp Mark hmm