The Holly chieftain., 1917-04-06
FOURTH EPISODE
Dead or Alive.


Two Of the soldiers who saw the
horse as It reached the camp with ita
unconscious rider ran to the spot and.
carefully lifting the limp form Of the
girl from its back. carried her to the
impfovised hospital tent. She was
tenderiy placed on cot and the COM
pany surgeon was called.
1t was not a serious injury. She had
been shot In the arm.
In the meantime LoLez and his men
were keeping the major and Rutledge
quite busy.
Finally. Lopez realizing that IL he
was to reach Alvira with any Of his
men he would have to get away from
there before he lost the greater num-
Der Of them. gave signal to his men.
They sprang into their saddles. and
before the rangers had time to level
their guns at them the Mexicans were
galloping down the road.
An instant later the rangers started
in pursuit.
When Liberty revived she gasped !:
"Alvira with an army Of men Is GO
ing to attack Discovery tonight. Warn
them-I1"
Then she fell back family against
her pillow and closed her eyes.
The captain stepped to the entrance,
called one of his men and gave him an
order. Then he turned to another.
"Tell Powers to call Discovery" he
commanded.
The telegrapher called again and
again. but could get no answer.
Discovery doesn't answer" said
the orderly as he rushed back into the
tent.
The words crushed Liberty and her
head dropped to her chest.
The captain rushed from the tent
and. moment later, as Liberty lis
tened. she heard the bugler sounding
the assembly" and as she heard the
clarion notes piercing the stiffness Of
the night she wondered II they were
sounded too late.
At that moment Alvira and his army
were within league Of the border
town.
The Mexicans went through that
town like . storm through a prairie
village, sweeping everything before
them. They fired into every house
which had an American flag waving
before 1t and made thorough search
Of the others to make certain no Amer
leans were being hid by sympathiz-
ers. They broke into the houses, and
II the head Of the household made an
effort to protect himself and family
he was sent to the floor with Mexi-
can bullet In his body. The street was
filled with confusion. Here and there
lay the bodies Of Innocent men, wom-
en- and children. with American blood
flowing from their death wounds.
In vain the telegrapher at the little
station situated at the entrance to the
town tried to get into communication
with Colonel Dalton or Captain Lara-
bee, but he received no response to his
call. For at that moment the troopers
were on the road toward Discovery.
At last he gave up In despair and it
looked as though every American In
the town was at the mercy of the In
surrectos. All had given up hope of
being saved from the Mexicans. Then
something happened which filed oil OF
them with renewed hope. 1t was the
sound of bugle, and as they looked
they saw a troop of United States
cavalry entering the town. An instant
later the Mexicans had jumped into
their saddles and were turning about
to meet them. Then the troopers
opened fire on the charging insurrec-
tos and drove them across the border
and into the open country. Then the
bugle sounded and the men ceased
firing.
Leaving sufficient number of men
to guard the town against a possible
re-attack, Captain Larabee and the re-
mainder of his men started back for
Nostipos. Arriving there the captain
went Mt once to the tent where Liberty
had been left In care of the doctor and
told the story to them of the battie of
Discovery.
AS he was relating the incidents of
the fight to them they heard the sound
of horses. hoofs and moment Inter
three men sprnng from their saddles,
In front of the tent. and entered. They
we're the Major. Rutedge and Pedro,