The Adair County news., 1922-05-09
COM|RADS
of
PERIL
By
Randall Parish
By
Randall Parish
CHAPTER XIV.
A Squadron of the Sixth.

ing along the creek, and finally creep
ing out below the burned cabin. II
there were any guards left there they
were not encountered, and the mists
hung so thick at that early hour she
took few precautions to avoid them.
Her one thought was Macklin love had
conquered hate, and the desire for
revenge. There was a chance of sue
cess for her mission. The debris had
not been searched over; it could not
have been, for the fire still smoldered,
but the moment the Indians were able
to overhaul the wreck they would
discover that their victims had, in
some way, escaped. There would be
no charred bones, no singed flesh, to
tell Of dead bodies consumed in the
flames; they would not even find
Macklin's remains. And Laud was no
fool. The truth, in some form, would
come to him at once; he would know
they had got safely away; nor would
he ever stop until he again found
them. And he would suspect her;
perhaps had seen her face when she
fred that fatal shot. Her only chance
lay now, before this revealment came.
She was cool, resourceful; had
shrewdly thought out every step. If
she was still unsuspected, no one
would stop her. She had always been
free to leave the valley. Often she
had taken early rides, and none of the
nd xryn111d aOnSi6or hQF
going forth as at all strange. OF
course, the Hole was filed now with
strange fugitives-Indians hiding from
the soldiers, suspicious of every white
face. These might cause trouble, but
she must take that chance. There was
but one way to save Macklin's life
the doctor at GerlaSche. Shelby had
told her so, and nothing else remained
fixed in her mind. Mother of God, she
would save him!
There were three horses in the little
stable shack back of the cabin. She
crept cautiously up through the fog,
unable to see in the gloom, but To-
eating the animals by touch. One
was still moist from riding, Laud's
pony, no doubt. The next was her
own, having scarcely stamina for such
a trip, but the third was the bay
Juan had always been so proud of.
She led the animal out, saddled and
bridled him in the darkness, and then,
mounting in the gray dawn, with a
prayer in her heart for help and
guidance she rode slowly out into
the trail. A fire burned in front of
the little house beside the falls, a
mere flicker of half-burned logs, with
two men lowering over it. One of
them started up, at sound of the
horses hoofs and gripped a rifle. He
was white, Tapping hat brim shadow
ing his face; the other, an Indian,
wrapped in a blanket, merely lifted
his head, and stared moodily. Her
heart gave a sharp bound, but she
reined up carelessly, as the fellow
stepped into the trail. He peered
curiously into her face.
I'll, young woman, you're out ID
early, amt you? What's up?"
There was nothing vicious in his
greeting, and her heart quit its pound
ing.
I'm after a doctor, Sam," she said
swiftly, believing boldness the best
card to play. "My brother has been
shot"
"Sure, I heard that, only they told
me he was dead; he amt, hey? Had
rumpus with Injun Joe, didn't he?"
"Yes; l just heard about it. He
must have the doctor right away"
"Where the HI you aim to find
one?"
"Over at Gerlasche. There is an
army surgeon there"
Sure, but I'm bettin' the cuss won't
come, less he brings the whole army
long with him. He'd have ter mosey
In we're blindfold if he did"
"Just the same hee'll come, if 1 find
heem," she said grimly, 'for I'll bring
heem, dead or alive. Who's out there
on the trail?
"Red' Haines, an Stumpy, long
with couple of Sioux. The boys are
a bit jumpy just now with all them
Sojers scoutin' the Bad Lands. Maybe |
they'll try ter stop yer, but yer tell |
EN- said it was all right. Say, what
was goin' on last night-shootin, ter
beat HI up the canyon, an there |
was quite a fire, tOo?"
''Row over the girl Macklin brought
in," she explained calmly, IAN the
old cabin got burned"
"Some more O. injun Joe's cussed- |
ness, l reckOn?"
'Yes, he was in it; well, Adios Sam" |
She rode forward, never even ven
turing to glance back. Thus far ev-
erything had gone easier than she
could have hoped. There were no or
ders out against her, and these night |
Ehards were not even aware of what |
had taken place. She guided her |
horse under the veil of falling water, |
and up the steep bank beyond, out
into the valley of the Cottonwood.
There, was little danger of meeting |
anyone now, she needed to avoid, and |
once beyond those watchers at the
head Of the trail, the way would be !