Evening star., 1936-03-08

which told Its own tragic tale.
Sprague's wagon was the first to
get iirc-arrow in its canvas top. Sara
Sprague dropped the second gun and
climbing on the brake block on the
inside, put it out with her bare hands
and gingham apron. Beamans' caught
next, and again intrepid hands put out
the little flame Then the day was
bright with a rain of arrows curving
high and dropping beautifully and
spectacularly on the circled white
tops. This was a trick calculated to
take the defenders from their in
trenched positions under and behind
the wagons. or leave them with only
blazing wall and presently defenceless.
An old trick, as old and cunning as
that one which sent the white girl
riding in the battles front to be
spared by her own people or sacrificed
by them And these pale faced people
Ildu strange COOeS.
Captain Sillard. running from
wagon to wagon with word OF en-
couragement, firing at every stop with
unerring aim. was like a man long
dead from the whiteness of his face.
the dullness OF MS eyes.
Sara Sprague was firing too now.
every fourth round. Ellen Pendergast
had killed nine men and her narrow
mouth was grim. And every time that
wildly riding girl came round she
breathcd once deeply.
I'm runnin' short o ammunition"
yelled Gram'paw Harkness, grimy,
toothlesS scarecrow with blazing eyes.
Someone git me some damn quick"
Little Sam Smith was dead under
his wagon. and so was Peter Wendle.
Two women lay stark across pile of
bedding and a baby clung to one and
whimpered. Two wagons were blazing
in the wood of their beds, beyond all
putting out. Their smoke rose tall in
the serene skies. Hope, that ever
present dweller in the courageous
heart, began to wane These people
knew their chances and they we're
dwindling fast. The end of the day
would, in all likelihood, see the end of
their lives, the end of all the high
hopes of new empire in the Western
country.
Well. it was the chance they took
when they started on the Crossing. At
any rate they'd sell out dear, as dearly
as they could.
Ellen Pendergast laid aside one
charge with her powder -blackcned
hand. That was tor her girl
And then, suddenly, the Indians, so
close now that one could see the grins
on their painted faces. racing in per-
fectly spaced and timed accord, fell
back upon themselves. Their horses
reared and jammed together in
sweating liIdoS, tilS ! tdIl > Sli 1iSltSIlSuS
turning astonished faces towards the
west.
A vast and sudden silence fell. Then
like tide turned abruptly back upon
itself, the whole seething band began
to flow away toward the north. The
sound of their yelling changed. The
war-whoop died and wild staccato
yipping took its place as they poured
away.
Out of the west came racing band
of mounted men bent low across their
saddles, their rifles held in their
raised hands. They swerved as the
Indians began to go and as they swept
by the tragic circle OF the wagons,
men and women cheered and screamed.
will! Will" they cried, tears on
furrowed checks It's Will Dallas and
the riding mem"
Bare-headed, his black hair flying.
the scout rode in advance. and hell
rode in his heart - for he had seen
sight that changed him from man to
demon.
Caution Pendergast, bound and
swaying, her bronze hair in shining