The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1941-11-13

stated the situation. Hell has broke
loose in Georgia, boys. The whole
damn country is headed this way for
the war. That means we're in for
a fight. We don't want to be caught
in the open, and this spot is made
to order for us. McF addin and Eli
son agree with me. What do you
think, Sunday?"
The big Texan marshal nodded his
head. 81 would say we are in luck
to find such place. We have all
the food we need and the creek runs
right past the house. It would take
| an army to dig us out"
The rubicund little ranchman
/, wasted no more time in talk. "Then
get busy, boys. Wen occupy the
| ranch house, the stable, and the
bunkhouse. Get out your picks and
shovels from the wagon. Well run
triangle of trenches connecting the
| buildings so that we can't get cut
off from each other.'
A sleepy-eyed little man came out
from the house. Say, what's go
ing on here?" he wanted to know.
He was the ranch cook. The boss
and his family had gone to Larkspur
for the day and left him to take care
of the place.
Collins grinned at him. "You
haven't lost your job, Doc. Here are
sixty or seventy hungry men. You
can fiunky for our cook. You'll like
that"
The Wagonwheel Gap cook did not
| like it, but there was nothing to
do about it. He was in the army
by draft and accepted his position
| philosophically. Inside of ten min
utes he was busy making a great
batch of bread.
The ranch was excellently situat-
ed for defense. On all sides of it
were low, rolling hills with little
large brush except in few gullies.
Plenty of water for the horses could
be got from Bear Creek, which ran
close to both the stable and the
house. An adjoining corral had a
large haystack near the barn, in
case the supply in the loft gave out.
The arrival of large body of set
tiers interrupted these preparations.
Bill Herriott was in command. He
stationed his men along ridge to
the north of the house, and they be-
gan to pour down scattering fire
that drove the ditch-diggers and the
timber workers to cover. AS word
spread that the cattle barons and
4bair Tava1e bod Laa,, @rar0aI ra
Inducements poured in to join the
attackers.
Clouds scudded across the sky and
obscured the moon so that nightfall
brought darkness. The ditch-diggers
went to work again, protected by
ramparts of logs built between them
and their enemies along the bluff.
The firing did not die down entirely,
but it became intermittent and spo-
radio.
The leaders of the party held a
conference in the living-room of the
ranch house. They did not deceive
themselves about the ultimate out
come of the battle. In time the set
tiers would overpower them by sheer
numbers, unless help came to them
from outside. That help could come
only from government troops.
Collins Lit a cigar as he lounged
in an easy chair. He laughed sar-
donically. 1--WE fixed it all UP SO
nice to have the soldiers looking
another way when we pulled off our
raid that I don't reckon it will be
easy to attract their attention now.
Like as not the Great White Father
can't hear us when we holler."
Ellison paced the floor anxiously
He more than anybody else had got
them into this trap, and he was wor-
ried about the outcome. To the 9th.
ers he read telegram he had writ.
ten. 1t was directed to the Cover.
nor, and it asked him to urge the
President to order troops from Fort
Garfield to the WagonwheeI Gap
Ranch at once.
A volunteer called for to get it to
Cheyenne. 1t was decided that the
safest place from which to send the
wire was Jim Creek. The station
agent there was friendly to the big
cattle interests and would not hole
up the message.
A dozen men volunteered to try
to run the enemy lines and get the
telegram through. A young Texan
named Hal Yancey was chosen. He
was not married, and he had once
worked on the Two Star Ranch anc
knew the country fairly well. More
over, he was a seasoned man, game
and determined.
"I'll get the message through i
I can," he promised.
you'll have to hoof it unless yol
can pick up a horse somewhere,
McFaddin said. Take care of your
self, boy Until you are through
their lines you'll have to lie low whei
the moon comes out from behind tht
clouds"
Yancey followed the stream, NOV
ing through the water carefully il
order not to make a misstep on
slippery rock that would cause hi
to stumble and make splash. I
creek was lined with willows af' /
he had passed out of the cott =
wood grove in which the ranch bU %
ings were situated. The Texan
the creek and crept toward thr j.
fence which separated him froi,,yooe
enemy. ,e+
He waited until dark cloud From,
in front of the moon, then IT,
l |