The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-10-09
CHAPTER XXXVI

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wagons waiting for them. After a
hot meal they bedded down for the
night. Guards were set round the
encampment, to be relieved every
few hours. Morning found them
unmolested.
A No, By Joe rider came across
the hills with the news that large
body of men was following them
about three miles in the rear.
A few minutes later one Of Sunday
Browns men who had been scout
ing N advance OF the others came
back at a gallop TO report that he
had been fired on by men hiding
behind large piles Of baled hay on a
hilltop which commanded the road.
After a short consultation McFaddin
took dozen men with him TO feel
out the strength OF the party.
They exchanged shots for few
minutes without damage 70 either
party, after which McFaddin
brought his men back to the main
army. There were, he guessed, for
" or fifty men behind the rampant
of bales. The leaders quickly decid-
ed 10 leave the road and took to the
foothills in a detour to a ranch
known as the Wagonwheel Gap.
Collins swung from his horse and
stepped to the porch. Bluntly he
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
q fight. We don't want to be caught
in the open, and this spot is made
to order for us. McFaddin and Eli
son agree with me. What do you
think, Sunday?"
The big Texan marshal nodded his
head. ST would say we are in luck
to find such a 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
clubhouse. Get out your picks and
shovels from the wagon. Well run
a triangle Of trenches connecting the
buildings so that we can't get cut
of from each other"
A sleepy-eyed little man came out
from the house. ''Say, what's 60
ing on here?" he wanted to know.
He was the ranch cook TIE boss
and MS 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 funky for our cook. You'll like
thai"
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 a 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 a ridge to
the north of the house, and they be-
gan TO pour down a scattering fire
that drove the ditch-diggers and the
timber workers to cover. As word
spread that the cattle barous and
their Texans had been trapped, re-
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 Eving-room of the
ranch house. They did not deceive
themselves about the ultimate out
come of the battle. In time the set
tiers would overpowsr 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 Iounged
in an easy chair. He laughed sar-
donicaIly. I'VE 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
cant 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. It was directed to the Cover
nor, and it asked him to urge the
President to order troops from Fort
Garfield to the Wagonwheel 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 hold
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