Bert Wilson in the Rockies

rful E

form merged into the enveloping darkness and was lost to the view of his anxious friends. They listened with

a lurking enemy. He had traveled several hundred yards when suddenly he heard what seemed to be a stealthy rustling, off somewhere to his right. He dropped to th

here he lay he made out the form of an Indian, a mere black splotch against the slightly lighter background of the sky. The savage did not move, and Bert knew that he had not been discovered as yet. But

thout being discovered by the Indian, so he resolved on

the Indian. With the same motion he drew his revolver and aimed a blow at the savage's

savage had a chance to shout a warning, however, Bert had grasped him by the throat with one hand, while he rained blows from the clubbed revolver on him with the other. The Indian made a desperate at

his almost instinctive sense of direction. He ran quickly and lightly with the speed and silence of a wol

steep embankment, and was not long in locating a telegraph pole. He climbed this quickly and once securely seated in the crossbars made ready to send

, and donned a pair of thick leather gloves that he had borrowed from the driver. With the

rent in the wire everything will have

, and was overjoyed to see a snappin

and knew the Morse code as well as he knew his own name. Of course, he had no means of telling w

ear stage-coach trail-twenty miles

ure that somebody must have received it. Then he twisted

ght. "It's going to be no easy matter, either. I have an id

on of danger. At one time he heard a murmur of guttural voices at no great distance, and proceeded with redoubled caution until he left the sound behind. Gradually he worked himself along until he knew he could be at no great distance from his friends. The danger

of one of the old college songs. There was no reply at first, but he repeated the refrain a little louder this time, and was overjoyed to hear the tune taken up by a whi

t his safe return, and then questioned him an

think there's much doubt that somebody received it. Now

eemed much surprised at Bert's safe return; "at dawn or je

before dawn a hideous yell rent the air, and a shower

r a few minutes after the outbreak all was silent as the grave, and in the

xclaimed Dick fervently; "at least w

l yell, and against the rapidly lightening sky the defende

smen. Dick's and Tom's revolvers barked viciously, and the deadly rifles wielded by Bert and the stage driver made havoc in the ranks of the attacking braves. Sam, the guard, wielded his heavy Colts with the skill and sure aim of a

xultantly. "I guess we gave them a w

d of them if there's one, and they would never dare face the tribe a

ghting blood was aroused, and all thought of danger was swallowed

son, and realized how deadly was the white mans' aim. They hung low from the saddle, on the side farthest fr

, firing over and under their horses, and drawing ever a little closer, a little clo

is horse's back the Winchester spoke and one more still form was added to the many already strewed over the

e about the besieged constricted, and suddenly the attackers, at a given signal, abandoned their horse

ck, "we'll stand back to back and

his short range, and Bert and the stage driver clubbed theirs and met the first savages over the embankment with death-dealing blows from the clubbed weapons. The savages pressed forward so fiercely and in suc

st him. Dick had just fired the last shot from his revolver, and he had no time to reload. As the Indian sprang at him Dick clubbed his revolver, and made a terrific swing at the shaven head of his attacker. The savage dodged with the agility of a cat, and the blow merely glanced from his shoulder. With a yell of exultation the Indian raised his

ns. The whites, fighting silently and grimly, resolved to sell their lives as dearly as might be, presented a solid front and battled with the grim

were wounded, and Tom's left arm hung useless at his side. They had no time to load their revolvers, and, with the last shot fired, drew their sharp hunting knives and fo

r dazed senses came the noise of rifle shots, and the sound of a bugle's strident note. Before they could realize that help had at last arrived the Indians had broken away a

dsoaked ground. They galloped up to where the defenders, or what remained of them, lay

in the nick of time. You were about at the last ditch, bu

past all aid, and the other was badly wounded. The doctor shook his head when he examined the senseless but still breathing form of the guard, but finally announced that he had a

the prisoners they had captured. An hour later the last of them rode in, reporting that the braves wh

Helena with the prisoners. But you lads," he said, turning to the

e said, "and I don't want your lives put in jeopardy by any of the redskins who may return to this neighborhood after we leave. I imagine they've had all the

ted on a trooper's horse, they and the escort set off in the directio

ves. I don't know about old Sam"-here a shadow passed over his face-"but he's a tough old sinner

re than once they turned in their saddles and waved their hats t

roopers, thinking it might be a new band of Indians or some of the survivors of the d

the boys were able to make out the familiar faces of the ranch cowboys, headed by Mr. M

hey emitted joyful yells, and by way of salute many of them fired their revolvers in the air. Mr. Melton

s galloped in late last night without you I

d time to say anything, the corporal, who commanded the escort, broke in: "From the way he tells it," he said, "you might imagine that it had been a good deal less

glistening eyes; "but I'm not so much surprised, after

" disclaimed Bert. "We had to fight, whether we

home just as soon as we can, where you'll get plenty of all three. I guess we won't need to trouble you any more," he continue

core or more of lean, square-jawed cowboys, "and

o thanked him for his escort, and with

h they answered to the best of their ability. On their arrival they were turned over to motherly Mrs. Melton,

to deliverin' the goods, ain't they? An' to think that once in a moment of besotted ignorance I referred to them as 'tender-feet

hem could think of, they acquiesced in th