Foes in Ambush

and stampede. What he saw as he leaned out of the bounding vehicle was certainly enough to disgust a bandit and demoralize many a leader. Scattering like chaff befor

looked, the off fore wheel struck a stout cactus stump; flew into fragments; the tire rolled off in one direction, and Moreno's luckless family shot, comet-like, into space and fetched up shrieking in the midst of a plentiful crop of thorns and spines. The husband and father, gazing upon the incident from over his shoulder and afar, blessed the saints for their beneficence in having landed his loved ones on soft soil instead of among the jagged rocks across the plain. But for himself the sooner he reached the rocks the better. A tall Gringo, who cast aside a dark-blue blouse as he rode, stooping low over his horse's neck, seemed

from others the shots rained fast upon the troopers, but never seemed to check the charge. The rush was glorious. Drawing their revolvers now, for they carried no sabres, the soldiers fired as they rode down those would-be obstructers, and two poor wretches were flattened out upon the plain when the main body of the troop dashed by, making straight for the fleeing Concord with the white canvas top. Drummond had not fired at all. Every thought was concentrated on the occupants of the wagon. Every shot might be needed when he got to them. "Chester" was running grandly. The designated four who were to follow the lieutenant were already over a hun

ecorous pace over a soft yet unbeaten and irregular trail. Conscious of fierce white light and heat about him on every side, he was aware of a moist, cool, dark bandage over his eyes that prevented him from seeing. Striving to raise a ha

he suffers! Can't

ht and rejoicing thrilled through his frame as he realized that the main object of the fierce and determined pursuit was acco

ly face, pale and framed with much dishevelled hair, was bending anxiously over him; but a smile of hope, even of joy, was parting the soft lips as she saw the light of returning reason in his eyes. At this same instant, too, the hands that supported his face were suddenly drawn away, and his pillow became unstable. O

elf-poise. Throwing back the hanging c

me to us! He'

was wrenched open, and there in the glowing sunshine stood the tall

me pain. Can you stand a little more? We're close to the caves

ant?" Drummond weakly questi

istory of Arizona. I got up only just in time to see the charge, and Pike's now on his way back already with the good news. We are taking you and th

There was another,-a deserter from my

er world. 'Twas he that killed poor 'Chester,' the worst loss we've met. Not a man is hit, and by daybreak to-mo

disguised bandit suddenly leaped from the wagon, and Ruth was swooning again, but she heard your voice before I did. 'Twas she who saw

to be believed. His right hand, to be sure, refused to m

. "The first thing I was conscious

y unconscious, seemed to shrink from the long, brown fingers sear

e asked, half chiding, half laughing. "Have you forgotten your friend J

lks indeed! Forgotten her hero, her sold

ear, handsome eyes were raised to Miss Harvey's face as he spoke in a look that seemed to tell how much he envied

the sun's rays seemed rarely to penetrate, and a cup of clear, cool water was held to his lips, Drummond's one available hand was uplifted in hopes of cap

lbow, and you're badly shocked and bruised. I have no doubt the surgeon will be with us by this time to-morrow, but I can s

ners have we?"

either prompt nor explicit about surrendering, and the men seem to have been a trifle impatient in one or two cases. You should he

roncho' Spanish I have added to it out here. Where did you l

ar-cut, and manly one it was-seem

spent on the Pacific slope. Pardon me, sir, I wan

ere are they?" aske

they got here, but ten determined soldiers could hold it against ten hundred. I've as yet had only a glance, but the Morenos have been here before, it is most

ness. "How a man could be flattened out and rolled over by such a weight and not be mashed into a jelly is what I can't understand. You're about as elastic as ivory, lieutenant, and you have no spare flesh about you either. That and th

anxiously, for his head was still heavy and painful and his anxiety

e reaction after their fearful experience; but I'm something of

ow

as they've had a chance to rest, both young ladie

he doesn't

ted down the instant she was told by her sister to climb into the wagon again and sit still as a mouse and see that your face was kept cool and moist and shaded from the glare." And no

ty. There's even a keg of mescal, which, saving your presence, sir, as I am temporary commander, shall be hidden before the men begin coming in wit

and plashing over its stony bed at his feet and went on down the gorge to its opening on the sandy plain. There, presumably, it burrowed into the bosom of the earth, for no vestige of running stream could the Cababi Valley show. The walls about him were in places grimy with the smoke of cook fires. Overhead, no

th the old yellow ambulance, serg

devil's work done there at Moreno's, and your mishap, too, the men have become uncontrollable, and will never let up on the pursuit until they have killed the last one of that gang. These two who are coming in with the bodie

n't all come in he

when they surrendered,-as they'd have to,-the civil authorities would immediately step in and claim jurisdiction, claim the prisoners, too. We'd simply have to turn them over to justice as a matter of course, and you know, and they know, that the only judge apt to sit on their case would be that of

heaven they'll never lose si

that,

d who deserted last night to join this gang. He drove for the stag

rollable excitement. "Do you mean it, sir? Had he enlisted? Do you mean that

ee the sergeant's features working almost convulsivel

overy of Donovan's body and rode straight for Moreno's, beating us

y by his side. With a stifled groan the tall soldier turned abruptly away and went

ges, and Drummond believed it his duty to make inquiry as to whether he knew Bland and what was the cause

llows have killed him, let his crimes die with him. If he is brought in alive,-brough

ting in the sergeant's eyes as he turned hastily away, unable for

ently. "Speak or keep silent as you will. You have ea

oming of his men, impatient perhaps to hear a softer voice, to feel again the light touch of slender fingers, yet in his weakness and exh

bonds,-enough, at least, to relieve his pain yet hold him securely. The soldier sitting drowsily o

it that you make no effort to slip a knot while I'm at work here. How fa

nd I reckon they couldn't make up their minds to come farther. I can make out one or two

across the valley alo

s something I don't understand-off here in t

ing the coil of lariat he held i

the Chiricahua and Catarinas and -- Well, just come up here with your field-glass, if you can, s

ed. "But as only two men are with me and both are otherwise engaged, I'll

onquered yet inwardly raging, while Wing stole in to Drummond's rude couch, slipped the field-glass from its case, then, with a longing look into the darker dept

Wing. What

velled hair had been twisted into shape. Food, rest, relief from dread and misery, and that little appreciated be

e sure, but his wife or daughter might slip out and release him. Will you have the goodnes

ned? Are the others coming?" And she took the revolver, balancing it in h

r a few minutes. I'm going up to look from our rock above there. Some of our men, they say, are in sight slowly retur

e a baby, ble

ld be his nurse. I hope you will consent. He is s

to help in any way we can. But whe

rst. They have been in saddle much longer and farther t

ay, 'perhaps by and by' too.

ing, and in a moment he went clambering up t

it, Pat

away, and down here in the range ain't more than six. What Indians could be ou

nd barely distinguishable in the opposite heights, then fixed his gaze upon the filmy column soaring

e if it is Apaches, they've sighted that party and the few men straggling back, and those signals

the Cababi Range as Wing w

id to his horse, who was drowsing in

ped upon the bare, brown back an

he shouted up to the lookout. "If

e clump of willows, was the ambulance, its mules unhitched and hoppled securely, nibbling placidly at such scant herbage as

ead of the ca?on, lively now," was his brief order t

ng out from the willows. "Lee told us to wait h

long and

t in sight from here coming back; but 'what f

cried Wing. "Why, isn't t

n apparejo while we were all running for Harvey's da