University of South Carolina Libraries
rt atti) ont I) con IBB 8UMTEK WATCHMAN, Established April, 1850. 'Be Just and Fear not-Let allTthe Ends thou Aims't at, he thy Country's, thy God's and Truth's.1' THE TRUE SO?THKON, Established Jone, 1366 Consolidated lag. 2,1881. SUMTER, S. C., WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 1894. Sew Series-Yoi. XIII. No. 35. But efforts with the half suffocate men had no effect. The whisky wit Woods had better results. He presen ly ceased his shivering sobs and con] answer more questions. Drummon begged for particulars of the captor* and these the man found it difficult t give. He was stationed at the bac dcor, the corral side, he said, and hare ly saw the final rush. But there ws something so queer about it The: had. been a few minutes' lull. The: Harvey and Feeny beth began to tal excitedly and to call out that the "roa agents" were running away, and the presently there came the sound of gal loping hoofs and cheering and both th sergeant and Mr. Harvey had shoute that the troops were coming and rushet out to meet them-4 - And the next thing knew," said Woods, "was seeing Feen; flattened out on the ground and crawl ing on his hands and knees and th room filled with roughs, some Mexi cans, some Yanks, and I slipped int* the corral and saw one of them shoo Feeny as ho was trying to crawl afte: me; and while they were swearing an< searching for the-safe and carrying i out, Mr. Dawes and Mullan managed somehow, to help the paymaster out and then wrat in after the other man. ' Then Woods could tell little more One thing, he said, amazed and excitec him so he couldn't believe his eyes, bm he was almost ready to swear that the fellow Feeny ran to shake hands witt was a soldier in uniform, and that h( held Feeny's hand while another mar came up behind and "mashed" him with the butt of his pistol, and that this fellow in soldier clothes was thc man who afterward shot Feeny as he was trying to crawl away. Drummond looked around at the man incredulous-almost derisive. The story was improbable, too much so to deserve even faint attention. Just then Mei necke came back and, preciso as ever, stood attention and saluted. "Herr lieutenant, Private Bland is not with my party at all, sir. " "Did you leave him back with the packs?" "No, sir; the men say he wasn't with us all night He rode ahead with the lieutenant until we came to Corporal Donovan's body." "He's not been with me since," ex? claimed the lieutenant '4 Sergeant Lee, ask if any-of the men have seen him. " Lee was gone but a moment then came back with grave face and troubled eyes, bringing with him a young troop? er who was serving his first enlistment. "Private Goss, here, has a queer story to tell, sir." "What do you know? What have you seen?" asked Drummond. "Why, sir, right after Sergeant Lee caught sight of the fire and sung out that it was Moreno's I was back about a couple of rods looking for my canteen. I was that startled when they found Corporal Donovan dead that I dropped it and all of a sudden somebody comes out past" me leading his horse, and I asked him what he had lost and he said hi3 pipe and passed me by, and 1 thought nothing more about it-only no sooner did he get out into the dark where I couldn't see him than 1 heard all of a sudden a horso start at full gal? lop right over in this direction, and now I think of it it must have been Bland, for it was him that passed me. sir-sneaking out like. " Drummond sprang to his feet. *4 What say you to this, sergeant ? Do you believe-do you think it possible that Bland has deserted and joined these outlaws?" "I don't know what to think, sir, but I haven't forgotten what Feeny said of him." "What was that?" "That ho had too smooth a tongue lo have led a rough and honest life ; that if he was a Texan as he claimed Texas people had loamed to talk a different lingo since ho was stationed among them with tho old Second cavalry before the war, and that he wished he'd been there at Lowell when the adjutant ac? cepted those letters from former officers of the regiment as genuine. Bland would never show them to Feeny. Said he had sent 'em all to his home in Texas. That was what made bad blood between them." "By heaven 1 and now to think that one of our troop-C troop-should have been engaged in this outrage! But we'll get them, men, " said Drum? mond, straightening up to his full height and raising his gauntleted hand in .air. "They can't go fast or far with those wagons such a night as this. They'll striko the foot hills before they've gone 10 miles, then they'll have to go slow. We'll catch them be? fore the sun is up, and, by the God of heaven, if Bland is with them, I'll string him to the highest tree we oan find." "There's moro than him that'll be strung up," growled a grizzled old trooper in an undertone. "The gang that murdered Pat Donovan will find scant mercy in this crowd." "Aye, aye," said another, "and there's more than Pat Donovan to be scored off. Look yonder. " For at the instant one of the packers came leading into the corral a resisting mule, at sight of whose burden many of the horses started in fear. It was the lifeless body of Donovan's companion, the soldier who had escaped the assassin's bullet when Patsy fell only to. be overtaken and cut down half way to Moreno's. "It's the bloodiest night I've known even in Arizona," said Lee to his young leader. "The paymaster and Mr. Har? vey about as good as dead, old Feeny dying, most like, the clerk and Mull and some other trooper of the esc< burned to ashes in that hell hole the: and Donovan and this last one-soi of our fellows think it is Flynn, from troop-shot to death. It's worse th Apache, lieutenant, and "there'll be use trying to restrain onr fellows wh we catch the blackguards." A quarter of an hour later, leavi: half a dozen soldiers under an expe: enced sergeant to guard the packs, t wounded and the noncombatants at t smoldering ruins of the ranch, wi barely a score of seasoned troopers his back, Lieutenant Jim Drummoi rode resolutely ont toward the southe; desert, toward the disitant line of jagg< mountains that spanned the far hoi zon. The false and fatal blaze at tl Picacho had utterly disappeared, ai all was darkness at the west. The r( glow of the smoldering embers hehir was no longer sufficient to light the path. Straight away southward h the wheeltracks, first separate and di tinct, but soon blending, as though or wagon had fallen behind and folio we the trail of the bolder leader in tl first. Straight away after them wei the ruck of hoof tracks, telling plain! that for a time at least the gang ha massed and was prepared to guard ii plunder. Stop to divide it was evident the dared not, for they had not with thei the implements to break into the saf( and all their searching and threatenin had failed to extract from the appal ently dying paymaster any clew as t what he had done with the key. Stic together, therefore, they undoubtedl would, reasoned the lieutenant, and al their effort would be to reach som secure haunt in the Sierras and ther send back their demand for ransom Twenty-five thousand dollars in casi and George Harvey's precious daugb ters! It was indeed a rich haul-on that in all the dread history of th Morales gang had never been equaled Even had they failed to secure the saf the richer booty was theirs in having seized the girl?. But few people in Ar izona-as Arizona then was constitute* -would make great effort to overhan a gang of robbers whose only victin was Uncle Sam and "his liveried hire lings." Nobody in Sonora would fai to regard them with envious eyes, bu in the deed of rapine that made then the captors and possessors of those de fenseless sisters each man had put < price upon his head, a halter round hi: neck, for "gringo" and "greaser,' American and Mexican alike, wonk spring to arms to rescue and avenge. As the rearmost of the little part] of pursuers disappeared in the darkness and the wearied pack mules went jog ging sullenly after, urged on by the goat ot their half Mexican driver, the ser g?ant left in charge of the detachmeni at the corral looked at his watch anc" noted that it was just 2:30 o'clock. The dawn would be creeping on at 4. Wearied as were his men, he did no' permit thenr all to rest. The conditio! of his wounded aud the instructions lei I him by Lieutenant Drummond made il necessary that they should have constant attention, lt was. sore trouble for hin: to look at the old paymaster, whoss life seemed ebbing away; lying there sc pallid and monning at times so pitiful? ly, but Feeny lay torpid, breathing, yet seeming to suffer not r.t all. Both were in desperate need of sur? gical attendance, tut where could sur? geon be found : The nearest was at Stoneman, the little cantonment across the Christobal, 30 miles to the east, and though a gallant fellow had vol? unteered to make the ride alone throng!] the Apache infested pass and carry the dispatch that Drummond had hurried? ly penciled there was no possibility of doctors reaching them before the coming night, and the thought of all they might have io suffer through the j fierce white heat of the intervening j day was one that gave the sergeant j deep concern. Then, too, who could I say whether the solitary trooper would ! succeed in running the gantlet and making his way through ? He was a resolute old frontiersman, skilled in Indian warfare and well aware that his best chance was in the dark, but speed as he might the broad light of day would be on him long before he could get half way through the range. The stage from the west would prob 1 ably come along about sunset, but noth? ing could be hoped for sooner. No I troops were nearer than the Colorado in that direction except the little signal post at the Picacho. Corporal Fox and two men had been sent thither to in? quire what the signal meant, and it would soon be time for them to come riding in with their report. How he wished Wing were here ! Wing knew something about everything. He was an expert veterinarian, something of a doctor, knew more of mineralogy than all the officers put together and could speak Spanish better than any man in the regiment. When it became necessary to have a signal station at the peak and it was found that no one knew anything about the business, Wing got one of the old red manuals, studied the system and inside of a week was signaling with the expert sent down from San Francisco. The interior of the ranch was still a smoldering furnace as 4 o'clock drew nigh. Woods, weak and exhausted, had fallen into an uneasy sleep. The trooper detailed to watch over old Plum? mer and Feeny and bathe their faces with cold water was nodding over his charge. Hero and there under the shed on the north side which the flames had not reached the men were dozing, or in low, awestricken tones talking of the tragic events of the night. Near the east gate, reverently and deeply covered with the only shroud to be had, the newest of the saddle blankets, lay thc stiffening remains of poor Donovan and his comrade. Larking about the west? ward end of the inclosure, their beady eyes every now and then glittering in the firelight, the Mexicans, men and boy, were smoking their everlasting papelitos, apparently indifferent to the fate that had deprived them of home and occupation. One of the troopers had burrowed a hole in the sand, started a little cook fire and was boiling some coffee in a tin quant mug. Overhead and far down to the horizon on every side the stars ! shone and sparkled through the vapor I less skies. Eastward toward the Chris ! tobal they were just beginning to pale ' when a fair ^ voice was heard pleading for water. Sergeant Butler sprang from his seat and hastened to where he had left Mr. Harvey but a few minutes before, still in deep and obstinate swoon. "Water, is it, sir? Here you are! I'm glad to see you picking up a little. Mr. Drummond left this for you too, sir. He said you would maybe need it. " And the sergeant raised the dizzy head and held a little flask to Harvey's lips. .Where is he?" at last the sufferer was able to gasp. "Overhauling the outlaws, hand over fist, by this time, sir. He has 20 good men at his back, and we'll have the la? dies safe tonight-see if we don't." "Oh, God!" groaned the stricken brother, burying his face in his arms as the recollection of the fearful events of the night came crowding upon him. For a moment he seemed to quiver and tremble in every limb, then with sud? den effort raised his head and turned again, the blood trickling anew from a gash in his face as he did so. * "Give me more of that," ho moaned, stretching forth a trembling hand. "More water too. Lend me a horse and your carbine. I must go ! I must go!" But there his strength failed him, and grasping wildly at empty air poor Harvey fell heavily back before the sergeant could interpose an arm to save. "Don't think of it, sir. You're far too weak, and you're not needed. Never fear, the lieutenant and O troop will do ali that men can do. They'll bring the ladies safely back as soon as they've hang what's left of that murdering gang. Hello! That you. Fox?" he shouted, springing up us two or three horsemen came spurring in. "It's I-Wing," was the answer in ringing tones. * * Fox is coming slower. Quick now. Is ii so that that gang has run off the young ladies?" "It's God's truth. Here's Mr. Ned Harvey himself." In an instant Wing was kneeling by the side of the prostrate man. "Merciful heaven, my friend, bat they've used you fearfully ! They only bound and held me till Jackson got back from Ceralvo's a couple of hours ago. Are you shot-injured?" '4 No, no. " ' groaned Harvey. * * But I am broken, utterly broken, and my sis? ters are in the hands of those hounds." "Never worry about that, man. I know young Drummond well. There isn't a braver, better officer in the old regiment if he is but a boy. He'll never drop that trail till he overtakes them, and by the time he needs us old Pike here and I will be at his side. Thank the Lord, those louts were frightened off and never took our horses. They're fresh as daisies, bothof 'em. Cheer up, Mr. Harvey. If hard riding and hard fighting will do it. we'll hayje your sis? ters here to nurse you before another night. Come, Pike, ' ' he cried as he vaulted into saddle. "Now for the liveliest gallop of your lazy, good for nothing life. Come on!" CHAPTER VII. A new May morning was breaking, its faint rosy light warming the crests of the Santa Maria, when Lieutenant Drummond signaled "halt" to his lit? tle band, the first halt since leaving Moreno's at 2:30. Down in a rocky canyon a number of hoof prints on the trail diverged to the left and followed an abrupt descent, while the wagons bad kept to the right and by a winding and more gradual road seemed to have sought a crossing farther to the west. lt was easy to divine that, with such elements in the gang, there had been no long separation between the horsemen and the treasure they were guarding, and, eager as he was to overtake the renegades, Drummond promptly decided to follow the hoof tracks, rightly con? jecturing too, that they would bring him to water in the rocky tanks below. Dismounting and leading ?ais big sorrel, he sprang lightly from ledge to ledge down what seemed a mere goat trail, each man in succession dismount Fach man in succession dismounted at thc name point. ing at the same point, and with more or less elasticity coming on wi the foot? steps of his leader. The faint wan light of early dawn was rendering neighbor? ing objects visible on tho sandy plain behind them, but Lad not yet penetrat? ed into the depths of the gorge. Lying far to tho west of the Tucson road, this was a section of the country unknown to any of the troop, and with every prospect of a broiling ride across t] desert ahead so soon as the sun was i no chance for watering their hors could be thrown away. Jnst as he e; pected, Drummond found the desee: becoming more gradual, and in a in ment or two the bottom of the dark ri was found, and presently, keeping kee lookout for the reflection of the sta; still lingering overhead, the leadii men were rewarded, and halted at tl edge of a shining pool of clear thoug not very cool water and the horsi thrust their hot muzzles deep into tl wave. Here, shaded by the broa brimmed hats of white felt, such as tl Arizona trooper of the old days gene: ally affected, a match or two was struc and the neighborhood searched f< "sign." The rocks around the tan were dry; the little drifts of sand blow down from the overhanging heigl were smooth. Whatsoever splashin had been done by the horses of the ou laws there had been abundant time fe it to evaporate, therefore the cominan could not thus far have gained ver rapidly on the pursued. But Drau mond felt no discouragement. Up t this point the way had been smooth an sufficiently hard to make wheeling a easy matter. The wagons had bee lugged along at brisk trot, the attend ing cavaliers riding at lively lope Now, however, there would be no like lihood of their making such time. Th ambulance could only go at slow wal! the rest of the way, and the guards mus remain alongside to protect the stole: funds, not so much from envious out siders as from one another. Pasqua Morales showed his accustomed shrewd ness when he forbade that any on should try to burst into the safe ani extract the money, for well he kne\ that if divided among the men .ther would be no longer a loadstone to hol< them together, to call for their fierces fighting powers if assailed. The instan the money was scattered the gang wooli follow suit and he be left to meet th cavalry single handed. The horses of the little detachmen were not long in slaking their thirst The noiseless signal to mount wa: given, and following in the lead o their young lieutenant the troopers rod? silently down the winding canyon Drummond and Sergeant Lee bending low over their chargers' necks to se< that they did not miss the hoof prints Little by little the light of dawn begai to penetrate the dark depths in whicl they were scouting, and trailing became an easier matter. Presently the ser g?ant pointed to the face of the oppo site slope, now visible from base to sum mit where an abrupt bend threw ii against the eastern light. 4 ' Yonder7s where the ambulance came down, sir." "I see, and we can't be far fron: where it crossed. Trot ahead and take a look. Let Patterson go with you. Ii you find a chance for short cuts, sig? nal." Another half hour passed away, and still the trail led along this strange rock ribbed groove in the desert, the dry bed of some long lost stream. When first met, it seemed to be cutting directly across their line of march, now it had turned southward, and for sev? eral miles ahead south or west of south was its general course. The light was now broad and clear, though the sun had not j-et peeped across the moun? tain range to their left. The pace was rapid, Drummond frequently urging his men to the trot or canter. Out tc the front 400 or 500 yards, often lost to view in the windings of the way, Ser? geant Lee with a single trooper rode in the advance, but not once had he sig? naled a discovery worth recording. Both wagon and hoof tracks here pur? sued a common road. It was evident that some horsemen had found it neces? sary to ride alongside. It was evident, too, that the outlaws were traveling at full speed, as though anxious to reach some familiar lair before turning to face their expected pursuers. Every one in the gang, from Pasqnal down to their humblest packer, well knew that it could not be long before cavalry in strong force would come trotting in chase. The squadron at Stoneman would surely he on the march by the coming sunset. As for C troop, they had little to fear. Pasqual laughed with savage glee as he thought how he had lured them in scattered detach? ments far np to the Gila or over to the Christobal. No need to fear the coming of the late escort of the paymaster. By this time those not dead, drugged or drunk were worn out with fatigue. Over the body of his bandit brother, the swarthy Ramon, he had fiercely rejoiced that seven to one he had avenged his ? death, and Pasqual counted on the fin? gers of his brown and bloody hand the number of the victims of the night Donovan and his fellow trooper killed ! on the open plain ; the paymaster and his clerk, Mullan and the other soldier, j dead in their tracks and burned to ashes by this time, and, best of all, j "that pig of a sergeant. " as Moreno ? called him, that hound and murderer, I Feeny-he who had slain Ramon i bound, gagged and left to miserable death by torture. Indeed, as he was j jolted along in the ambulance, groan j ing and cursing by turns, Pasqual won? dered why he had not insisted that Har j vey, too, should bo given the coup de grace before their start. It was an un? pardonable omission. Never mind! j There in the brand new Concord that carno clattering along was booty that outrivaled all. There was wealth far exceeding the stacks of treasury notes-old Harvey's daughters-old Harvey's daughters. It was with mad, feverish joy that when al last the sun came pouring in a flood of light over the desert of the Cababi he listened to the report of a trusted subordinate. "I could see every mile of the road with my glasses, capitan, from the cliff top yonder-every mile from Moreno's to where we struck tho canyon. There I isn't a sign of dust-there isn't a sign of a pursuing party.'" "Bueno! Then we rest when we reach the cave. This is even better than I hoped." But there wero two elements in the j problem Capitan Pasqual had failed to : consider - Lieutenant Drummond's i scent in the Christobal, Cochises' band of Chiricahuas in th? Santa Maria. Who could have foreseen that the little troop, finishing its duties at the north? ern end of the range and about turning south to rescout the Santa Maria, had ridden ont upon the plain, summoned by the beacon at Picacho pass, and less than two hours after their hurried start from the burning ruins at Moreno's were speeding on their trail ? The best fieldglasses ever stolen from the paternal government cculd not reveal to the flee? ing outlaw that, only two or three miles back in the dim recesses of the crooked gorge, the bluecoats were following in hot pursuit. Who could have dream? ed that a band of Apaches, cut off from their native wilds by detachments from Bowie, Lowell and Crittenden, and forced to make a wide detour to the southwest, had sought refuge in the very gorge of the Cababi whither Pas qual with all speed was urging his men? "We rest when we reach the cave." Ah, even the torment of his wound could not have wrung from the robber chief this longed for order had he dreamed what was coming at his back. "How are the girls getting on?" he asked of his hot and wearied aid. "Are they tranquil now?" "They have to be," was the grim re? ply. "The little one dare not open her eyes, and Sanchez has his knife at the elder's throat. " And the sunrise had brought with it new inspiration-new purpose to those who came trotting to the rescue. Just as the cliffs on the western side were tipped and fringed with rose and gold, Sergeant Lee, riding rapidly far ahead from point to point, always carefully peering around each bend before signal Thc next instant he stood erect, icainny ! some white object hUjh in air. ing "come on," was seen suddenly to halt and throw himself from his horse. The next instant he stood erect, waving some white object high in air. Spur? ring forward, Drummond joined him. 4iA lady's handkerchief, lieutenant," j he quietly said. "They seem to have ! halted here a moment ; yon can tell by ; the hoof prints. One of their number I rode over toward that high point yon : der and rejoined them here. I don't be? lieve they are more than half an hour I ahead." Drummond reverently took the dainty j kerchief, hurriedly searched for an ini? tial or a name and found the letters j "R. H. " in monogram in one corner. "Push on, then, Lee! Here, one more i of you-you, Bennet, join the sergeant, j Look alive now, but do not let your I selves be seen from the front." Then as they hastened away he ; stowed the filmy trifle in the pocket of j his blouse, and drawing his colt from j the holster closely inspected its loaded I chambers. Only a boy, barely 28, yet i rich in soldierly experience already I was Drummond. He had entered the j Point when just 17. His father's ? death, occurring immediately before the ! memorable summer of their first class ! camp, had thrown him perforce into the I society of the so called bachelor club, ! and he. was graduated in the June of ! the following year with a heart as j whole as his physique was fine. But ! there were some cares to cloud his I young life in the army-a sister whose ' needs were many and whose means j were few. He found that rigid econ ? omy and self denial were to be his por ; tion from the start and was not sorry I that his assignment took him to the far : away land of Arizona, where, as his \ new captain wrote him, "you can live \ like a prince on bacon and frijoles, ; dress like a cowboy on next to nothing j or like an Apache in next to nothing, < spend all your days and none of your j money in mountain scouting, and come j out of it all in two or three years rich ? ; in health and strength and experience and infinitely better off financially than you could ever have been anywhere else. Leave whisky and poker alone, and you're all right." He had left whisky and poker alone, severely alone. He had sought every opportunity for field service; had shown indomitable push, pluck and skill in pursuit of Apaches and cool courage j in action. He had been able to send even more than was needed, or than he had hoped, to his sister's guardian and j was proud and happy in the concious- j ness of a duty well done. There were j no young girls in the scattered garrisons j of those days, no feminine attractions j to unsettle his peace of mind. The few women who accompanied their lords to such exile as Arizona were discreet ma? trons, to whom he was courtesy itself on the few occasions when they met, but only once had he been brought un- j der the influence of girlish eyes or of j girlish society, and that was on the j memorable trip to San Francisco dur- j ing the previous year, when lie had had | the great good fortune to be summoned j as a witness before a general court martial' convened at the Presidio. He had been presented to the Harvey sis ters by the captain of the Newbern '' and would fain have shown them some j attention, but there had been much j rough weather in the gulf which kept the girls below, and not until after pass- J ing Capo San Lucas and they were steaming up the sunny Pacific did he see either of them again. Then one ' glorious day the trolling lines were out ? astern, the elders were amidship play- ? ing "horse billiards," and "Tuck," j the genial purser, was devoting himself j to Paquita, when Drummond heard a ? scream of excitement and delight and saw the younger sister bracing her tiny, slender feet and hanging on to a line with all her strength. ~?n an instant he was at her side, and together, hand over hand, they finally succeeded in pulling aboard a beautiful dolphin and landed him, leaping, flapping, splashing madly about, in the midst of the mern- party on the deck. It was the first time Ruth had seen the gorgeous hues of this cele? brated fish, and her excitement and plea? sure over being heralded as its captor were most natural. From that time on she had pinned her girlish faith to the coat sleeve of the tall, reserved young cavalryman. To him she was a child, even younger by a year than the little sister he had left, and of whom he soon began to tell her. To her he was a young knight errant, the hero of a bud? ding maiden's shyest, sweetest, fondest fancy and ere long the idol of the dreams and thoughts she dared ?ot whisper even to herself. Paquita, with the wisdom of elder sisterhood, more than half be? lieved she read the younger's heart, but wisely held her peace. No wonder the little maid had so suddenly been si? lenced by the announcement at the pass that that very night she might again see the soldier boy to whom, in the ab? sence of all others, her heart had been so constant. No wonder the ride for? ward to Moreno's was one of thrilling excitement and shy delight and antici? pation. No wonder her reason, her very life, seemed wrecked in the tragic fate that there befell them. And now as he rode swiftly in pursuit Drummond was thinking over the in? cidents of that delightful voyage, and marvelling at the strange fate that had brought the Harvey girls again into his life and under circumstances so thrill? ing. Never for an instant would he doubt that before the sun could reach meridian he should overtake and rescue them from the hands of their cowal dly captors. Never would he entertain the thought of sustained defense on the part of the outlaw band. Full of high con-, tempt for such cattle, he argued that no sooner were they assured that the cavalry were close at their heels than most of their number would scatter fer their lives, leaving Pasqual to his fate, and probably abandoning the wagons and their precious contents on the road. A sudden dash, a surprise, would in? sure success. The only fear he had was that in thc excitement of attack some harm might befall those precious lives. To avert this he gave orders to be pass? ed back along the column to fire no shot until they had closed with the band, and then to be most careful to aim wide of the wagons. Every man in the little troop well knew how much was at stake, and men, all mercy to their beasts at other times, were now plying the cruel spur. Five, 6 o'clock had come and gone. The chase was still cut of sight ahead, yet every moment seemed to bring them closer upon their heels. At every bend of the tortuous trail the leader's eye was strained to see the dust cloud ris? ing ahead. But jutting point and roll? ing shoulder of bluff or hillside ever in? terposed. Drummond had just glanced at his watch for perhaps the twentieth time since daybreak and was replacing it in his pocket when an exclamation from Sergeant Meinecke startled him. "Look at Lee!" [TO BE CONTINUED.] For shampooing the hair nothing is better than plenty of tar soap and hot water. It is better, than castile even and makes a fine soft lather. A little borax or a fahlespoonful of ammonia in the water is also good for oily hair, but too much of either turns the hair gray. To clean bronzes, immerse in boiling water. Clean with flannel dipped in soapsuds and rub dry with chamois. An urn should be filled with boiling wa? ter before the exterior is cleaned. Coins with dates referring to "Anno Domini"' (A. D.) cannot be found bear? ing an earlier date than that of thefour teenth century. The little island of Iceland, with about 70,000 inhabitants, has the same number of newspapers ?-s the great em? pire of China. The apple parer was given to the pub? lic in 1803. At the present day one east? ern firm makes over 27,000 a year. Burning Pain Erysipelas in Face and Eyes Inflammation Subdued and Tor* tures Ended by Hood's. ?I am so ?lad to be relieved of my tortures that I am ?nilling to tell the benefits I have de? rived from Hood's Sarsaparilla. In April and May, I was afflicted with erysipelas in my face and eyes, which spread to my throat and neck. I tried divers ointments and alteratives, but there was no permanent abatement of the burn? ing, torturing pain, peculiar to this complaint. I began to take Hood's Sarsaparilla and Felt Marked Relief before I had finished the first bottle. I con? tinued to improve until, when I had taken four HOOD'S Sarsaparilla CURES bottles; I was completely cured, and felt that all signs, mar Rs and symptoms of that dire com? plaint had forever vanished." MRS. E. E. OTTAWA, Hillsboro, Wisconsin. Hood's Pills are prompt and efficient, yet * easy in action. Sold by all druggists. 25c.